Cannon River Winery Harvest Experience

Cannon River Winery Harvest Experience is an annual harvest festival held each fall in Cannon Falls, Minnesota — described by the winery as the only event of its kind in Minnesota. The 2025 edition runs on September 6, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm, with tickets priced at $25 per person. An early registration discount of $5 off is available through August 31 using code EARLY, bringing the entry price down to $20 for those who plan ahead.

Cannon River Winery Harvest Experience is a hands-on, educational harvest event structured around active participation rather than passive tasting. Attendees travel by shuttled transportation between the winery and the vineyard in the Sogn Valley, where they pick grapes by hand as part of the working harvest crew. After the picking session, participants return to the winery for a live demonstration of the de-stemming and grape-crushing process conducted by the winery's production staff. The event concludes with a catered alfresco meal and wine tasting on the vineyard grounds. Attendees also receive coupons redeemable on winery purchases. Reservations are required, and the winery notes that spots fill quickly.

For practical planning: the $25 ticket covers shuttled transportation, the harvesting experience, the catered meal, and the wine tasting — making it an inclusive package for a half-day event. Because the harvest fills up quickly, early registration is strongly recommended. The early-bird discount code EARLY is valid through August 31, 2025. No VIP or designated driver pricing was listed at time of publication. The event runs approximately 4.5 hours and is set outdoors in the vineyard, so weather-appropriate clothing is worth considering.

Cannon River Winery opened its tasting room in 2004 and grows cold-hardy grape varietals suited to Minnesota's climate — varieties bred to withstand harsh winters while producing distinctive fruit. The vineyard sits along the Cannon River in Southeast Minnesota, a region where winemakers have worked for decades to adapt viticulture to northern growing conditions. The winery produces red, white, rosé, and sparkling wines, giving harvest participants a sense of the full range of what comes from this particular piece of Minnesota ground.