The 17th annual Winnsboro Art & Wine Festival will be held this Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6-7, in downtown Winnsboro. 

The festival, hosted by Winnsboro Center for the Arts, features 40 artists and 11 wineries, plus food vendors and live music. Admission is free. 

Festival chair Cyndie Ewert said there is a process the participating artists must follow to be part of the festival. 

"We have 40 artists. It is all fine art," Ewert said. "They do have to submit and be juried to get in." 

Participating wineries include Blue Duck, Big Rock, Landon, Red Road, Los Pinos, Un Sueño, Britts Wine & Dine, Wall Street, Cicada Ridge, Beyond the Vine and Maydelle. Each winery will set its own prices for tastings. 

Four food trucks and other specialty food vendors are expected. Live entertainment will include the local high school jazz band, and a karate demonstration is also planned. 

In addition to Market street, several surrounding downtown streets will be closed to vehicle traffic during the festival. 

Ewert said the event typically draws between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors, depending on the weather. Attendance topped 3,600 last year. 

Festival hours are 1-7 p.m. Friday, with wineries remaining open until 8 p.m., and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.