Lake CHelan Wine and Jazz Festival Future Uncertain:
Dear Friends of the Lake Chelan Wine & Jazz Festival,
After much consideration, we have made the difficult decision to place the Lake Chelan Wine & Jazz Festival on hold indefinitely.
This is not a decision we make lightly. The festival has been built over the years through the generosity of our sponsors, the commitment of our volunteers, the participation of our wineries and venues, and the enthusiasm of our ticket buyers and visitors. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has helped make the festival a special part of the Chelan Valley. Several circumstances have brought us to this point.
The 2026 wildfire and smoke season has had a significant impact on the Valley. Wildfires across Chelan County have resulted in prolonged periods of smoke and hazardous air quality, affecting residents, businesses, visitors, and community events. The smoke has also had a direct effect on tourism and local businesses. Summer is a critical visitor season for the Chelan Valley, and the periods of poor air quality significantly reduced visitation and outdoor activity. The economic impact from a lack of visitors has created a hardship on local businesses making it difficult, if not impossible, to sponsor and financially support the festival.
The wine industry is also facing significant economic challenges in addition to pressures from Chelan County. For a festival whose identity and success are closely connected to the wineries of the Chelan Valley, the economic and government challenges facing wineries make it increasingly difficult for them to provide the level of sponsorship and participation that has helped sustain the festival.
At the same time, tourism in the Chelan Valley has been challenged, affecting wineries, restaurants, lodging properties, retailers, and other businesses that depend on visitors. The festival itself relies on a healthy tourism economy and on visitors being willing and able to travel to Chelan.
Finally, city and county support for community events, tourism, wine, and the arts has become more constrained. Public resources available for community and tourism activities are limited, while demand for those resources continues to grow. This has reduced the level of government support available to the festival. Taken together, these conditions have made it increasingly difficult to produce the festival at the level of quality, financial stability, and community support that we believe it deserves. We know this news will be disappointing to many of you. It is disappointing to us as well. The festival has never been simply a series of concerts and events. It has been a celebration of music, wine, hospitality, community, and the extraordinary place we are fortunate to call home.
Putting the festival on hold allows us to step back, assess the changing environment, and consider what might be possible in the future. We are not closing the door on the festival's return. Rather, we are acknowledging that the current circumstances require a pause.
Staying Engaged
If you have concerns about the level of public support for the wine industry, tourism, arts, and cultural events in the Chelan Valley, we encourage you to share your thoughts directly with your elected local officials. Community input is an important part of discussions about the Valley's economic and cultural future.
To express your concerns to your local officials you may contact:
Erin McCardle, Mayor, City of Chelan
mayor@cityofchelan.us
Mike Steele, Executive Director, Lake Chelan Chamber of Commerce
mike@lakechelan.com
Chelan County Board of Commissioners
Kevin Overbay, District 1 — kevin.overbay@co.chelan.wa.us
Shon Smith, District 2 — shon.smith@co.chelan.wa.us
Brad Hawkins, District 3 — brad.hawkins@co.chelan.wa.us
We encourage you to let them know what the wine industry, arts organizations, cultural events, and tourism-related businesses mean to you and to the broader Chelan Valley community.
To our sponsors: thank you for believing in the festival and investing in it.
To our volunteers: thank you for the countless hours, enthusiasm, and energy you have given us.
To our wineries, venues, musicians, and community partners: thank you for helping create something that brought people together and showcased the Chelan Valley.
And to everyone who has purchased a ticket, attended a concert, raised a glass, danced, listened, or simply told someone about the festival: thank
you.
We hope you will continue to support the wineries, restaurants, hotels, shops, artists, musicians, and other small businesses that make Chelan such a
remarkable place. The community needs that support now more than ever.
We will share additional information as our board determines next steps and will keep you informed about any future plans for the festival.
With sincere gratitude,
Board of Directors for The Lake Chelan Music and Arts Foundation
Producers of the Lake Chelan Wine & Jazz Festival
Move and Groove to LIVE Music
Festival highlights
Over 35 performances at wineries and venues throughout the Lake Chelan Wine Valley over 4 days.
Award-winning wines served at every performance venue
“Weatherproofed” weekend outdoor venues.
Specials and discounts for ticket holders are offered by local businesses, eateries, and wineries around the lake.
Net proceeds from festival ticket sales benefit local charities.
Award-Winning Wineries
Presenting Sponsor
From the rhythm of Seattle’s skyline to the sunny shores of Lake Chelan and the warmth of Arizona, Adair Homes builds custom homes where life feels inspired. Each home is a reflection of artistry and craftsmanship—designed for those who savor every note, every sunset, and every glass poured in celebration.
premier production partners
key partners
major Sponsors
supporting sponsors
helping sponsors
All Lake Chelan Music and Arts Festival Foundation net proceeds for the 2024 festival are directed to Chelan and Manson schools to support music/viticulture/enology education.