Get in the know.

What is this "ArtWorks Festival?"

The Austin ArtWorks Festival is a free two-day event in Austin, Minnesota held annually each August — a celebration of visual, performing, and literary artists, many with ties to Austin and the area.

In 2025, the 14th Annual Austin ArtWorks Festival is Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th in the heart of downtown Austin.

For more information on all of the events happening during the Austin ArtWorks Festival, check out the various pages in the navigation links under “ArtWorks Festival.”

Does it cost anything?

Nope! Although you might want to bring some cash in case you want to grab a couple of super neat prints, a piece of original artwork, books, or food. (It's a safe bet you'll find something that catches your fancy. Just saying.)

I'm an artist/author/musician and would love to be a part of next year's festival. How do I apply?

Hey artist/author/musician! Thanks for visiting! Applications for 2025 are now open for visual artists! Please visit our application page for more info.

Who are you people?

Good question. We are Austin Area Arts, a local 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and a whole bunch of volunteers who donate their time, brains, and muscles to carry off this crazy awesome event.

Austin Area Arts also oversees the Austin ArtWorks Center and Historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Austin. Through our venues and the ArtWorks Festival, we strive to bring together artists and art lovers, and to make our community better through the power of art in its many forms.

If you're interested in supporting Austin Area Arts or one of our programs, you can donate, become a member, or volunteer. 

Can I help?

Yes, volunteer opportunities are available for both extroverts who want lots of people time and those more comfortable behind the scenes. Shifts are only 2 hours and concentrated on the two days of the event with additional help needed for set up and tear down. Find out more by contacting Kelsey (kelsey@austinareaarts.org).

More questions?

Contact us at info@austinareaarts.org. We'll get back to you as soon as we can.

Click on each of the images below to enlarge. Click here to view a PDF of the full supplement.

Activities of the Austin ArtWorks Festival are made possible, in part, by by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund; by the Hormel Foods Corporation; Mayo Clinic Health System Albert Lea Austin; KMSU Mankato and many individual donors. To see a list of our 2024 Festival donors, click here!