Augusta Plein Air Art And Wine Festival

Augusta Plein Air Art And Wine Festival is an annual grand tasting and outdoor art festival held each spring in Augusta, Missouri — in 2026, it runs 10 days from April 23 through May 2, marking its 23rd consecutive year. Organized by the Greater Augusta Chamber of Commerce, the festival draws over 100 artists who paint outdoors across the small towns of Augusta, Defiance, and New Melle, with wineries serving as both backdrops and venues throughout the event.

The festival is built around plein air painting — a tradition rooted in 19th-century European impressionism in which artists work entirely outdoors, responding to natural light, atmosphere, and landscape in real time. At Augusta Plein Air Art And Wine Festival, those landscapes include Missouri River bluffs, farmland, the Katy Trail, and the vineyards of Missouri Wine Country. Daily paint-out events are scheduled at locations such as Noboleis Vineyards, Defiance Ridge Vineyards, Triple 3 Vineyard, and Augusta, Balducci, Montelle, and Mount Pleasant wineries. Completed work is displayed and available for purchase each day at the Augusta Harmonie Verein gallery, located at 5333 Hackman Rd., Augusta, MO 63332, with new paintings added daily from April 26 through May 1. The festival concludes on May 2 with Final Art Awards and a sale in Town Square, where attendees can sample local wines and spirits, enjoy street food, and hear live music.

Art lovers can attend without registering — the public is welcome to observe artists at work each day, purchase paintings directly from artists on location, and visit the pop-up gallery at Harmonie Verein. Wine tasting is woven throughout the schedule, with winery visits built into the daily events calendar. Several artist workshops are also offered for those who want to participate more actively; workshop registration opens December 1, 2025, and general artist registration closes April 26, 2026.

Augusta sits within Missouri's oldest designated American Viticultural Area, established in 1980. The region's proximity to the Missouri River creates a microclimate that supports grape growing, and local wineries have earned recognition at national competitions. The festival's pairing of plein air painting with wine country visits reflects Augusta's dual identity as both an agricultural and arts community.