WRIGHTSVILLE, Pa. — A popular York County winery that has been the subject of multiple civil lawsuits and court rulings in recent weeks is closing its doors...again.
Moon Dancer Winery on Wednesday announced it is closing "for the foreseeable future" after a July 8 ruling in York County Court denied its request to remain open while fighting its legal battles.
Last month, the court allowed the winery to reopen while reconsidering a previous ruling that forced Moon Dancer to close. After reconsidering the case, the court reinstated the closure order this week, giving Moon Dancer 10 days to close.
The final day of operation for Moon Dancer Winery will be Thursday, July 18, the winery said in a press release.
“Words cannot express our deep disappointment and sadness,” said Moon Dancer owner Jim Miller. “The past six weeks have been a rollercoaster of emotions. We went from celebrating our 20th anniversary on Memorial Day weekend to learning of a court order to close and then getting a reprieve that turned out to be short-lived.
"Now, we have just a little over a week to close our doors. We don’t know when, or if, we will ever reopen. We are beyond devastated.”
The forced closure is the latest chapter in a long-running legal dispute regarding the winery’s picturesque farm property on Klines Run Road, overlooking the Susquehanna River.
The lawsuit, brought by a couple who owns the neighboring property, centers on the use of Miller’s agriculturally zoned property as a vineyard and winery.
The court’s decision this week effectively means the winery can no longer operate on the property. Miller said he plans to appeal and will explore all possible avenues to allow the winery to reopen and continue operations during the appeal.
“We have built something special here and we aren’t ready to give it up,” Miller said in the winery's press release. “We have thousands of supporters who have stood by us and helped to make Moon Dancer a beloved place where countless precious memories have been made and shared over the years. We are so deeply grateful to all of our friends and supporters, and we cherish each and every one of them. They are the very heart and soul of Moon Dancer.”
Some of those supporters have circulated an online petition to stop the closure of Moon Dancer; that petition has garnered more than 7,000 signatures and continues to grow.
Moon Dancer Winery will remain open for business through Thursday. All events scheduled at the winery after that date will be canceled, which includes Moon Dancer’s popular annual Reggae Festival scheduled for July 27 and 28.
Customers who have purchased event tickets for canceled events will receive full refunds, the winery said.
For additional details and schedule updates visit moondancerwinery.com.