A title character plays only a supporting role this week at the Tontitown Grape Festival. That's the grape itself, now relegated to cameo appearances at this venerable yearly celebration, whose roots date to 1899.

It's the case that not a lot of grapes are grown today around this Northwest Arkansas community, settled near the end of the 19th century by Italian immigrants who'd had bad luck in the opposite corner of the state. There is one local vintner, Tontitown Winery, which takes part in the five-day festival. And festival grape stomping did occur on Tuesday and Wednesday.