Image by Steve Lenz.

Event brings a diverse crowd from across the U.S.

The Blood of Gods Annual Merrymaking event took place in Walla Walla Valley Saturday, June 18^th. Now in its fifth year, the event combined education, wine tasting, art, and live music. A total of 654 people attended, most from beyond the immediate area.

“Two-thirds of the people came from outside a 50-mile radius,” says founder Stacy Buchanan. “We had people representing 19 states from as far away as Massachusetts, New York, Texas, and Hawaii.”

Blood of Gods Annual Merrymaking has intentionally cultivated a diverse crowd. The age range of attendees was 21 to 82. The median age was 41.

“When I look and see an old, rich white guy wearing a pink polo shirt next to a group of punk girls with mohawks and battle vests and they’re both cheering and saying, ‘This is incredible,’ it warms my heart,” Buchanan says. “It’s exactly what this event was meant to do: bring people together.”

This year’s Blood of Gods event included an educational panel and a tasting with 55 wineries from Washington, Oregon, California, New York, and beyond. At the tasting, there were aerialists, artists, and various vendors. There was live painting and two tattoo artists, with the latter booked nearly from start to finish. The event concluded with a burlesque performance and then three heavy metal bands.

“Blood of Gods’ Merrymaking is, for me, like making a mixtape for someone,” says Buchanan. “I’m telling you a little bit about who I am and what I like and what I think you’re gonna like too.” Overall, this year’s event raised almost $20,000 for the local chapter of Planned Parenthood.

Buchanan started Blood of Gods in 2020 as a zine dedicated to wine and heavy metal music. The zine is a combination of homage, lampoon, art, and serious writing. (See a previous feature article about Blood of Gods.) The first Blood of Gods Merrymaking event took place in 2022.

At a time when the wine industry is looking for ways to appeal to a new audience, Blood of Gods Merrymaking seems to be on to something. Buchanan has created an event unlike any other. It continues to grow, creating a wine and metal militia.

“I hope it’s the canary in the coal mine that shows an example, like, hey, this is how it can work,” Buchanan says. “And it’s repeatable.”

See a video recap of Blood of Gods 2026 Annual Merrymaking.

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