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A painting titled Wetumpka Pintails by artist Dirk Walker depicting ducks flying acrosss the Coosa River near the bridge to downtown Wetumpka — “Wetumpka Pintails” by artist Dirk Walker depicts ducks over the Coosa River near downtown Wetumpka. (WEWA)

Did you know the small town of Wetumpka is home to Alabama’s premier wildlife arts festival? If you love the outdoors, wildlife, arts and culture, make plans now for the 5th Annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival (WEWA), set for Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 9AM-3PM at The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts in Wetumpka, Alabama.

On this one fall day, the small Coosa River town (pop. 7,621) comes alive with themes of creativity and conservation: a prestigious juried art competition with over $30,000 in prizes, live raptors, dock-diving dogs, demonstrations, music and more.

It’s an easy day trip from Mobile, less than three hours driving north on I-65 and over on Highway 231. Read on for three big reasons it’s absolutely worth the drive and what you can see and do there.

Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival quick guide

What is the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival?

WEWABirds You'll love this free wildlife arts festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026—plan your trip now — Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education’s live raptor show is a highlight of the annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. (WEWA)

WEWA is Alabama’s annual premier wildlife arts festival, which exists to engage, inspire and educate people with a big celebration of the state’s wonderful wildlife, spectacular landscapes and esteemed field sport traditions.

Now in its fifth year, WEWA has grown into a full day of FREE activities centered on art appreciation, animal encounters and hands-on demos, spanning the entire riverside of downtown Wetumpka, including The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts, which hosts the event.

Learn more about WEWA and The Kelly.

1. Arts at WEWA Festival 2026

Artist Nell Koopman with her work on display at the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival (WEWA)
Arts Gone Wild on exhibit at The Kelly (WEWA)
Artist Timothy Thomas with his work at the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival. (WEWA)
Gee’s Bend quilt makers at the annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival (WEWA)
“Wood Ducks at Dawn” by Alabama artist Maria Escobar, part of the 2025 Art Gone Wild exhibit at The Kelly (WEWA)

Slide above for examples of art + artists at WEWA. 👀

Wildlife and arts coexist colorfully in this event. Beyond the many vendors displaying and selling their works, two primary arts experiences anchor the festival:

🦆 Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition: This juried contest is in its fourth year + features artists’ works depicting native Alabama game species, including the Eastern wild turkey, mallard, green-winged teal, white-tailed deer + many more.
- 🪶 New: A separate category for songbirds + shorebirds native to the state, such as scissor-tailed flycatchers, cedar waxwings, Wilson’s plovers + more.
- 🏆 Prizes: $12,000 Best of Show, $7,000 Award of Excellence, $10,000 in Song & Shore purchase prizes + 3 merit awards of $750 each, all sponsored by The Alabama Wildlife Federation + LIV Development
🖼️ Art Gone Wild: This annual exhibit is in its fifth year + features artists’ works across many mediums featuring Southeastern wildlife, field sporting life + regional outdoor wildlife activities. Enjoy this exhibit while at the festival and through its annual run, which ends Nov. 13, 2026.

Learn more about the Alabama Wildlife Fine Art Competition + Art Gone Wild.

2. Animals at WEWA Festival 2026

An owl on a hand as part of the Birds of Prey demo with Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education at the annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival in Wetumpka, Alabama — From top left clockwise, a screech owl, part of Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education’s birds-of-prey demo, a dock-diving dog and Randy the box turtle from Legacy Environmental (WEWA)

A tan dog mid-air leaping off a dock to catch a floating toy during a dock jumping or DockDogs competition — From top left clockwise, a screech owl, part of Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education’s birds-of-prey demo, a dock-diving dog and Randy the box turtle from Legacy Environmental (WEWA)

What’s a wildlife arts festival without animals? Here are some of the ways you’ll see furry and feathered creatures, wild and domesticated:

🐕 DockDogs competitions in big air, extreme vertical + speed retrieve
🐍 Animal encounters with the Alabama Wildlife Federation
🐾 Sporting dog demos with Covey Flush Kennels, Artemis Run Kennel + Madison & Co. Gundogs
🦉Birds of Prey demo with Raptor Ridge Wildlife Education
🐢 Meet Randy the box turtle, courtesy of Legacy Environmental
👀 Guided birding trips along the Coosa River

3. Learning at WEWA Festival 2026

Artist Jared Knox works on a painting inside The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts overlooking the Coosa River in Wetumpka, Alabama during the annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival — Artist Jared Knox works on a painting inside The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts. (WEWA)

The WEWA festival turns into a classroom for arts and outdoors experiences, too.

Here are a few ways you can engage in activities and learn:

👀 Watch live painting demonstrations
🧺 Traditional basket making with Andrew McCall of Lowndes County, a.k.a. “The Vine Man”
🎣 Casting lessons with the Montevallo Fishing Team
🔥 Cast-iron cooking with Scouts of American Troops 111 + 311
🦅 An engaging talk from Alabama Audubon + guided birding trips

How to go to the Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival

What: The 5th Annual Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival (WEWA)
Where: The Kelly Fitzpatrick Center for the Arts, 311 Hill St. Wetumpka, AL, 36092
When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 9AM-3PM
Cost: FREE!
Parking: Free at The Kelly + throughout downtown Wetumpka
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We hope to see you there, Mobile! Visit WEWAFest.org for more details as they develop for the 2026 Wetumpka Wildlife Arts Festival.

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You’ll love this free wildlife arts festival on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026—plan your trip now