Harford Plein Air Festival: September 11-13
Harford County's premier Plein Air Festival annually draws professional artists from across the U.S. to capture the county's charms.
Harford County's premier Plein Air Festival comprises a juried competition and a community-based quick draw competition, which annually draw professional artists from across the U.S. to capture the county's charms. The Festival's unique format allows painters to work at their own pace from July 1 to September 11, competing for thousands of dollars in cash prizes and sales commissions. A list of this year's artists can be found below.
The 12th Annual Harford Plein Air Festival features a series of community events in downtown Bel Air from September 11-13. The full schedule is below.
2026 Festival Schedule
Friday September 11: Gallery Reception and Awards Ceremony (Bel Air Armory) | 6:30-9:00 pm
Saturday September 12: Gallery open at Bel Air Armory 9:00 am-3:00 pm (Adult Quick draw 9:00 am-11:00 am)
Sunday September 13: Gallery open at Bel Air Armory 10:00 am-3:00 pm (Youth Quick draw 11:30 am-1:30 pm)
Commission a Painting!
This year, we're offering an opportunity to have one of our 30 participating artists create an original, custom piece of artwork, just for you. Whether it’s your home, business, a portrait, or a location that means something to you, one of our artists will bring it to life on canvas. Commissions support the Maryland Center for the Arts and our mission to bring affordable arts programming to Harford County and beyond. For more information on this opportunity, including pricing, please contact Bob Willenbrink: bwillenbrink@mdcfa.org.
2026 Participating Artists
Julia Andersen
Julia Jordan
Zhaobo Li