Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival

Saturday, October 25th

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Demos

Art

Music

Workshops

Vendors

Supported By

  • 00Days
  • 00Hours
  • 00Minutes
  • 00Seconds

About

Every year, The Kelly holds our “Art Gone Wild” art exhibition, showcasing the truly beautiful wildlife art of our region. The Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival is an annual one-day festival celebrating wildlife art as well as the natural beauty of Alabama. Art appreciators and outdoor enthusiasts alike gather together for this festival. We strive every year to pack this festival full of educational presentations, art exhibits and classes, vendors, food, children’s activities, and expert demonstrations.

The Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival is held on a Saturday every fall in the Historic Downtown Wetumpka.

Join Us in the City of Natural Beauty for

Alabama's Premiere
Wildlife Art Festival

Wetumpka, AL

Festival Offerings

This 2025 year, join us for entertaining activities and workshops all throughout the beautiful downtown Wetumpka. Explore the upcoming offerings, celebrating our Southeastern wildlife and the great outdoors.

DockDogs Competition

DockDogs is the fastest growing sport on 4 legs. DockDogs is a organization created in 2000, and their open competitions allow “anyone with a dog and toy” to participate in the sport and have a chance at national recognition. DockDogs will be competing throughout the festival in three categories:

  • Big Air
  • Extreme Vertical, and
  • Speed Retrieve

Live Painting

featuring Dirk Walker, Jared Knox,
Vaughan Spanjer, Sue Key & Bucky Bowles

Sporting Dog Demonstrations

with Covey Flush
Christopher Loizou started Covey Flush Kennels with his first cocker in 1996. Christopher concentrated on dogs with superior field trial pedigrees in an effort to bring the British legacy of fine gun dogs to the USA while striving to improve the breed. 

Sporting Dog Demonstrations

With Artemis Run Kennel

Sporting Dog Demonstrations

with Golbeck Gundogs
Goldbeck Gundogs is dedicated to the breeding and training of top quality English Cocker Spaniels of the finest genetics from the United Kingdom.

Birds of Prey Demonstration

with Raptor's Ridge Wildlife Education
Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education is an interactive outreach program focusing on the vital role raptors play in the natural world. We strive to teach the importance of environmental stewardship and develop a passion for protecting our natural resources.

Animal Encounters

with Alabama Wildlife Federation
The Alabama Wildlife Federation (AWF) is the oldest and largest non-profit conservation organization in Alabama. The AWF was established by sportsmen in 1935 to promote the conservation and wise use of our wildlife and natural resources and to ensure a high quality of life for future generations of Alabamians.

Competition Winners Announcement

with The Kelly
Everyone has been on the edge of their seats to see who the winner of this year’s Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition is–and it’s time to finally find out! Join us at the main stage at 9:00am for the reveal of 2025’s winners, including the $12,000 grand prize winner!

Casting Lessons

with Montevallo Fishing Team
The University of Montevallo’s Fishing Scholars will be teaching young or aspiring anglers to cast! Let your young ones or even yourself get lessons from championed anglers with no strings (well, maybe one literal string) attached.
 
Established in August 2015, the President’s Outdoor Scholars Program at the University of Montevallo serves to offer college scholarships to students with a passion for wildlife and conservation. 

Puppy Painting

with For Healthy Pets

Love art? Love puppies? Then your heart will absolutely melt watching puppies play on canvases with animal-safe paints!  Come watch—and maybe even take home a puppy painting or even a puppy.

Backyard Chickens

with Solo Farm

Who wouldn’t want to own a bunch of cute chicks? Fortunately for everyone, Solo Farm will be holding a talk “Birds of a Feather”, where he will explain how to raise and care for backyard chicks and chickens!

Music Gone Wild

Listen with Your Heart

Art is beauty for the eyes. 
Music is beauty for the ears.
Both nourish the soul.

River Dan

Born in Montgomery, Alabama playing the banjo first (the precursor to a wide variety of other stringed and percussion instruments that he can pick up and melt with his hands), River Dan has always embraced the warm comfort of southern appeal in his personality and most importantly in his music. He writes about the trials and tribulations of the life of a simple man, blondes, and being a rambler.

Joe Hare

Local musician, Joe Hare, will paint the air with six strings and his soulful voice. He’s sure to lift your spirit and tap your foot with his feel-good tunes!

Workshops Gone Wild

Spice up Your WEWA Experience

Join in on these special events and workshops leading up to and during the WEWA Festivities!

Quilting Workshop

with Gee's Bend Quilters

$ 100

This three-hour workshop (1:00pm – 4:00pm) will teach participants the basics of quilting from start to finish—with a 12×12 quilt you create to show for it! 
 
Join us at Coaches’ Corner from 1:00pm to 4:00pm for a workshop fee of $100 – all supplies included.
Sign Up Here

Basket Making

with Kudzu Mama

$ TBD

More information coming…

Fall Gardening Presentation

with Petals from the Past

FREE

Jason Powell with Petals from the Past will be sharing his knowledge and expertise with us on how to fall garden!  Whether you have a green or black thumb, come learn the ins-and-outs of how to fall garden in the South.
 
Petals from the Past Inc. specializes in antique roses, heirloom shrubs and hard to find perennial flowers and herbs.  Jason has a master’s degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University and Shelley has a BS in Horticulture from Texas A&M.

Tea Party and Book Signing

with Melissa Lester

$ 5

Join editorial director for Victoria and Southern Ladies Magazines, Melissa Lester, for a talk over tea about her newest book, Gracious Home: Cultivating a Spirit of Welcome.  In the spirit of this beautiful book and its author, The Kelly is hosting a tea party-style book signing.  Join us in your favorite tea-time clothes, and enjoy tea and scones with our amazing art and book community. 

$ 35.95 for book

Limited copies of book Day-Of

Sign Up Here

Oil Painting Demonstration & Workshop

with Dirk Walker

$ 100

Join us for an unforgettable day at The Kelly, where you’ll experience a live painting demonstration, enjoy a lunch and fellowship with fellow artists, and have the opportunity for One-on-One instruction from Dirk himself! 
 
Come ready to paint, learn, and unleash your artistic side in a supportive and engaging environment. Let’s make some beautiful art together!
Sign Up Here

Watercolor Methodology Class

with Tim Thomas

$ 150 / $125

Want to learn watercolor, or want to get more serious about your watercolor skills? Join Tim Thomas in his full-day workshop working with the three triad color system. By learning how to utilize the three triad color system, students will learn how to create vibrant, balanced watercolor paintings! Explore professional materials, learn how to “keep the white”, build depth and contrast, and understand the method behind watercolor itself.
 
Maximum of 12 – Supplies Included
Sign Up Here

Fabulous Fall Watercolor Workshop

with Vaughan Spanjer

$ 75

Join us for a fun day of watercolor painting!  Never done watercolor before, or looking to have a great time with friends? 
 
More details coming…

And More!

To be Announced

We are working all year to bring you a lineup of events, vendors, and workshops. Check back to see who else we add throughout the year!

Want to be notified of new additions?

Follow the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival on social media!

Facebook Instagram
Become a Sponsor
Become a Vendor
Join our artists
Volunteer

Questions?

Contact us at [email protected] or (334) 478-3366.

Our Festival's Mission

The mission of the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival is to engage, inspire, and educate the art and outdoor communities with a public festival celebrating Alabama’s wildlife, landscapes, and field sport traditions through the visual arts while also financially supporting the mission of The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts.

Supported By