Mount Vernon Food and Wine Festival
October is Texas Wine Month, and Mount Vernon celebrates with its annual Food and Wine Festival in the historic Plaza District. Two signature events: the Harvest on Main dinner and the Market on Main street festival, both about 15 minutes from the property.
The Mount Vernon Food and Wine Festival has been a staple of the Franklin County fall calendar since 2009. Originally called Wine in the Pines, the festival centers on the historic Plaza District in downtown Mount Vernon and features Texas wineries, local food vendors, cooking demonstrations, live music, and retail vendors. It is organized by the Mount Vernon Main Street Alliance and has grown into one of the most anticipated annual events in the area.
Harvest on Main dinner
Harvest on Main
Downtown Plaza, Mount Vernon, TX · 7:00 PM
A community farm-to-table dinner on the downtown Plaza. The four-course meal features local ingredients paired with Texas wines. Limited seating, typically $150 per person. A seasonal evening that brings the community together around the same table.
Market on Main street festival
Market on Main
Plaza District, 113 Main Street, Mount Vernon, TX
A free daytime festival with Texas wine tastings, food vendors, artisan booths, live music, and cooking demonstrations. General admission is free; wine tasting tickets are typically $10. The Market on Main creates a full day of walking, tasting, and shopping on the historic downtown square.
What to expect
The Mount Vernon Plaza District is the heart of downtown, anchored by the historic Franklin County courthouse. For the Food and Wine Festival, the square fills with white vendor tents, tasting stations, and clusters of people doing what small-town Texas does best: gathering on a fall weekend. The Harvest on Main dinner is the elevated end of the weekend, a seated multi-course meal under the open sky with wine pairings from Texas vineyards. The Market on Main is the accessible daytime counterpart: free entry, live music, and the kind of unhurried browsing that makes small-town festivals worth the trip.
Texas wine in focus
Texas is the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the country, with over 400 wineries spanning the High Plains, Hill Country, and East Texas. The Mount Vernon festival puts Texas wineries front and center, giving attendees a chance to taste reds, whites, and blends from across the state without traveling to the Hill Country. For anyone evaluating a property in this part of Texas, the presence of an annual wine festival says something about how the area balances its rural identity with a growing interest in local food, craft beverages, and agritourism.
The drive from the property
Mount Vernon is a straight shot north from County Road 1070. Take US-271 north for about 15 minutes and you are on the downtown square. The drive takes you through the rolling pastureland of southern Franklin County, past the agricultural exemption land that defines this part of East Texas. For anyone evaluating property in this area, the festival demonstrates the strength of the local community: Mount Vernon is small (around 2,500 people), but it maintains an active Main Street program, a historic downtown that draws visitors, and annual events that bring the whole county together.
Event details subject to change
Specific 2026 dates for the Mount Vernon Food and Wine Festival have not yet been announced. Check mtvernonfoodandwine.com for updates on ticket releases and event dates. Based on past years, Harvest on Main takes place on a Saturday evening in October, with Market on Main following the next Saturday.
Plan a visit
Come for the land, stay for the wine.
Walk the 8 acres in the morning, then drive 15 minutes to downtown Mount Vernon for a farm-to-table dinner under the stars.
Schedule a visit