Looking for plein air painting events to attend this month? We’ve curated a selection of October 2026 plein air events from around the country, giving artists plenty of opportunities to paint outdoors, connect with fellow artists, compete for awards, and experience inspiring new locations.
From plein air festivals and competitions to paint-outs and other outdoor painting events, these gatherings offer something for artists at every level. Whether you’re looking for your next plein air adventure, hoping to discover a new painting destination, or searching for upcoming opportunities to show and sell your work, this guide can help you find an event that’s right for you.
Browse the plein air painting events below, and check each listing for dates, deadlines, locations, registration information, and other important details. Event information is subject to change, so be sure to confirm the latest details with the sponsoring organization before making plans.
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October 2026 Painting Events
Alabama
15th ANNUAL PIKE ROAD PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: October 8-11
Sponsoring Organization: Pike Road Arts Council
Venue: Pike Road Arts Center, Pike Road, Alabama
Format: Invitational
Website: www.pikeroad.us
Join us for faculty-hosted workshops featuring live, small-group instruction and Blended Brushes paintings created by our talented faculty artists. Enjoy plein air painting that captures our beautiful landscapes, and don’t miss the Wet Paint Show & Sale at the end of the event. Free to attend!
Arizona
22nd ANNUAL SEDONA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: October 16-24
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: Sedona Arts Center, Sedona, Arizona
Format: Combination
Juror of Awards: Christopher Volpe
Award Total: $11,700
Website: www.sedonapleinairfestival.org
Now in its 22nd year — and celebrating Sedona Arts Center’s 68th anniversary — the Sedona Plein Air Festival invites you to experience the magic of painting in one of the most inspiring landscapes in the American Southwest. This iconic, weeklong celebration features master artists working on location, engaging workshops, and vibrant public events that honor Sedona’s long-standing legacy as an art colony and creative community.
California
28th ANNUAL LAGUNA BEACH PLEIN AIR PAINT INVITATIONAL
Dates: October 3-11
Opening Reception: October 10
Sponsoring Organization: Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
Venue: Laguna Festival of Arts, Laguna Beach, California
Award Total: $50,000+
Website: https://lpapa.org/laguna-plein-air-invitational
Each year the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) turns Laguna Beach into an outdoor painting studio! 30 of the top award-winning plein air painters from around the nation are invited to gather and paint the town as they compete for top cash awards and carry on a century-old plein air painting tradition that helped establish Laguna Beach as an art colony.
Idaho
12th ANNUAL EAGLE PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL
Dates: October 3-10
Opening Reception Date: October 2
Sponsoring Organization and Venue: Finer Frames, Eagle, Idaho
Format: Open
Juror of Awards: Kim Lordier
Award Total: $4,000
Website: www.eaglepleinair.com
We will be offering workshops, daily demonstrations, paint-outs, quick draw, artist reception, and a collectors’ party. With $4,000 worth of awards given, our fast-growing festival is a great place to enjoy the camaraderie of 80+ painters while exploring Idaho’s diverse landscape: deserts, mountains, rivers, and canyonlands, all within a short drive from our central location in Eagle, Idaho.
Illinois
PAINT THE TOWN BARRINGTON! PLEIN AIR EVENT
Dates: September 25-October 3
Opening Reception: October 3
Sponsoring Organization: Barrington Cultural Commission
Venue: Barrington’s White House, Barrington, Illinois
Format: Open
Award Total: $1,000
Website: barrington-il.gov/pleinair
Join us in historic Barrington to paint and watch over 30 artists from across Chicagoland as they paint the many stunning landmarks during the week. Then, meet the artists on Saturday, October 3 at the awards ceremony and reception. In addition, enjoy the annual Barrington Wine Walk as you peruse and purchase plein air and works from the artist’s oeuvres.
Maine
FALL COLOR WEEK
Presented by PleinAir Magazine
Dates: October 11-18
Venue: Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, Winter Harbor, Maine
Contact: PleinAir Magazine, 561.655.8778 or 800.610.5771
Website: www.fallcolorweek.com
Fall Color Week was designed for people who don’t have fall color in their area. This is your chance to spend a week painting with old friends and new, sharing meals and staying on the same property … all included in one price. Join PleinAir Magazine’s Eric Rhoads this fall in Acadia National Park at peak color. Come enjoy the beautiful fall scenery without competition. Roll out of bed, get fed, and paint all day.
Massachusetts
CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR
Dates: October 3-11
Opening Reception: October 9
Sponsoring Organization: Cape Ann Plein Air
Event City: Gloucester
Format: Juried
Award Total: Over $22,000
Website: www.capeannpleinair.org
Cape Ann Plein Air celebrates 10 successful years. From rocky shores to harbor light, we are celebrating one amazing decade. Thirty-five award-winning artists paint throughout the week in five breathtaking Massachusetts communities including Gloucester, Rockport, Essex, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Ipswich.
New Mexico
THE MOTHER ROAD PAINT OUT
Dates: May 15-October 3
Show Dates: September 4-October 3
Sponsoring Organization: Plein Air Painters New Mexico
Website: www.papnm.org
This is a non-juried plein air event open to artist members of Plein Air Painters of New Mexico (PAPNM) and the Amarillo Art Institute (AAI). Artists may paint plein air anywhere along the historic route 66 in Texas, New Mexico and/or Arizona during the Paint Out period.
South Carolina
PLEIN AIR PAINTERS OF THE SOUTHEAST RECEPTION & QUICKDRAW
Dates: October 16–17
Sponsoring Organization: Meyer Vogl Gallery & Plein Air Painters of the Southeast (PAP-SE)
Venue: Meyer Vogl Gallery, Daniel Island, 250 River Landing Drive, Charleston, SC
Website: www.pap-se.com
Meyer Vogl Gallery welcomes the Plein Air Painters of the Southeast for a special week celebrating plein air painting, featuring a Friday evening reception and exhibition of newly created works followed by a public QuickDraw on Saturday morning. Artists of all ages are invited to participate in the timed painting event, with a portion of artwork sales benefiting the Jonathan Green Maritime Cultural Center at the University of South Carolina.
EDISTO PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
Dates: October 13-17
Opening Reception Date: October 14
Sponsoring Organization: Edisto Art Guild
Venue: Edisto Beach Civic Center, Edisto Beach, South Carolina
Format: Open
Award Total: $5,000
Website: edistoartguild.com
The Edisto Plein Air Paint Out is an annual, open enrollment plein air event that takes place in the beautiful Lowcountry of South Carolina near the Town of Edisto Beach. Painters may display completed works at the Wet Paint Show and Sale on Friday and Saturday, October 16 & 17. All submitted art to the art show will be entered into a judged plein air painting competition.
Texas
McKINNEY EN PLEIN AIR 2026
Dates: October 2-3
Opening Reception Date: October 3
Sponsoring Organization: McKinney Plein Air Society
Event City: McKinney
Format: Open
Website: mckinneypleinair.com
Celebrate our 5th year with us! McKinney En Plein Air 2026 kicks off on Friday evening with the Artists’ Welcome Party and Nocturne Tournament. On Saturday, the competition takes place in McKinney’s charming Historic District and wraps up with the Artists’ Reception and Awards Ceremony. Cash prizes. Come join the fun!
PAINT HISTORIC WAXAHACHIE
Dates: October 30-November 8
Entry Deadline: October 19
Sponsoring Organization: Ellis County Art Association
Venue: Ellis County Women’s Building, Waxahachie, Texas
Format: Juried
Award Total: $12,000
Website: www.elliscountyart.net
This 19th annual plein air event will take place in historic Waxahachie, Texas, known as the Gingerbread City and Crepe Myrtle Capital of Texas. It is full of historical homes, well preserved historical buildings, parks, shopping venues, eating establishments, and a beautifully preserved downtown area. It’s full of charm and grace where many large events are held. Registered artists can paint a month in advance anywhere in Ellis County.
Virginia
10th ANNUAL PLEIN AIR ABINGDON
Dates: October 7-10
Opening Reception Date: October 7
Sponsoring Organization: Virginia Highlands Festival
Venue: SWVA Cultural Center & Marketplace, Abingdon, Virginia
Format: Open
Juror of Awards: Kyle Buckland
Award Total: $5,000
Website: www.pleinairabingdon.com
Join artists from across the nation capturing Appalachian charm with world-class presentation. Plein Air Abingdon is set amid the rolling hills, mountains, and streams of Southwest Virginia. Combining stunning landscapes, a gorgeous historical district, and a vibrant arts/culture community, Plein Air Abingdon is a “can’t miss” for both artists and collectors. Embarking on its 10th anniversary, this open enrollment event welcomes award-winning artist Kyle Buckland as the 2026 juror. Kyle is a featured artist in PleinAir Magazine and an inductee in Plein Air Painters of the Southeast, and Plein Air Abingdon is honored to call him one of its own!
TIDELANDS PLEIN AIR TAPPAHANNOCK
Dates: October 21-25
Website: www.tapparts.org
International
THE GREAT MIGRATION PAINT OUT
Dates: October 15-18
Opening Reception Date: October 16
Entry Deadline: October 15
Sponsoring Organization: Town of Kingsville
Venue: The Grovedale Arts and Culture Centre, Kingsville, Ontario, Canada
Format: Combination
Award Total: $4,000
Website: migrationfestival.ca
Paint the historical beauty of Canada’s most Southern town — Kingsville, Ontario — at the 7th annual Great Migration Paint Out, a three-day plein air painting competition and art exhibition Show and Sale. Meet other artists, showcase your work, and win from over $4,000 in prizes. We welcome you to come and paint our variety of historical buildings, marinas, quaint farms, and lakeside vistas while enjoying the hospitality and amenities the town has to offer.
Coming Soon
2026 PLEINAIR MAGAZINE TRIP TO CHINA
Dates: November 6-22
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Website: www.pleinairtrip.com/china
Join Eric Rhoads, PleinAir Magazine, and special guest artist Kevin Macpherson for an immersive 16-day plein air painting expedition through China’s most visually powerful landscapes — from the Great Wall to Guilin’s karst peaks, ancient river villages, and the urban contrasts of Shanghai.
REALISM LIVE
Dates: November 11-13
Sponsoring Organization: PleinAir Magazine
Venue: Online
Contact: PleinAir Magazine | 561.655.8778 or 800.610.5771 | www.REALISMLIVE.com
Realism Live is a 3-day virtual event with demonstrations, principles talks, art history lectures, critiques, and roundtable discussions. It covers all realism styles, mediums, and subjects: figure, portrait, still life, landscape, floral, and more. Add the optional Essential Techniques Day for a refresher or a jump-start. This event is 100% virtual, so you can enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
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Content prepared for the web by Cherie Dawn Haas, Editor of Plein Air Today
