One of the year’s most popular wine events returns…
There are winter events, and then there’s Winter Wine Under the Waves, Scranton’s annual reminder that cold months don’t have to feel stagnant. That even in January, when the city’s skyline is cut in sharp gray lines and the cold hangs just a little too long, there’s still room for joy, indulgence, and a touch of spectacle.
This year’s event returns to The Marketplace at Steamtown (Scranton, PA) on Saturday, January 4th, 2026, inside the winding, glowing pathways of the Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den, a setting that transforms a standard wine tasting into something closer to a winter escape. The hours run from 6 to 9 p.m., enough time to explore, taste, wander, and forget, for a moment, that the sidewalks outside are frozen.
And Scranton knows this event. It’s become one of the city’s premier annual wine nights, part festival, part date night, part midwinter morale boost.
What makes “Under the Waves” different…
If you’ve been to a wine festival in a ballroom, convention center, brewery, vineyard tent, pick your venue, you know the usual cadence: tables, pours, tasting notes, chatter, maybe a cheese plate if you’re lucky. It’s all pleasant, predictable, civilized.
But tasting wine while an 8-foot shark drifts past your shoulder? Or while a stingray glides along the glass with the slow confidence of something that knows it’s been here longer than you?
That’s something else entirely.
Winter Wine Under the Waves blends two experiences that shouldn’t match but somehow do: the calm, controlled environment of an aquarium and the free-flowing social energy of a wine event. Guests wander through reef tanks, tunnels, and low-lit walkways while sipping from local and regional wineries, some familiar to NEPA drinkers, others making only occasional appearances in our corner of the state.
The result is part tasting, part walking meditation, part party. It’s not loud, but it’s lively. It’s not formal, but it feels intentional. And it works because it taps into something we crave in midwinter: warmth, novelty, and a reason to leave the house.
A bit of history…
Since launching a few years back, Winter Wine Under the Waves has grown from a clever idea into one of the city’s go-to seasonal traditions. Early versions of the event hinted at its potential, solid winery participation, strong turnout, and a venue unlike anywhere else in downtown Scranton.
But in recent years, the buzz has grown. Media outlets have covered it. Social feeds have been filled with photos of glasses held up against blue-lit tanks. The event consistently sells out (as of this writing, 448 people have expressed interest in attending on Facebook) or comes close. And each winter, more wineries, distilleries, and vendors sign on, turning it into a genuinely regional showcase rather than a simple tasting night.
For the Aquarium, it’s also an opportunity to open its doors after-hours, something that changes the energy of the space entirely. The animals are calmer, the lighting softer, the whole building more mysterious. Even people who’ve been to the Aquarium a dozen times say the nighttime version is something new.
Why people go…
Ask around and you’ll hear a mix of answers.
Some go because it’s a perfect January date night—the kind that feels low-pressure but still special.
Some go because they love supporting a good cause. Proceeds from the event help support wildlife conservation.
Others go simply because it’s different. And in a region that’s slowly but surely expanding its food-and-drink scene, events with personality matter. They give the community something to rally around. They offer a reason to stay local instead of heading south or north for the night.
There’s also the social factor: Winter Wine Under the Waves attracts a broad slice of NEPA, couples, friend groups, longtime wine lovers, people who couldn’t tell a cabernet from a concord but know a good time when they see one. It’s welcoming, unpretentious, and almost cozy despite the space’s size.
And at its core, the event delivers something simple: a few hours of warmth, flavor, and midwinter cheer in one of the region’s most visually striking venues.
