About the Vineyard | Art, Grounds, Vineyard Practices, and CVNP Context

Story

Our story in the valley.

A family‑run vineyard, winery, and art gallery operating within Cuyahoga Valley National Park under the park’s farm leasing program.

In memory

Sarah’s Vineyard was founded by Margaret and Michael Lytz and named in memory of Sarah, Margaret’s daughter, who died in 1998. The first vines were planted in 2003; the winery opened to customers in May 2007.

The tasting room is built from a pre–Civil War hand‑hewn timber frame, later expanded with a loft and pavilion so the site could host art, live music, and events while remaining a working vineyard.

Grapes we grow

Cabernet Franc
Cayuga
Chambourcin
Frontenac
Niagara
Rubiana
Seyval
Traminette
Vidal

Learn how they show up in the glass

Art & grounds

More than a tasting room: art, garden, deck, and pavilion.

The winery positions art and landscape as core parts of the experience—integrated into the tasting room and supported by a butterfly garden, deck overlooking the vines, and a seasonal pavilion.

Sarah’s Vineyard functions as both tasting room and gallery. The Art Gallery program features blown glass, pottery, jewelry, purses, tiles, pen & ink watercolors, collages, photography, and more—supporting both local and national artists. Pieces are displayed throughout the timber‑frame tasting room, so browsing art is part of the visit, not a side room.

Local artist work

Rotating pieces throughout the tasting room.

Pottery

Handcrafted ceramics and functional art.

Glass

Blown glass pieces and seasonal colors.

Butterfly garden, deck, and views

A butterfly garden lines the path to the tasting room, with flowers, exotic plantings, a koi pond, and a small waterfall. Picnic tables provide a quieter outdoor space, while the deck looks directly over vineyard rows—an easy place to watch the vines change through the seasons.

The vineyard is a working agricultural site inside a national park, so please treat the rows as part of the farm and avoid picking grapes.

Loft, pavilion, and events

The loft addition, completed in 2011, overlooks the tasting room and is used as both overflow seating and a rental space for private events. Outside, a seasonal pavilion with large white oak trusses and a stone fireplace extends the experience for summer evenings, live‑music series, and the annual Summer Solstice Wine, Art, & Music Festival.

See party & loft rental details

Events

Solo at Sarah’s, the Summer Solstice festival, and more.

Events turn the vineyard into a year‑round gathering place: winter music indoors, a June festival outside, and mini‑series like Vineyard Vibes when conditions line up.

Solo at Sarah’s

“Solo at Sarah’s” is a recurring winter music series held in the tasting room, typically on Wednesday evenings from November through April. The focus is on local musicians in an intimate timber‑frame setting, with food and wine available for purchase and first‑come seating.

For the current schedule, see the Solo at Sarah’s event page.

Summer Solstice festival & mini‑series

Each June, Sarah’s Vineyard hosts the Summer Solstice Wine, Art, & Music Festival—an outdoor, multi‑day event that combines wine, art, music, and vendors in peak vineyard season. National Park Service listings and regional coverage document its recurrence and atmosphere.

Smaller series like Vineyard Vibes show how the site supports multi‑night programming with wine, food, and wood‑fired pizzas. Exact dates and line‑ups change annually; watch the winery’s events page for details.

Planning

Preferred Partners

Local vendors and nearby favorites.

Partner	Details
The Silver Fern Bed & Breakfast	1856 Main Street, Peninsula, OH 44264 · 330-417-7194 · Website
Courtyard Marriott – Stow	4047 Bridgewater Parkway, Stow, OH 44224 · 330-945-9722 · Website
Acme Catering	3235 Manchester Rd, Akron, OH 44319 · 330-645-6222 · Website
Hudson’s Catering	80 N. Main St, Hudson, OH 44236 · 330-294-0675 · Website
Moe’s Restaurant	2385 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221 · 330-928-6600 · Website

When you’re in the area

Planning an event? Start on Visit.

Program context

Sarah’s Vineyard inside CVNP’s Countryside Initiative.

The winery operates within Cuyahoga Valley National Park as part of the park’s farm leasing program, created to preserve agricultural landscapes through long‑term, sustainability‑focused leases.

How the farm program works

The National Park Service’s rural landscape management plan established the Countryside Initiative as a way to maintain the valley’s pastoral character. Farmers lease historic farm properties—sometimes for terms up to 60 years—through a competitive proposal process.

Lessees submit annual operating plans covering crops, livestock, pest management, fertilizer and water use, and more. Plans are reviewed and approved by NPS, with integrated pest management and cultural and biological controls emphasized over chemical use.

What that means for visitors

You’re visiting a private business that is also a partner in a public land‑stewardship program.
You’ll see working agriculture—vines, fencing, equipment—alongside art, food, and live music.
Surfaces, accessibility, and signage reflect national park standards as well as winery operations.
Your visit helps keep scenic farm landscapes active, rather than letting them revert to non‑managed brush or development.

To go deeper, see the National Park Service pages on farming in a national park and the Countryside Initiative history in the News & Sources section below.

Press

News, features, and sources.

A short selection from the broader research base used to build this site. Links open on the original site.

A vineyard, art gallery, and farm lease inside a national park.