Picket fences, red carpet and complementary horse and carriage rides will create the ideal wine-tasting ambiance in downtown Tracy on Friday evening. The scene will be set for the 18th annual Tracy Wine Stroll, presented by the Downtown Tracy Business Improvement Area.

Diana Koron, executive director of DTBIA, expects more than 5,000 people to flood downtown to taste wine, view art and listen to jazz and blues music.

A gazebo will be the stroll’s centerpiece in Chardonnay Circle at the juncture of Cabernet Court, Syrah Street, Zinfandel Way and Merlot Avenue — temporary names for stretches of 10th Street and Central Avenue. It will feature wine from La Bonne Vie Cellars of Tracy, Oak Ridge Winery of Lodi, Peirano Estate Vineyards of Lodi and newcomer Westover Ports of Livermore.

Hors d’ouevres will be served by the Tracy Auxiliary of Children’s Home Society, a charity that will receive a share of the evening’s profits, and free mugs for nonalcoholic drinks will be given to designated drivers. Strollers can also snack on barbecue, Mexican and Afghan cuisine at the food court.

Music and art have played a supporting role in the wine stroll since it started in 1988, and this year is no different. Tracy Art League members will sell and show artwork, and this year’s musical lineup will feature jazz, blues, jazz fusion, Latin and rock.

“The entertainment, this year, is by far the best and most versatile that has been offered,” said Mike Corbett, the stroll’s entertainment coordinator and chairman of city of DTBIA. “I want people to say, ‘We had a whole lot of fun consuming wonderful wine, but we were also entertained.’”

This is Koron’s first year as the wine stroll coordinator, but she has worked as an event coordinator for 18 years.

“I used the basic concept of the wine stroll,” she said, “but created an entire new event. I changed it by utilizing a lot of decor and donations from a lot of businesses.”

Bill Carey, joint-owner of the seven-year-old Tracy Wine Cellar, said the wine stroll is vital for downtown businesses.

“It does real well for us,” he said. “But it’s not just good for us, it’s a way to promote downtown and show everyone what’s here.”

• To contact reporter Danielle MacMurchy, call 830-4280 or e-mail danielle@tracypress.com.

• WHAT: Tracy Wine Stroll

• WHEN: 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday

• WHERE: Downtown Tracy

• COST: Glasses are $20 pre-sold or $25 at the event

• INFO: Downtown Tracy Business Improvement Area, 831-4170