Etowah County Alabama Wine Festival
Alabama is not the first state that comes to mind when someone says “wine country,” and that is exactly why the Alabama Wine Festival exists. Held each September at Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, the event gathers more than a dozen wineries and vineyards from across the state for an afternoon of tastings, food, and music at the foot of a ninety-foot waterfall. It is the only festival in Alabama devoted exclusively to Alabama wine, and it has become a showcase for the state’s small, family-run producers.
The festival is a homegrown Etowah County success story. It began as a small event at a winery in Attalla, grew past the space that could hold it, and moved to one of the most recognizable landmarks in northeast Alabama. Today it runs alongside Art on the Rocks, a juried arts and crafts show, turning a single Saturday into a full day of wine, art, and scenery.
| Festival name | Alabama Wine Festival |
| Location | Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden, Etowah County, Alabama |
| Typical timing | Mid-to-late September |
| Format | Wine tasting with artisan vendors, food, and live music |
| Venue | Noccalula Falls Park and Campground, 1500 Noccalula Road |
| Organizers | Greater Gadsden Area Tourism and Noccalula Falls Park |
| Signature feature | Alabama’s only festival dedicated solely to in-state wineries |
| Companion event | Art on the Rocks arts and crafts festival |
About the Alabama Wine Festival
The Alabama Wine Festival is an annual tasting event held in Gadsden, in Etowah County, that brings together wineries and vineyards from every corner of Alabama. Guests sample wines by the taste and the glass, meet the people who make them, and take home bottles from producers they might never encounter in a grocery store. Artisan vendors and crafters from across the region set up alongside the wine booths, and live music and local food round out the day.
The festival’s stated purpose is to promote small, independent wineries and to grow Alabama’s agritourism industry, connecting farmers and vintners with the public. It is organized by Greater Gadsden Area Tourism in partnership with Noccalula Falls Park, and it has been held in September each year. Because it focuses exclusively on Alabama producers, it offers a tasting menu that no other event in the state can match. For a contrasting picture of how another Alabama county celebrates its own signature product, the Escambia County Alabama Poarch Creek Band Indian Pow Wow Festival gathers the region for a classic county fair each September in Attalla.
How the Festival Found Its Home
The wine festival started small. For its first several years it was hosted at a winery in Attalla, where the setting suited the intimate scale of the event. As Alabama’s wine industry grew and word spread, the festival outgrew the location, and organizers began looking for a venue with more room and a stronger draw. In its fifth year, the event moved to Noccalula Falls Park and merged its schedule with Art on the Rocks, which had long been a fixture of the Gadsden arts calendar.
The pairing made sense. Art on the Rocks had built a following among craft lovers, and the wine festival brought a new audience with a taste for local food and drink. Together they fill the park with booths, stages, and food vendors, and the waterfall and botanical gardens give the whole event a setting that few wine festivals can rival. The move also aligned with the city’s broader push to make Noccalula Falls a year-round destination, from the spring wildflower season to the winter lights display.
Alabama Wine, Explained
Alabama’s wine industry is small but genuinely interesting. The state’s climate favors muscadine and other native and hybrid grapes, which produce sweet, aromatic wines unlike anything made from European vinifera varieties. Alongside the muscadines, Alabama growers have planted Blanc du Bois, Norton, and other disease-resistant grapes that thrive in southern heat and humidity. The result is a wine scene built on experimentation and local character rather than tradition.
Most Alabama wineries are family operations with vineyards of a few acres, and many sell the bulk of their bottles directly to visitors. The wine festival gives them a rare chance to reach a larger audience in one place. Tastings typically span the full range of what the state produces, from sweet muscadine blends and crisp whites to bolder reds, and guests can buy bottles on site. The emphasis is on discovery, and the winemakers are usually on hand to talk about their grapes and their methods.
Etowah County: Between the Mountains and the Coosa
Etowah County lies in the northeastern part of Alabama, and it is the smallest county in the state by total area, though one of the most densely populated. It was established on December 7, 1866, first as Baine County and then renamed Etowah on December 1, 1868. The name comes from a Cherokee word meaning “edible tree.” Gadsden is both the county seat and the largest city, and the county’s 17 cities and towns sit in the valleys of the Coosa River and the ridges of Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain.
Gadsden was laid out in 1846 at the southern end of Lookout Mountain, on the west bank of the Coosa River, and it grew into one of Alabama’s most important inland commercial and industrial centers in the nineteenth century. The Coosa, with its dams and reservoirs, still shapes the county, and Noccalula Falls, a ninety-foot cascade on Black Creek, is the area’s best-known natural landmark. Interstate 59 runs north-south through the center of the county, and U.S. highways 11, 431, 411, and 278 cross the region, putting Gadsden within easy reach of Birmingham, Chattanooga, and Huntsville.
What to Expect at the Festival
Wine tastings and wineries
The centerpiece of the festival is the tasting lineup, which has featured more than ten Alabama wineries and vineyards in a single year. Guests sample wines at each booth, compare muscadine, blanc du bois, and red varietals, and buy bottles to take home. Because the producers are local and often family-run, the tastings come with conversation, and visitors frequently leave with a favorite they had never heard of before.
Art on the Rocks and artisan vendors
Running alongside the tastings is Art on the Rocks, a juried arts and crafts event that fills the park’s walking paths with painters, potters, jewelers, woodworkers, and other makers. Artisan vendors from across the region set up booths, and the combination of art and wine gives visitors plenty to browse between tastings. Food vendors are spread throughout the grounds, offering everything from snacks to full meals.
Music and the setting
Live music plays through the day, and the botanical gardens and waterfall provide a backdrop that makes the festival feel less like a trade show and more like an afternoon in a park. There is also a “Wine and Dine in the Gardens” element in some years, an evening component that pairs food with wine in a more formal setting. Between the tastings, the crafts, and the scenery, it is easy to spend several hours on the grounds.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Noccalula Falls Park
Noccalula Falls Park is at 1500 Noccalula Road in Gadsden, reached from Interstate 59 via the Noccalula Road exit. Gadsden sits about 56 miles northeast of Birmingham, 90 miles southwest of Chattanooga, and 72 miles southeast of Huntsville. The park is on the north side of the city, near the crest of Lookout Mountain. The nearest commercial airports are Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International and Chattanooga Metropolitan.
Where to stay
Gadsden has a solid selection of hotels and motels, many clustered along the interstate, and the park’s campground offers sites for visitors who want to stay on the grounds. Because the festival is a single-day event, many attendees drive in from Birmingham or Chattanooga and make it a day trip. Booking early is wise if you plan to stay the weekend and combine the festival with other area attractions.
Tickets, costs, and what is included
Tasting tickets and admission have been sold as packages, with separate pricing for the wine experience and for general park admission. Because prices and packages change from year to year, confirm the current details with the organizers before the event. Bring a valid ID, since tastings are limited to guests of legal drinking age, and plan for cash or card at the vendor booths.
Weather and what to wear
September in northeast Alabama can still be warm, with comfortable evenings. The park is hilly and largely outdoors, so comfortable walking shoes are essential, and a hat, sunscreen, and water bottle are good ideas for a day in the sun. A light layer helps if you stay into the evening, and an umbrella is worth packing in case of a late-summer shower.
A Wine Festival Saturday
- Late morning: arrive at Noccalula Falls Park and pick up your tasting package.
- Midday: work through the winery booths and compare Alabama’s muscadine and hybrid wines.
- Afternoon: browse Art on the Rocks and grab food from the vendors.
- Late afternoon: walk to the overlook for the waterfall, then catch a final music set.
Nearby Festivals to Compare
Etowah County has a busy festival calendar. Attalla Heritage Day fills the downtown streets each October with music, crafts, and a car show, and the Etowah County Fair brings rides and exhibits to Attalla in September. Gadsden’s First Friday events draw crowds downtown throughout the year, and the Greater Gadsden area hosts everything from a butterbean festival to holiday celebrations. Together they give the county a year-round identity as a place that likes to gather.
What to Bring
- A valid ID for wine tastings.
- Comfortable walking shoes for the park’s paths and hills.
- Sunscreen, a hat, and a water bottle.
- Cash or card for bottles, art, and food.
- A light layer for the evening.
Beyond the Festival — Exploring Gadsden and Etowah County
Noccalula Falls itself is worth a full visit. The ninety-foot waterfall drops into a gorge with trails that lead to the base, and the surrounding park includes botanical gardens, a petting zoo, a miniature train, and a campground. The legend of Noccalula, a Cherokee woman said to have leaped from the falls rather than marry against her will, gives the landmark its name and its romantic lore.
Downtown Gadsden offers a walkable historic district, the Gadsden Museum of Art, and a growing restaurant and brewery scene along the Coosa River. The city’s Mary G. Hardin Center for Cultural Arts and the nearby James D. Martin Wildlife Park add to the list of things to do. Out in the county, the ridges of Sand Mountain and Lookout Mountain provide hiking and scenic drives, and Neely Henry Lake offers fishing and boating on the Coosa.
The Significance of the Festival
The Alabama Wine Festival matters because it does something the state’s wine industry cannot do on its own: it puts more than a dozen small producers in one place in front of an audience that is curious and ready to buy. For the wineries, that exposure is invaluable, and for the region it is a piece of agritourism that turns farmland and vineyards into a reason to visit. By pairing wine with art and music at a beloved landmark, the festival also strengthens Gadsden’s identity as a destination rather than a pass-through, and it gives residents a September tradition to look forward to.
Festival Area Map
The festival is held at Noccalula Falls Park in Gadsden, Etowah County, on Noccalula Road north of downtown and just off Interstate 59.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Alabama Wine Festival?
The festival is typically held in mid-to-late September. Recent editions have taken place on September 18 and 19 and on September 20. Confirm the exact date with the organizers before you travel.
Where is the festival held?
It is held at Noccalula Falls Park at 1500 Noccalula Road in Gadsden, Etowah County, Alabama, alongside the Art on the Rocks arts festival.
Is it the only Alabama wine festival?
It is described as the only festival in the state devoted exclusively to Alabama wineries and vineyards, and it features producers from across Alabama rather than out-of-state brands.
How much are tickets?
Tasting packages and admission are sold separately, and prices have changed from year to year. Check with Greater Gadsden Area Tourism or Noccalula Falls Park for current pricing and package options.
Do I need to be 21 to attend?
Wine tastings are limited to guests of legal drinking age, and a valid ID is required. General park admission and the arts and crafts portions of the event are open to all ages.
What wines can I try?
Tastings span the range of Alabama wine, including sweet muscadine blends, crisp whites such as Blanc du Bois, and bolder reds. The exact lineup changes each year as different wineries participate.
Is the festival good for a date night or group outing?
Yes. With wine tastings, live music, art vendors, and the waterfall setting, the festival works well for couples, friends, and small groups. Some years have added an evening Wine and Dine in the Gardens component.
What should I bring to the festival?
Bring a valid ID, comfortable walking shoes, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Cash or card is useful for bottles, art, and food, and a light layer helps for the evening.
What to Expect From the Next Alabama Wine Festival
The Alabama Wine Festival is an annual event and has grown steadily since its early years at a small Attalla winery, so visitors can expect it to return each September in most years. The timing follows mid-to-late September, and the partnership with Art on the Rocks and the setting at Noccalula Falls Park have become its signature. The lineup of wineries changes from year to year, keeping the tasting menu fresh.
Because the date shifts slightly and packages can change, confirm the details with the organizers before planning travel. Gadsden’s hotel inventory is larger than many small Alabama cities, but the festival weekend can still fill rooms, so booking early is wise. Arriving in the late morning lets you taste at your own pace before the afternoon crowds build.
How often is the Alabama Wine Festival held?
It is an annual event, held each September. A recent edition was the fifth to be staged, following several years at a winery in Attalla.
When is the next Alabama Wine Festival?
The next edition is expected in mid-to-late September, following the festival’s established pattern. Check with the organizers for the confirmed date.
Will the venue or lineup change?
The festival moved from Attalla to Noccalula Falls Park and now runs alongside Art on the Rocks. The winery lineup changes annually, so check the current schedule close to the event.
Last updated: October 2026
The Alabama Wine Festival is proof that a state does not need a famous wine region to have a wine culture worth celebrating. Bring a friend, take your time at the booths, and let the winemakers of Alabama pour you something you have never tried before.
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