The second annual Santa Clarita Wine Fest to benefit the Michael Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer is set for Bridgeport Marketplace in Valencia on Saturday, March 3 from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Organizers have also put out the call for volunteers 21 and older to help before, during and after the event.

More than 400 wines, spirits and beers will be available for tasting and purchase during the Wine Fest, which includes lifestyle exhibitors, educational classes in wine and food pairings, Scotch and more. ValBeMar Coffee will also be featured.

“We think it’s going to be a great event,” said Gillian Stone, the Hoefflin Foundation’s executive director. “Last year spoke for itself, and I think 600-plus people enjoyed it very much. We’re a small organization and rely on the community and outside sources to help us raise enough revenue in order to continue the work that we do here.  So we’re very excited to be a part of this and looking forward to seeing how it all comes out.”

Tickets are $75 for each adult, or $139 for each adult couple (plus service fees for online purchase). There’s also a “designated driver” ticket for $20 per adult that includes Wine Fest activities but no alcoholic beverages.

A VIP benefit is set for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring special wines, hors d’ouevres, music and more. Combination tickets for the daytime events, the VIP event and one class are available for $150 (plus a small service fee for processing) or separate VIP Event Only tickets are available for $75.

A mini-fleet of gourmet food trucks will provide edibles for attendees throughout the afternoon and early evening.

“It’s primarily a wine festival for people to taste wines, but people do get hungry along the way,” said Scherr Lillico, the event’s coordinator. “We’ll have a few gourmet food trucks, a great one called Heirloom that does things like lasagna cupcakes. We also have Meat & Potatoes which makes great sandwiches and things like loaded French fries. We have Coolhaus to do special cookies and ice cream for dessert. And we’ll have at least one more; we’re just waiting on a confirmation.”

Several Bridgeport Marketplace restaurants are also participating in the benefit, Lillico said. “They’re participating in our VIP benefit by contributing food, and they’re also all setting up post-Fest dinner specials so that people can attend the Wine Fest and then head on over to Frankie’s or Kabuki or Marston’s or California Pizza Kitchen and have a great dinner afterwards before they head home.”

For general Wine Fest and VIP tickets or more info on participating as a sponsor or exhibitor, and for special ticket purchase promotions, visit www.santaclaritawinefest.com. On Facebook and YouTube, search SantaClaritaWineFest.

There’s special ticket pricing for MHF supporters. Call 661-250-4100 or visit www.mhf.org to purchase tickets, or mention the code MHF when purchasing tickets from the Santa Clarita Wine Fest website.

Volunteer shifts will last three to four hours between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the day of the event. Roles include set-up, assisting organizers and vendors during the event, and cleanup afterward.

To sign up as a volunteer, contact the Hoefflin Foundation at 661-250-4100 or volunteer@mhf.org.

The Bridgeport Marketplace is at 24045 Newhall Ranch Road in Valencia.

About the Hoefflin Foundation

The Hoefflin Foundation for Children’s Cancer is a public nonprofit 501(c)(3) foundation that provides financial and emotional support to children and their parents in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding valleys. The organization strives to educate the public and provide grant funding for innovative research to accelerate progress in the fight against pediatric cancer. Visit www.mhf.org for more information.