Tickets Available now for Weekend Gathering Celebrating Wine, Art, and Heavy Metal
Walla Walla, Wash. (March 30, 2026) — Blood of Gods, a biannual zine dedicated to the intersection of heavy metal, winemaking, and art, announces the lineup of wineries, artists, and speakers at the fifth annual Merrymaking on July 17 and 18 in Walla Walla, Washington.
Merrymaking is a two-day festival celebrating heavy metal, bold wine, and provocative art. Founded by Blood of Gods, this weekend celebration brings together winemakers, artists, musicians, and guests for an open, welcoming event for all.
Blood of Gods founder Stacy Buchanan spent seven years as a writer in the music industry before returning to Walla Walla, where he discovered a thriving wine industry and saw a shared obsessive quality between winemakers and musicians. The zine he created grew an engaged audience that come together once a year for the weekendlong celebration in Walla Walla.
Presented by House of Smith, Merrymaking is not just one event, but a collection of engaging events throughout the weekend. The weekend kicks off on Friday, July 17 with an opening party and art show at Foundry Vineyards that is free and open to the public. This year the gallery will feature work from Morgan Sorensen, Heather Mahler, Alex Eckman-Lawn, and Nicholas Hartman.
On Saturday, July 18, the main event takes place at Marcus Whitman Hotel. The day begins with the No Holds Barred panel discussion from 12 pm to 2 pm. This year’s panel includes wine luminaries Tyler Balliet (wine communicator, educator and author), Elaine Arnaqiaq Chukan Brown (wine writer and author, speaker, and global wine educator), André Hueston Mack (sommelier, winemaker, designer, and YouTube wine educator), and Tegan Passalacqua (winemaker for Turley Wine Cellars and Sandlands).
The Merrymaking Main Event is from 3 pm to 6 pm, featuring 40 wineries and breweries pouring alongside handpicked artists and vendors. Participating wineries span local Walla Walla estates as well as wineries from the Pacific Northwest, including Beaux Frères, Cayuse Vineyards, Gran Moraine, Lingua Franca, Sleight of Hand, Sandlands, Tablas Creek Vineyard, and WeatherEye Vineyards, and one New York winery, Hermann J. Wiemer Vineyard & Winery. Some wineries will be pouring library vintages you cannot taste anywhere else. Featured artists have contributed work to Blood of Gods in past issues, and include Heather Mahler, Alex Eckman-Lawn, and Helen Mask. Vendors include Oakthorn Studios, Woodblock Chocolate, Rebel School of Wine, Gods Below, and Feral House Publishing. A full list of participating producers and artists can be found below.
The evening caps off with a three-hour heavy metal concert at House of Smith, opening with Brutal Babes Burlesque, Warp Chamber, and Seattle’s post-metalcore band Heiress, the official Blood of Gods house band. The surprise headliner will be announced on April 9. K Vintners/House of Smith will be pouring special wines by the glass during the concert.
For the first time, Merrymaking satellite events will involve more Walla Walla businesses as the city gears up to welcome Merrymaking guests. These include Blood Parlor on July 17 at Walla Walla Beer Parlor, with a tap takeover from Holy Mountain Brewing and Burial Beer Co, and wines poured by Loop de Loop Vintner and Secus Wines. This event is 21+ and free to attend. On July 19, Tavern Ancestral hosts winemaker Tegan Passalacqua for an intimate gathering discussing heritage vineyards, and the living memory inside wine (tickets coming soon).
Merrymaking tickets are available now ($40), with early bird pricing available until April 9 ($34). This ticket provides access to the kickoff party, the No Holds Barred speaking panel, the Merrymaking Main Event, and the afterparty concert. To taste wine at the Merrymaking Main Event, a wine wristband is available for $40, with all proceeds from the tasting wristbands donated to Planned Parenthood. In 2024, Merrymaking raised $15,000 for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho.
2026 Merrymaking sponsors include presenting sponsor House Of Smith, Chateau Ste. Michelle, Crimson Wine Group, Email Mavens, Echolands Winery, The GG Inn, Imbibe Magazine, Imagemaker Wines, Jackson Family Wines, Oregon Wine Board, Play Nice PR, Planned Parenthood, Trysk Printing, Visit Walla Walla, WWCC Viticulture and Enology Center, Walla Walla Valley Wine, and Wine Enthusiast.
