MidwestWeekends.com — Your Travel Guide to the Upper Midwest

Arts festivals 2021

April

  • (Apr. 23 – 25)Bluff Country Studio Art Tour

    Northeast IA/Southeast, MN

    Take a spring drive through southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa and visit artists in and around Winona, Lanesboro, Spring Grove and Harmony in Minnesota and Decorah in Iowa.


May

  • (May 7 – 9)Earth Arts Spring Art Tour

    Upper St. Croix Valley, WI

    Visit artists at 28 studios and sites in and around St. Croix Falls, Osceola and Amery.


  • (May 13 – 20)Wisconsin Film Festival

    Madison, WI

    See 150 independent films from Wisconsin and around the world.


  • (May 14 – 16)Art-A-Whirl Studio Tour

    Minneapolis, MN

    Up to 800 artists are taking part in this tour of studios in the northeast Minneapolis arts district.

    Some studios are opening for in-person visits and others online only. Check for updates.

     


June

  • (Jun 4 – 6)Spring Art Tour

    Mount Horeb, WI

    Artists open their studios in Mount Horeb and other towns in the Wisconsin River valley: Mazomanie, Black Earth, Cross Plains, Blue Mounds and Verona.


  • (Jun 12 – 13)Old Town Art Fair

    Chicago, IL

    In the Old Town neighborhood, there will be more than 200 juried fine artists, a garden walk, live music and children's activities.


  • (Jun 19 – 20)Stone Arch Bridge Festival

    Minneapolis, MN

    On the banks of the Mississippi, 200 artists show their wares. There will also be music, art for kids and a car show.

    This year, the fair is not on the Stone Arch Bridge but on the west side of the river between Portland and North Fourth Avenue.

     


  • (Jun 25 – 27)Des Moines Arts Festival

    Des Moines, IA

    This big, juried arts fair at Western Gateway Park downtown includes street theater, live music and a film festival.


July

  • (Jul 10 – 11)Phelps Mill Festival

    Phelps, MN

    There's a juried arts and crafts fair, children's activities and music in this bucolic, tucked-away park along the Otter Tail River, next to an 1889 brick and clapboard mill that's open for tours.

    The hamlet of Phelps is just west of Otter Tail Lake and north of Underwood.


  • (Jul 10 – 11)Art Fair On/Off the Square

    Madison, WI

    Nearly 500 artists from around the nation will be selling on Capitol Square and 140 Wisconsin artists around Monona Terrace, attracting more than 200,000 people.


  • (Jul 10 – 11)Grand Marais Arts Festival

    Grand Marais, MN

    This juried art show along the Lake Superior harbor includes children's activities, art demonstrations, a pie social and live music.


  • (Jul 17)Stockholm Art Fair

    Stockholm, WI

    This hamlet on Lake Pepin, a favorite day trip destination for Twin Citians, becomes a shopping mecca during this big fair.


August

  • (Aug. 7 – 8)DubuqueFest

    Dubuque, IA

    This downtown arts festival includes dance, music on two stages, storytelling, food and children's activities.


  • (Aug. 13 – 14)Street Faire at the Lakes

    Detroit Lakes, MN

    This western-Minnesota lake town hosts a juried arts show with music, fair food and a beer garden.


  • (Aug. 13 – 15)Iowa Arts Festival

    Iowa City, IA

    This free downtown festival features an art show, a Global Village, a Culinary Row and music and dance. Sunday is Children's Day, with 10 booths of hands-on activities.


  • (Aug. 20 – 22)Oronoco Gold Rush

    Oronoco, MN

    The antiques show and flea market in this friendly little village just north of Rochester off U.S. 52 includes more than 400 vendors and 1,200 booths. There's also pancakes for breakfast, homemade pie and music.


  • (Aug. 20 – 22)Edina Art Fair

    Edina, MN

    The juried show in this posh southern Minneapolis suburb draws 375 exhibitors and 60,000 people.


  • (Aug. 27 – 29)Artstreet

    Green Bay, WI

    Artists, performers and craft and food stands fill streets downtown near the Fox River.


September

October

  • (Oct. 2 – 3)Rivertown Fall Art Festival

    Stillwater, MN

    This juried arts festival along the banks of the St. Croix River includes music and food vendors.


  • (Oct. 8 – 10)Northeast Iowa Artists' Studio Tour

    Decorah area, IA

    Drive through bluff country to see 56 artists at 43 sites around Decorah, Burr Oak, St. Lucas, Waukon, West Union, Cresco, New Albin, Lansing, Elgin and Clermont.


  • (Oct. 15 – 17)Southwest Wisconsin Fall Art Tour

    Southwest, WI

    This popular studio tour includes artists at studios between Mineral Point, Spring Green, Dodgeville and Baraboo.


  • (Oct. 23 – 24)Earth Wood & Fire Artist Tour

    Lake Mills, WI

    Visit artists in their studios in and around Lake Mills, Cambridge and Fort Atkinson, between Madison and Milwaukee.