By Brynna Williamson
“The Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival is an art and wine lover’s mecca with a bountiful feast for the eyes, heart, and soul.”
Is that poetic, or what?
The poetry in that sentence, which is found on the Winnsboro Center for the Art’s website, matches the poetry of the event. With artists coming in from across the nation to paint and create beautiful works of art—with melodious notes from live musicians floating through the air and swirling cabernet edging around the bottom of a fine wine glass—the event is widely acknowledged as being one of the finest art and wine festivals in East Texas!
In November 2024, Winnsboro’s Art & Wine Festival featured many different facets to continue making the event unique, relaxing, and special.
The Art
This wasn’t just any old art display. No, the Art & Wine Festival is very purposeful in its beauty.
The way the organizers set up the whole area was very effective. Visitors to the festival could walk through some set-apart art galleries, or they could peruse any of the 40-60 attending artists’ booths. And, according to Winnsboro Center for the Arts Vice President Cyndie Ewert, “everything was for sale.”
“I want (people) to spread out, look at the art, and maybe they’ll see something that catches their eye!” said Ewert. “I always see art I personally like I always see something good.”
The artists who came from all across the United States to participate were chosen by a juried panel. Like most other facets of this jazzy festival, many of the attending artists were also from right here in Wood County, Texas.
Art at the festival was quite varied, too. Whether you would rather peruse true-to-life paintings, ponder at cubist art, stand in front of a statue, or even wear art on your wrist, the festival had something for you.
The Wine
In 2024, the Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival featured vino from seven different wineries for passersby to peruse, sample, and perhaps even purchase. The catch?
There isn’t one. Just kidding.
No, in fact, it gets better: Every single one of the participating wineries was actually Texan. Kinda makes you feel a little more proud of the event, doesn’t it?
The wines featured at the Art & Wine Festival were extremely varied: Sweet wines, dry wines, alternative fruit wines, meads, and more all made an appearance.
While visitors were welcome to just come and sample some of the wines (which they could do for only $1 per taste at most booths), anyone was also welcome to buy an entire bottle, or more, of any wine that they wanted to take home with them.
“We have good wineries. We have some new ones every year, and we have a lot of returning wineries that find it a very successful festival,” said Ewert. “All of those wineries offer a very large range of tastes.”
The Music
Several different local artists came to contribute their special musical flavor to the Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival. From The Kirbys, who have a sound “reminiscent of classic rock, and lyrics that reflect the spirit of American life,” to Eve’s Road, who has an “evocative blend of alternative rock, shoegaze effects, and groovy beats,” the music featured a little bit of everything.
Musicians Kevin Tinney and Chase Glover also came onto the scene. So did Stacy Knight-Finley, who has a “wildly popular” vocal style across East Texas.
It’s also important to note that every musician at the function was local. In fact, it seems that the “farthest” one out is from Tyler. So if you were at the event and want to hear them again, all you have to do is Google their next event!
The Atmosphere
The event wasn’t just art, wine, and live music (as if that weren’t enough). Nope! There was also delicious food and another curious event happening simultaneously; take, for instance, the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration.
Live Catrinas, who are supposed to represent the beauty of the next life, floated gracefully, adorned with beautiful colors, amidst the festival. According to organizers and festivalgoers, the simultaneous celebrations were “amazing.” “People were reallyexcited about it, they clapped when they (the Catrinas) went by,” said Ale McComick, the Director of Education for the Winnsboro Center for the Arts.
The food vendors, too, added to the “je ne sais quois” of the event, with savory odors like that of specialty mac and cheese, sweet and salty kettle corn, and locally-made fair foods wafting through the air.
In all, organizers of the Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival say that they expect—and receive—around 5,000 visitors to the event every single year.
So yeah. Wood County, Texas shows up for Winnsboro’s Art & Wine Festival. Because how could you not?
“It’s such a great thing that we’ll continue to do,” said Ewert.
The Tribute
A mention of Winnsboro’s art would not be complete without a tribute to beloved Wood County, Texas citizen Dennis Howard. Howard was a friend to many and an extremely active citizen of Winnsboro. An “artist until the very end,” according to his friend and fellow artist Jaci Mouser, Howard had his hand in many of the well-known murals, paintings, and creative enterprises across Winnsboro and Wood County at large.
Howard passed away in January 2025 and was heavily mourned by a community who will continue to cherish his memory.
“He was a huge part of the Winnsboro art community and always had a place at the festival,” said Ewert. “He was well loved and will be greatly missed.”