Blood of Gods Announces 2025 Lineup for Annual Merrymaking on July 19 in Walla Walla, Washington 

Tickets Available now for Weekend Celebration of Art, Wine, and Heavy Metal 

Walla Walla, Wash. (March 27, 2025) — 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 fourth annual Merrymaking on July 18 & 19 in Walla Walla, Washington. 

Blood of Gods celebrates five years and ten issues this summer with the biggest Merrymaking ever, as well as the release of a new book, Blood of Gods: Metal. Mayhem. Wine. (Feral House Publishing). 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.

Presented by House of Smith, Merrymaking is a two-day festival celebrating heavy metal, bold wine, and provocative art. The weekend kicks off on Friday, July 18 with an opening party and art show at Foundry Vineyards. This event is free to attend and features work from Caroline Harrison, Corey Urlacher, Helen Mask, and Morgan Beem. Wine by the glass is available to purchase.

On Saturday, July 19, the main event takes place at Whitman College’s Reid Campus Center. The day begins with the No Holds Barred panel discussion from 12 pm to 2 pm. This year’s panel is moderated by Maryam Ahmed of Maryam + Company, and is star-studded with music and wine luminaries, including Samantha Cole Johnson (Senior Editor, JancisRobinson.com), Maggie Harrison (Winemaker, Antica Terra), Bonnary Lek (Communications Director, Wine Enthusiast Magazine), Pax Mahle (Winemaker, Pax Wines), Alexis Mincolla (Singer, 3Teeth), and Charles Smith (Winemaker, K Vintners/House Of Smith). 

The Merrymaking Main Event is from 3 pm to 6 pm, featuring 30 wineries and breweries pouring alongside handpicked artists and vendors. Participating wineries include Walla Walla locals Echolands Winery, Abeja Winery, and Pursued by Bear Wine, as well as wineries and breweries from the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Featured artists have contributed work to Blood of Gods in past issues, and include Jorge Corona, Morgan Beem, Al From Hell, Matt Harvey, and more (full list below). Vendors include Oakthorn Studios, Woodblock Chocolate, KEXP, Poler, Wine Enthusiast, Gods Below and Feral House Publishing. The evening caps off with a three-hour heavy metal concert at House of Smith, opening with Seattle’s post-metalcore band Heiress, and followed by a  soon-to-be-announced surprise headliner. K Vintners/House of Smith will be pouring special wines by the glass during the concert. 

Tickets are available now ($35), with early bird pricing available until March 31 ($30). 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 tasting wristbands proceeds donated to Planned Parenthood. In 2024, Merrymaking raised $15,000 for Planned Parenthood of Greater Washington and Northern Idaho. 

Participating wineries and breweries:

Participating artists:

ABOUT BLOOD OF GODS 
Blood of Gods began as a zine in April 2020 and has grown into a cultural movement that opens wine up to a broader and perhaps unexpected audience. The annual Blood of Gods Merrymaking in July brings together wineries, art, and heavy metal artists, as well as an engaging panel of wine luminaries, including journalists, musicians, sommeliers, winemakers, and vineyard managers. 2025 sponsors include presenting sponsor House Of Smith, Planned Parenthood, Wines Of Germany, Grit Agency, Trysk Printing, Play Nice PR, Oregon Wine Board, Email Mavens, Echolands Winery, Walla Walla Valley Wine, Walla Walla Cannabis Co., WWCC Viticulture and Enology Center, Poler, Walla Walla Land Co., Visit Walla Walla, and Wine Enthusiast. For more information, please visit https://bloodofgods.bigcartel.com, or follow Blood of Gods on Instagram.