Iowa is an American state in the Midwestern region of the USA. Bordered by the Mississippi river and the Missouri river, this state is known for its great outdoors. The state’s corn and pork production and the well-known Iowa State Fair are important features of the state.

Wine festivals are a fun way to get the whole family involved, with a wide array of food and beverage options, entertainment, and games for the children. Thankfully, Iowa has its own wineries and wine scene that offers up wine festivals.

This article will look at our top 4 picks of wine festivals in Iowa and will help you plan your next outing with friends or family.

List of the Top Wine Festivals in Iowa

2022 Wine and Chocolate Festival – Le Mars
Harvest Festival
Macrame Fall Leaves + Winter Tree-making with Wine Tasting
Wine and Flower Fest

1. Wine and Chocolate Festival – Le Mars

Where: 275 12^th Street SE, Le Mars, Iowa 51031
When: 27,28 April 2023
Time: 20:00 to 23:00
Price: No price, although donations were encouraged
Website: Wine & Chocolate – LM

The origin of the Wine and Chocolate Festival in Iowa began in 1994 as the Wine and Roses Festival. Since then, the event has evolved to focus on artisan chocolate and wine and was hosted by the Alzheimer’s Association Iowa Chapter as a fundraiser.

Guests could check in and take part in a winetasting from 18:00, allowing a wide array of wine from various winemakers across the US to be tried by the guests. These winemakers participated with chefs to create a pairing of award-winning wines with delightful food and a course of chocolates.

The Alzheimer’s Association conducted a welcome and presentation at 19:00 to inform guests what the proceeds of the event would be going towards, followed by the dinner prepared by the various chefs in attendance.

Finally, closing remarks and check-out occurred at 21:00 when guests were thanked for attending and specific donors and people involved were thanked. For those who would like to attend this event, the 2023 festival will occur on the 27^th and 28^th of April 2023.

Entertainment was provided during the event in the form of silent and live auctions with various prizes up for grabs.

2. Harvest Festival

Where: 205 Main Avenue, Clear Lake, Iowa 50428
When: October 1^st, 2022 (2023 TBA)
Time: 09:00 to 16:00
Price: Souvenir Bag: $35. VIP Tickets: $75
Website: Harvest Festival | Clear Lake, Iowa | Chamber of Commerce

The Harvest Festival is one of the premier events in Clear Lake, Iowa. Starting at 09:00, participants could take place in the champagne 5k which involved participants competing in a 5-kilometer race, crossing the finish line with tiny bottles, and a sip of champagne to celebrate the finish.

Throughout the event, guests could explore the outdoor vendor market and farmers market on the main avenue, with various other events available for the whole family. A salsa contest sponsored by Randy’s Neighbourhood Market took place while families and children could have fun by taking part in the various hayrides available.

The public tasting took place around midday with a specific wine, beer, and spirits tasting occurring from noon as well as a grape stomp competition which is a fun way to educate guests about wine production.

Entertainment throughout the event was sponsored by Country Meadow Place, First Citizens, Clear Lake Storage Depot, and more. Nova Jazz performed from 13:30 to 16:00 with the Last-Minute Combo performing before from 10:30.

This event is a fun way to get the whole family involved, with games and activities for the children and various tastings and music for the adults.

3. Macrame Fall Leaves + Winter Tree-making with Wine Tasting

Where: The Green Door, 301 Mill Street Clermont, Iowa 52135
When: November 3^rd, 2022 (2023 TBA)
Time: 18:00 to 21:00
Price: $35

Organized by Creative Workshops NEIA (Northeast Iowa), this event is a fun way to welcome fall and prepare for the festive season. The organizers host several creative events throughout the year, of which this event is just one option.

All materials and instructions required to create your masterpieces are provided along with a glass of wine during the wreath-making class. Guests have the choice to make a fall leaf hanging or a winter tree wreath, allowing them to get creative while tasting some fine wines.

This sip and craft event is a fun date night idea or something you could go to with a group of friends. The intimate feel will allow for conversation to flow and is sure to provide a good atmosphere for a pre-festive season night out.

While the event does include a wine-tasting portion, children are welcome to join the event. They can take part in macrame making and could create a fun decoration for your home for the festive season.

4. Wine and Flower Fest

Where: 3260 69^th Street, Atkins, Iowa 52206
When: July 29^th, 2022, to July 31^st, 2022 (2023 TBA)
Time: 17:00 to 21:00 on Friday and Saturday, and 14:00 to 18:00 on Sunday
Price: Online tickets: $15 (excluding tax). At the gate: $19, (excluding tax)
Website: Wine & Flower Fest | Bloomsbury Farm | Atkins, IA

The Wine and Flower Fest is a fun day out through the Bloomsbury Farm grounds while enjoying some good wine. Within the grounds of the farm is acres of zinnia and a pumpkin patch for guests to explore and take photos with. There are flower houses and flower-themes photo opportunities to keep memories from the fun day for years to come.

A featured drink option is the wine slushy, which is offered in three flavors and is a fun drink option that combines crushed ice and wine. Some of the fun activities available during the event are a trip to the wine room, the frozen wine flight, and a trip to the glass alley beer garden which featured various games for adults.

To stick with the theme of flowers, various activities featured the farm’s offerings. Guests could take part in the pick-your-own zinnias, a visit to the flower truck, and hayrack rides through the grounds.

Special features during the festival include live peacocks roaming the ground, a mini golf set-up, a wide array of food and gourmet drinks, and much more. This is an event that can be attended with the whole family, with the gemstone mining area and super slide set up specifically for the children.

Live music took place during the event, keeping guests entertained while exploring the grounds and providing the perfect atmosphere for a fun evening out with loved ones.

Additional fun activities that occurred during the event were the farm market where locals could sell their goods, and a chance to meet some of the livestock within the farm’s animal town.