Red Wing Arts Fall Festival 2026

Red Wing Arts Fall Festival:

• Saturday, October 10 | 10 am-5 pm
• Sunday, October 11 | 10 am-4 pm

Celebrating its 60th year, the Red Wing Arts Fall Festival happens during the peak of fall color and typically attracts over 20,000 visitors. As a core program of Red Wing Arts, our Fall Festival is known for its commitment to showcasing fine art, artist hospitality, festive atmosphere, community support and strong artist sales!  Our festival features 125+ artist booths and artmaking in the heart of downtown Red Wing, MN and all-day concerts and food trucks in nearby Central Park. 

ARTIST AMENITIES & FESTIVAL FEATURES:

• Drive-up/day before show setup
• Exceptional volunteers who provide booth breaks and other support
• Indoor Artist Hospitality Room with complimentary food and facilities
• Artist Awards Party Saturday evening
• Live music & entertainment to attract attendees
• Overnight security on Friday & Saturday nights
• Long standing Art Festival - 60 years produced by Red Wing Arts

*Culinary Arts - Applications are NOT processed through ZAPPlication. Food Vendors -  please email festival@redwingarts.org for an application*
 

60th Annual Red Wing Arts Fall Festival
Red Wing Arts Fall Festival is presented by Red Wing Arts (www.redwingarts.org), a nonprofit arts organization. This is our largest annual event.  

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE:

• Friday, October 9
  • 5 - 9 pm     Event set up
• Saturday, October 10
  • 6 - 9 am     Event set up
  • 10 am – 5 pm – FESTIVAL HOURS
• Sunday, October 11
  • 10 am – 4 pm – FESTIVAL HOURS
  • 4 pm – 7 pm  - Event load out

Important Dates
Jan 26, 2026: Online Application Available
July 1, 2026: Applications due by 11:59 pm CST
July 22, 2026: First Round Invites & Wait List Notices - sent via email through your ZAPP account. Subsequent invites from Aug 1-Sept 30. 
July 31, 2026: Deadline to accept invitation and purchase booth
Aug 16, 2026: Cancelation deadline to receive 50% back (less $25 administrative fee)
After Aug 17, 2026: NO Refunds

Artist Awards and On-site Judging
The following awards will be given: 1 Larry Veeder Best of Show, 1 Second Place, 1 Third Place. Each winner will recieve a cash prize, automatic entry, and exemption from an application fee the following year. The Larry Veeder Best of Show winner will also be exempt from a booth fee and have their artwork featured in festival marketing for the following year.  

Artist Hospitality
Red Wing Arts volunteers and sponsors provide coffee, donuts, soups, snacks and other dontated food and beverages in an indoor Artist Hospitality Room.  

Categories
In all categories our goal is to include quality, unique artwork that is accessible to a diverse buying audience and available at a variety of price points. We are open to all types of work, from traditional fine art to contemporary craft, as long as it meets the following criteria: 1) High quality and made by the applicant. 2) Well curated and professionally presented. 3) Shoppable and engaging for a wide audience.

• ​​​​​Ceramics -  Art objects, either functional or decorative of earthenware, porcelain, or tile, made by shaping and then firing. No machine-made or mass produced work is permitted.
• Consumables - Bath, Body & Candles - this includes all soaps, lotions, body oils, lip balms, perfumes, candles, etc. Exhibitors in this category must be properly labled and if required, provide proof of certification. Information on homemade cosmetic certification requirements can be found here.
• Fiber - Includes artwork from fibers such as basketry, embroidery, weaving, leatherwork, tapestry and papermaking. No machine-tooled, machine-screened patterns or miscellaneous forms of mass production are permitted.
• Glass - Glass works that are functional or decorative by design and are kiln formed or crafted by glass blowing, molding or casting. Works may be etched or engraved.
• Jewelry - Creating artwork through the forging, twisting and fabricating of various materials. All jewelry, produced from metal, glass, clay, fiber, paper, plastic or other materials should apply in this category. No commercial casts, molds or production studio work is permitted. 
• Leather - Includes artwork, clothing or accessories made from leather. No machine-tooled, machine-screened patterns or miscellaneous forms of mass production are permitted.
• Metal Works - Non-jewelry artwork created through the forging, twisting and fabricating of various metals. No production studio work is permitted. 
• Two-Dimensional Mixed Media - Works that incorporate more than one type of physical material in their production. Works should include more than one of the following: Paint, pencil, watercolor, photography, printmaking or drawing.
• Three-Dimensional Mixed Media - Works that incorporate more than one type of physical material in their production. Works should include more than one of the following: clay work, fiber, glass, metal, wood, or any other 3-D objects.
• Painting/drawing - Creation of a still life, portrait, landscape, abstract or other image on a flat surface with watercolors, oil, acrylic, paint sticks, encaustic. Drawings are works on paper using pencil, crayon, ink, charcoal, pastels and a variety of other marking media.
• Photography - Process of capturing images of objects by the action of light, then printing the images, by chemical or digital means, onto a flat surface. Negatives must be the artist’s original and processed either by the artist or under his/her direct supervision.
• Printmaking - Printed works for which the artist hand-manipulated the plates, stones, or screens. Prints must be signed and numbered as a limited edition. Printmakers are required to disclose their creative process and printing process.
• Wood - Art objects, either functional or decorative hand tooled or machine worked, turned or carved.
• Authors - Literary works that combine text and art, such as illustrated books, graphic novels, or poetry combined with photography/visual art. Priority will be given to authors of books comprised of >50% visual elements. 
• Emerging Artist - Designed specifically for artists who are beginning their careers in the art world and have very little experience exhibiting and selling their artwork. The application procedure and jury fee are the same as the regular show, however, upon acceptance emerging artists will pay a lower booth fee. Applicants must show proof of being a student and/or the beginning of their business. A limited number of these booth spaces are available.
• Community & Non-Profit - Organizations and businesses who agree to offer artmaking during the festival and/or represent artists may apply. A limited number of these booth spaces are available.

Jury Process:
All submitted images must be anonymous and contain no identifying markings such as signatures, company names or photos of the artist.  Artists not in compliance will be required to make adjustments or be disqualified from the jury process.  

There are approximately 125 artist spaces available. The panel of three-to-five jurors change each year. They are drawn from a pool of arts professionals and artists. Because each jury is unique, we receive different results year-to-year. Submitted images will be displayed along with your brief description of your work. Jurors individually score each entry on a scale from one to five. The highest composite scores in each category are invited to be in the show or on a wait list. In addition to an artist's application materials and artwork images, we take into account the number of applications per medium.

Wait Listed Artists:
A waitlist of alternatives by category will be developed based on jury scores. We strive to create a balanced festival that showcases fine art and a diversity of media; each category has a certain number of allotted spaces. Artists will be notified if they are on the waitlist through the email provided in Zapplication. Waitlisted artists will be invited to participate on a rolling basis, if a space becomes available. Each year approximately 10-20 waitlisted artists are invited to participate. 

1. All work in every category must be original, handmade work produced by the exhibiting artist. Artist guarantees the accuracy of the description of the works presented and the authenticity of the work as the creation of their own hands. No Buy/Sell is allowed. Artists may only sell items represented in their application and only sell items within the media category they were juried into. 

2. Work which has been produced with commercial kits, molds, patterns, plans, prefabricated forms or other commercial methods is not permitted. Prints of photography, drawings, paintings, illustrations and printmaking may be sold if original work is also present. For artists selling reproduced works, including giclee prints, the reproductions must be signed and in a numbered edition; reproductions must be clearly marked. 

3. If artwork reflects and constitutes more than one category, artists must apply separately in each category. Each category will be juried separately and require its own application fee. Artists may only exhibit and sell work in media category for which they are accepted. Please contact festival organizers with questions.

4. Artists, collaborators, or immediate family members must be present at their booth for the entirety of the festival; visitors expect to meet the artist at this festival. Artist booths must be open all hours of the festival.

5. No late arrival, early tear down, or early exits before officials invite vehicles into the festival grounds. Artists who begin tear down or bring vehicles into the festival grounds before the festival ends at 4 pm on Sunday may not be invited to return. 

6. Exhibitors are responsible for collecting and reporting their own sales tax and must have a Minnesota State Tax ID Number. The Minnesota ST-19 Certificate of Sales Tax Compliance form must be sent to the festival along with the booth fee, if accepted.

7. We require commercial or professional-grade white tents able to withstand severe weather (versus light-weight pop-up tents) and 50 pound weights per leg (or more). In the event of predicted overnight high winds, artists should drop the height of their tent. We cannot allow artists to use a tent that seems unsafe for neighboring artists or attendees.
 
8. If an artist is removed at any time for non-compliance with the rules, no fee refunds will be issued.

There are approximately 125 artist spaces available. We strive to create a balanced festival that showcases fine art and a diversity of media; see the 2025 Artists webpage for reference: 
https://www.redwingartsfallfestival.org/artists

All booth spaces are approximately 10' wide x 12' deep with approximately 1-3' feet between each booth. 

Booth Fees:
Single - $335
Double - $680
Note: a limited double booths are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

• Individual booth assignments are at the sole discretion of the Red Wing Arts Fall Festival, and are not interchangeable or transferable. If you have a special request please email festival@redwingarts.org with your request when you purchase your space. We strive to accommodate special requests, although not always possible.
• No electricity is available.
• Artists are responsible for providing all booth structures/tents, racks, tables, chairs, display units, and other fixtures suitable for outdoor use and constructed to withstand crowds and wind. All spaces are on asphalt so 50lb weights (or more) per leg are required. STAKING IS NOT ALLOWED.
• We require commercial or professional-grade white tents able to withstand severe weather (versus light-weight pop-up tents). In the event of predicted overnight high winds, artists should drop the height of their tent.