Realtor Couple Co-Chair Grapevine’s 40th Annual GrapeFest
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When Realtor Sue Wykes moved to Grapevine in 2016, she was repeatedly asked, “What do you do?”
She quickly learned no one was asking her about her occupation. Given the city’s community-centered culture, the question was more about her volunteer activities, not about selling real estate.
“Everyone in this community values giving back,” she said. “They’re so friendly and even those who have been here for a long time embrace the newcomers.”
So, she and her husband, Realtor Mark Wykes, jumped into their new hometown both professionally and voluntarily. Not only are the couple leading The Wykes Group of Coldwell Banker Realty with an office on Grapevine’s busy Main Street, but the two have volunteered to co-chair the 40th anniversary GrapeFest.
As co‑chairs, they’re leading the four‑day street festival, planned for September 17-20 on Grapevine’s Historic Main Street. The long-running event has grown from a one-day wine gathering in a city park into a full‑blown Texas celebration drawing more than 250,000 people to the North Texas town. Leading the festival, dubbed GrapeFest – A Texas Wine Experience, seems a natural fit for Sue and Mark.
“We are a couple who loves our community and believes in giving back to the community that has given so much to us,” Sue said. “Grapevine has been so good to us.”
Largest Wine Fest in the Southwest
Sue and Mark are now busy planning the outdoor festival, which will include wine tastings, live music, family activities, artisan booths, and the famous GrapeStomp. Tickets for special events, such as the wine train and tasting experiences, are already on sale. The fall event has become the Southwest’s largest wine festival.
“It is such an honor to be in charge of the 40th annual GrapeFest,” Sue said. “GrapeFest helped put Texas wineries on the map.”
As a Realtor, Sue knows what GrapeFest and Grapevine’s wineries have done for the city and its homeowners. Because of hotels, restaurants, retail sales, and wineries, residential property tax rates are enviable, making Grapevine attractive to homebuyers.
“Tourism is the engine that drives lower property taxes for the city,” she said.
Selling Grapevine
Sue and Mark Wykes have built their real‑estate careers around the communities they love, but nowhere is their imprint deeper than in historic Grapevine. The husband‑and‑wife duo, who specialize in selling homes across Southlake, Flower Mound, and Colleyville, have become a force on Main Street. Of the 167 residential transactions in Grapevine’s historic district over the past 10 years, they’ve handled 68, according to Sue’s records.
Their success is based on a shared philosophy of bringing hospitality to real estate. It makes sense since the hospitality industry is where they began their careers. Sue worked at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Mark at Omni Hotels & Resorts, and their team member, Realtor Kara Heidenreich, came from the Four Seasons.
That same hospitality spirit now inspires their civic involvement, including their leadership roles in Grapevine’s signature events. Sue was the immediate past chairperson for the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce, Mark is a Rotarian and a commissioner for the municipal golf club, and Kara serves as president of the Northwest Rotary Club.
Bottom line? They’re selling Grapevine, both its real estate and community spirit.
“It’s an honor we get to do it,” said Sue.
