Wine festivals are perfect for couples and families alike. Most festivals take place in the spring or fall, so you can enjoy outdoor activities while sampling wines. Plus, they’re hosted on beautiful vineyard properties that are perfect for taking photos.

Kansas has several regional wine festivals each year. Each festival offers a unique experience, from various activities to winery-sponsored contests.

These events provide an opportunity to sample wines from the area’s top wineries and discover new favorites. Plus, you’ll enjoy live music, food, and tasty treats from local vendors at most of these festivals.

From the sandy hills of eastern Kansas to the windy plains of western Kansas and everything in between, there’s a wide variety of grapes thriving in our local vineyards. Moreover, these wineries are working hard to bring their unique offerings to festivals all over the state.

As a top state in the U.S. for wine production, it’s no wonder that Kansas has some of the best wine festivals around.

Kansas’ local wineries can be a part of these festivals because they are two things: passionate and talented. Kansas’ wine scene is exploding with passion and talent, but more importantly, it’s bursting with variety!

If you’re a wine buff or are looking to try something new, there are plenty of options for you to enjoy. In addition to sampling delicious wines, you can also experience the culture and history of your Kansas when you attend one of these wine festivals.

If you’re looking for a fun summer outing or an afternoon with friends, you will do well to head out to some of the best wine festivals in Kansas.

1. KC Wine Co Sunflower Fest

The KC Wine CO Sunflower Fest, which is situated at the KC Pumpkin Patch and close to the KC Wine Co. on 13875 S. Gardner Rd. in Olathe, has everything you desire for a wonderful time.

Kirk and Julie Berggren bought the property with a little vineyard. After many years of effort and planning, the homestead was converted into the vineyard that KC Wine Co. now stands on.

Cider Fest, October Fest, Sunflower Festival, Mutts & Merlot, Craft nights, and other festivals are now held all year long at KC Wine Co. Additionally, the Cidery at KC Wine Co. is available for rental for wedding ceremonies, gatherings, business outings, and other special occasions.

The field was seeded with sunflowers and watered to ensure adequate growth before this year’s festival, which took place in June 2022. What was left was to prepare everything necessary for the festival. This year’s exhibitions included fun attractions for families’ enjoyment, slides, ziplines, and more than 50 games and contests.

All ticket holders have unrestricted access to the sunflower field and may take as many pictures as they desire. The festival also covers you if a barn is more your aesthetic and what you’re hoping to see. This festival is also an excellent chance to prepare your Instagram for the fall.

The festival offers a lineup of live music that varies every day. And while you’re at the festival, don’t forget to buy lunch from a local food vendor.

Listed below are some games that both you and your family can participate in against one another if you have a competitive edge:

Human Foosball
Farm Skeeball
High Strikers
Plinko
Roller Bowlers
And “Konk” the crow, among others.

Online tickets are $11.95. While they are also sold at the door for $19.9. Children over the age of two should have a ticket to be permitted into the festival. Refunds are not offered either.

With the best wines and ciders available at this festival, you’ll quickly notice what all the fuss is about.

2. Uncorked: KC Wine Festival

Uncorked, a Kansas City Wine Festival will take place on September 10th, 5-9 pm at Union Station, 30 W. Pershing Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108.

Guests can purchase a ticket online to enjoy over 100 international wines, champagnes, and a variety of outside-the-bottle drinks like cocktails and seltzers. In addition, there is a live DJ, food vendors, and much more to be experienced.

The Uncorked: KC Wine Festival is a great place to get together with fellow wine lovers and friends to enjoy some of the most prolific wines in Kansas City. We all know wine tasting is a great way to unwind and relax. There are many different types of wines to try at this festival set up in the best possible location in Kansas City.

It’s a chance for people to sample some of the best wines in the world and get a chance to taste what you might never have before, all while supporting a worthy cause – the Kansas City local nonprofit KC Jazz.

For this event, there are two different ticket types available. Early entry costs $70 and is available starting at 5 pm. It entails an additional hour of tasting with less time waiting in lines and a few different wine choices available from specific wineries.

The festival begins at 6 pm and ends at 9 pm for regular admission ($55). All wine tastings are included in both tickets, but meals are to be purchased separately.

However, there are a couple of things attendees should keep in mind, including that dress or cocktail outfits are preferred but not considered necessary and that the event is only open to individuals over 21.

3. Village West Wine Fest

The Village West WineFest organizers have worked incredibly hard over the past ten years to create their festival and mark it as one of Kansas City’s most eagerly awaited occasions!

This year they’ve made an announcement about a collaboration with T-Bones Stadium. Yes, you guessed right. You will be drinking and eating in the stadium’s infield. There are many brand-new additions, such as food vendors, convenient festival car parks, and Premium VIP suites.

The organizer also expresses their gratitude to the magnificent restaurants, sponsors, regional distribution companies, and volunteer groups working to create WineFest into the occasion it is today.

A wine walk with free tastings and nourishment from some of Kansas City’s best restaurants is available as part of the festival.

Additionally, attendees can unwind and savor some of the Beer Garden’s finest craft beers in the world. A general admission ticket includes most wine and beer samples (more than 100 different varieties of beer).

For those who crave the VIP experience, there are unique delights from all over Kansas City inside the VIP area. This allows access to the best seat on the premises for the fireworks display, in addition to exclusive wine and spirits. However, there are only 150 VIP tickets available.

Nonetheless, VIP ticket holders will encounter generally expensive wines that are limited in availability and don’t suit general tasting. Additionally, the VIP section offers unique food options and entertainment for the ticket holder’s leisure.

To attend this well-organized and consumer-friendly festival, it is required that attendees are over the age of 21. Tickets can be purchased online at the Village West Wine Fest website.

4. Wine Walk For Wildlife

Wine Walk for Wildlife, the only occasion in Kansas where you can spend a warm summer evening drinking wine and learning about wildlife, is hosted by the Kansas City Zoo.

Visitors to this festival will be encouraged to meander throughout the upper side of the Zoo while sipping on over 20 various types of wine.

However, this festival is not only about wine. Attendees will get the option to listen to expert-led special animal talks, watch a range of musicians, and eat delicious food from food vendors.

There are also custom wine bottles on the market that showcase conservation initiatives, such as:

West African Slender Snouted Crocodile Sauvignon Blanc
Polar Bear Watermelon Wine
Panamanian Golden Frog Cabernet Sauvignon.

Through their website, you can also pre-order these wine bottles to commemorate the Zoo’s living creatures and conservation initiatives. The money goes to the Conservation Fund of the Kansas City Zoo.

You only need to buy a ticket online through their website to take advantage of a night of delectable tastings, delicious food, and music in the most unusual yet exciting setting possible. Tickets for general admission are $50, while VIP tickets are $100.