Wood, Wine & Blues 2026: Watch Chainsaw Artists at Work in Storm Lake

Wood, Wine & Blues returns to Sunset Park in Storm Lake from August 27 through 29, 2026. The free three-day festival brings professional chainsaw artists, live music, food vendors, wine and craft beer tastings together along the lakeshore.

The highlight is watching five professional chainsaw artists transform large logs into detailed sculptures. Visitors can stop throughout the festival to see the artwork take shape, then return Saturday afternoon when the completed pieces are sold during a live auction.

Caption: Chainsaw-carved animals displayed near the Storm Lake waterfront. The community has an extensive collection of sculptures created by visiting chainsaw artists.

Wood, Wine & Blues 2026 at a glance

Dates: Thursday, August 27 through Saturday, August 29, 2026
Location: Sunset Park Bandshell, 400 W. Lakeshore Drive, Storm Lake, Iowa
Admission: Free
Featured sculpture auction: Saturday at 4 p.m.
Official updates: Wood, Wine & Blues on Facebook

Sunset Park sits beside Storm Lake and includes a bandshell, playground, public restrooms and access to the lakefront recreation trail. Visitors attending the concerts are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.

Caption: An aerial view of the park and shoreline along Storm Lake. Wood, Wine & Blues takes place beside the lake at Sunset Park.

Watch professional chainsaw artists at work

Chainsaw carving is at the center of the festival. Five professional artists will work on their featured sculptures over three days, giving visitors several opportunities to watch an ordinary log gradually become a finished piece of art.

A quick-carve event begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Unlike the larger projects that develop throughout the festival, the quick carve challenges the artists to complete smaller sculptures within a limited amount of time.

The artists’ featured sculptures will be offered during a live auction at 4 p.m. Saturday. It is an opportunity to take home an original piece after watching it being created in the park.

Caption: An eagle rises from the top of an existing chainsaw sculpture in Storm Lake. The sculpture pictured is part of the community’s collection and is not a 2026 festival entry.

Live music schedule

Live music begins Friday afternoon and continues throughout Saturday. Friday’s performance takes place in the Brew Beer Garden, while Saturday’s musicians perform on the bandshell stage.

Friday, August 28

• Charlie Leissler: 4–8 p.m.
• A one-hour break begins at 6:30 p.m. for the quick-carve event.

Saturday, August 29

• Charlie Leissler: 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
• Neil Anders & The Brothers Merritt: 1–3 p.m.
• Deja Blue: 5:30–8 p.m.

There is a break in the music before the sculpture auction at 4 p.m. Saturday. Deja Blue closes the festival with an evening performance beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Caption: A chainsaw-carved saxophone player displayed in Storm Lake. Live music accompanies the carving, tastings and vendors during Wood, Wine & Blues.

Food, drinks and Saturday activities

Food and craft vendors will be in Sunset Park on Friday and Saturday. Wine and craft beer tastings are also planned, along with the Thirsty Pigs Beer Garden.

Storm Lake Community Education will hold a cornhole tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday. Registration costs $20 per two-person team.

The Storm Lake Kiwanis Beavers Bike Ride also begins at Sunset Park at 9:30 a.m. Saturday. The ride costs $25 per participant, with riders returning to the park for the music, vendors and festival activities.

Because tasting hours, vendor lists and other details may change, check the festival’s Facebook page before traveling.

Find more chainsaw sculptures around Storm Lake

The festival has helped create a public-art collection that lasts long after the chainsaws stop running.

Sculptures made by visiting artists can be found along the waterfront, beside recreational trails, in public parks and at the Storm Lake Public Library. The collection includes bears, birds, musicians, mythical figures and other imaginative designs.

Caption: A detailed winged figure displayed at Chautauqua Park in Storm Lake. Chainsaw sculptures can be found in several of the community’s parks.

Looking for the sculptures can become a second activity during a visit to Storm Lake. Some pieces stand beside the lake, while others are tucked beneath trees or positioned along walking paths.

Caption: An owl and eagle carved into the same piece of wood. Previous chainsaw carvings are displayed throughout Storm Lake’s parks and public spaces.

Wood, Wine & Blues offers a chance to see how these pieces begin. Visitors can watch the artists work, enjoy live music beside the lake and possibly leave with an original sculpture of their own.

Before you go

Wood, Wine & Blues takes place August 27–29, 2026, at Sunset Park in Storm Lake. Admission to the festival is free.

Bring a lawn chair for the concerts and expect the sound of active chainsaws around the carving area. Festival schedules, tasting information and weather-related announcements will be posted on the Wood, Wine & Blues Facebook page.