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Adirondack Plein Air Festival | Saranac Lake, NY | August 17-22, 2026


  • Saranac Lake, New York United States (map)

Adirondack Plein Air Festival Turns Saranac Lake Into an Open-Air Studio

Painter capturing a mountain lake in the Adirondack Plein Air Festival.

Photos courtesy Adirondack Plein Air Festival.

For six days in August, the Adirondack Plein Air Festival turns Saranac Lake into something of an open-air studio.

Held August 17–22, 2026, the annual art festival brings 40 juried painters to Saranac Lake and surrounding Adirondack landscapes, with artists working everywhere from downtown streets to the trails and wetlands of the Paul Smith’s College VIC.

Now in its 18th year, the festival celebrates a form of painting particularly well suited to the Adirondacks. Plein air artists work outdoors, capturing changing light, weather and landscape in real time — which means a mountain view, quiet river bend or Main Street storefront can become both subject and studio.

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Why plein air painting belongs in the Adirondacks.

The Adirondack Park offers painters an almost unreasonable amount of material: mountains, lakes, rivers, bogs, forests, farms and small communities, often within a short drive of one another.

That variety helps explain why the Adirondack Plein Air Festival draws artists from around the country. It also makes the event unusually engaging for spectators. Visitors can watch a blank canvas become a recognizable Adirondack scene — sometimes one they were standing in themselves just hours earlier.

A group of artists painting in the high peaks during the Adirondack Plein Air Festival.

Plein Air is very much about community.

Where to watch artists paint around Saranac Lake.

The week begins Monday, August 17, with a Meet the Artists reception from 7–9 pm at Hotel Saranac’s Great Hall Bar & Terrace.

On Tuesday, artists head to the Paul Smith’s College VIC for “Paint the VIC,” working among forests, wetlands and mountain views. Wednesday’s “Catch of the Day” contest moves to the Saranac Lake Fish & Game Club from 1–7 pm, where painters will attempt to hook something considerably more permanent than a trout: river light, mountain silhouettes and whatever else catches the eye.

Thursday brings “Paint the Town” to the Village of Saranac Lake, followed by the Third Thursday ArtWalk from 5–7:30 pm. Downtown fills with live music, art displays and demonstrations, while artists create small works for the festival’s silent auction. Nocturne Contest judging follows at 7:30 pm at Hotel Saranac.

Fresh Adirondack paintings go from easel to exhibition.

Friday’s “Paint the Adirondacks” gives artists freedom to choose their own locations before hundreds of freshly completed paintings gather under one roof for the Preview Party at Saranac Lake Town Hall, 39 Main Street, from 6–9 pm.

Admission is $25 and includes beer, wine and light food, with awards presented at 7:30 pm.

Saturday offers perhaps the festival’s most spectator-friendly event: the downtown Quick Draw Competition. Artists have just two hours, from 9–11 am, to complete a painting. Public judging follows on the Town Hall steps, with a $250 prize awarded at 11:45 am.

The free Show & Sale runs from 10 am–5 pm inside Town Hall, giving visitors the chance to meet artists and purchase work created during the week. The Paint the Town Silent Auction closes at 4 pm.

Exhibit of works from the Plein Air festival at Saranac Lake Town Hall.

Meet the artists and browse original plein air works at Town Hall.

ADK Taste recommendation.

Choose one painting day to watch the creative process, then return Saturday for the finished work. Seeing a landscape emerge on an easel — and later spotting that same painting hanging in Town Hall — adds another layer to the festival.

Visitors should check the Saranac Lake ArtWorks website or Facebook page before heading out, particularly for schedule or location updates.

An Adirondack art tradition with a wider reach.

The Saranac Lake festival is part of a broader plein air tradition across the region. Other 2026 events include Plein Air Magazine’s Publisher’s Invitational in June, the Keeseville Plein Air Festival in July, the Salmon River Valley Plein Air Festival in Malone September 8–12, and the Tupper Lake Plein Air Festival September 29–October 4.

Sales from the Adirondack Plein Air Festival also support Saranac Lake ArtWorks and its year-round arts programming — giving that irresistible Adirondack painting on the wall a purpose beyond remembering the view.

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Adirondack Plein Air Festival FAQ.

When is the 2026 Adirondack Plein Air Festival?‍ ‍

The festival runs Monday, August 17 through Saturday, August 22, 2026.

Where is the Adirondack Plein Air Festival held?‍ ‍

Events take place throughout Saranac Lake and the surrounding Adirondacks, including Hotel Saranac, Paul Smith’s College VIC, Saranac Lake Fish & Game Club, downtown Saranac Lake and Town Hall.

Can visitors watch the artists paint?‍ ‍

Yes. Spectators are encouraged to visit designated painting locations and watch the artists work outdoors.

Is the Adirondack Plein Air Festival free?‍ ‍

Many activities are free, including Saturday’s Show & Sale. The Friday Preview Party costs $25 per person.

Can visitors buy the paintings?‍ ‍

Yes. Original works created during festival week are offered during the Preview Party, Show & Sale and Paint the Town Silent Auction.


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