Ad Astra Wine Bar & Market opens downtown

After more than a year of renovation and restoration in the space at 308 E. Adams St., Ad Astra Wine Bar & Market is holding a grand opening on Saturday, Nov. 26. A ribbon cutting will take place at 10 a.m. and the business will be open until 10 p.m. that day.

A Sip 'n Shop soft opening will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 23, from 4-10 p.m. Wine and cheese tastings will be available, along with bottles of wine and cheese to purchase to-go.

Owner Kristina Barbee describes Ad Astra as "a small, intimate wine bar with a wine gift shop in the front. Patrons can come in and enjoy a glass of wine at the bar, and then before they leave, they can purchase full bottles and items for a gift basket.” She said the market also has a build-your-own cheese board menu and pastries from area bakers that can be enjoyed on site or purchased to-go.

When plans were first announced last year, Barbee told SBJ, “I always wanted to open a wine bar or winery, and thought if the stars aligned and I won a million dollars I would do it. Over the past few years, I just decided to find a way to make things happen instead of saying ‘if only.’” Ad Astra is a Latin phrase meaning “to the stars,” and Barbee said she chose the name because all of the difficulties and trials in life “have paved the path for my journey to the stars.”

Barbee said, "Ad Astra has been in the making for two years for me now, and I cannot come up with any words that describe how I feel about finally seeing customers drinking our wine and eating our curated food offerings. This is more than a dream come true, and I cannot wait for the entire Springfield area to experience it."

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