Tonight’s the night for a walk downtown on Main Street. With a wine tasting and two art gallery receptions spread across three blocks, art connoisseurs and wine lovers alike will find plenty to savor during the trio of events hosted by Wine & Words & Gourmet, River Walk Gallery and Arts Center and Contemporary Art Exchange.

Adding to appeal, the event venues are all within walking distance, making a downtown triple crown an easy possibility.

A taste of wine

Wine & Words & Gourmet is the first out of the gate this evening, with a special wine tasting by Tryon Distributing. The free tasting will feature six wines that business owner Mary Mehlich says pair perfectly with end-of-summer relaxation.

“The rep, Bryan Frye, is going to come in and talk about the wines he is pouring, and the bottles will be on 10-percent discount for the evening,” Mehlich said. “We’ll also be tasting some cheeses that we sell here on site.”

While Frye will only be present from 4 to 7 p.m. during the Friday evening tasting, Melich says that the tasting will continue during the store’s business hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Good impressions

The stunning works of Washington impressionist John Groesser are the subject of a reception at the River Walk Gallery from 6 to 8 p.m.

“I consider myself an impressionist, almost on the edge of being an abstract impressionist,” Groesser said. “There is a lot of color, a lot of bold strokes and hard edges, because I paint in acrylics.”

Groesser will auction off four of his paintings throughout the evening at 6:30 p.m., 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The reception will feature food, wine and good company.

Larger than life

Topping off the evening with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m., Contemporary Art Exchange presents the works of outsider folk artist Sam Ezell, whose works are also featured prominently at the Turnage Theatre through September. A renowned abstract artist, Ezell will be on hand at the gallery for a meet and greet, sharing some of his fascinating life experience.

“We have a full exhibit going up in the shop,” Jandrow said. “It’s a big show. The pieces are 11 feet wide.”

The gallery’s most recent exhibit, “The Three,” featured works from three up and coming artists and was a hit, according to Jandrow, resulting in a nearly sold out show.

Wine & Words & Gourmet is located at 220 W. Main St.. River Walk Gallery and Arts Center is located at 139 W. Main St. Contemporary Art Exchange is located at 127 E. Main St.