Last updated 22 July 2026
August is a wonderful time to see a different side of McLaren Vale.
Each year, the South Australian Living Artists Festival brings art into galleries, studios, cellar doors, restaurants and unexpected spaces across South Australia. In McLaren Vale, it feels particularly at home, with creativity sitting naturally alongside the region’s wine, food, landscapes and people.
And if you’re staying at Vale 194, you can start exploring almost as soon as you step outside the gate.
SALA Getaway
Make a SALA getaway of it, with exhibitions, studios, cellar doors and creative spaces to explore across McLaren Vale and the wider Fleurieu Peninsula, SALA is the perfect reason to stay for a few days rather than trying to fit everything into one day.
To celebrate the SALA Festival, Vale 194 is offering 10% off direct bookings for stays between 1 and 31 August 2026. Simply enter code SALA26 when booking.
Stay in the heart of McLaren Vale and explore art, cellar doors, restaurants and the Fleurieu Peninsula at your own pace. Start your art journey just next door at Fleurieu Arthouse, then discover exhibitions across McLaren Vale, Onkaparinga and, if you have a few extra days, the wider Fleurieu Peninsula.
Offer details: 10% off new direct bookings for stays between 1 and 31 August 2026. Enter code SALA26 when booking. Minimum two-night stay applies. Subject to availability. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Standard Vale 194 booking terms and conditions apply.
Start Next Door at Fleurieu Arthouse
Vale 194 is located right next door to Fleurieu Arthouse on McLaren Vale’s Main Road, making it a natural starting point for an art-focused weekend in the region.
Fleurieu Arthouse brings together gallery spaces, working artists and locally created art in the heart of McLaren Vale. During SALA, it becomes one of the starting points for exploring the wider creative community across the region. See David Archer – Archers Arcadia, and the Fleurieu Arthouse open studio mixed group.
One of the things I love about SALA is that exploring the festival isn’t simply about moving from one gallery to the next.
Follow the Art Through McLaren Vale
SALA gives visitors a different way to explore McLaren Vale.
Try the McLaren Vale Self Guided Tour created by SALA can take you through vineyards and townships, into working studios, cellar doors, restaurants, community spaces and places you may never have thought to visit. You might discover an artist over a wine tasting, meet makers in their studio, stop for a long lunch and finish the afternoon somewhere completely unexpected. Or link to the full Program SALA Map of all the artists in the region and make it a whole month of exploration.
Rather than visiting a single gallery or exhibition, you can build a day around art and discover more of the region along the way.
Start in the township, wander into a gallery the Fleurieu Art House and the Stump Hill Gallery at the McLaren Vale Visitor Centre, and the Good Bank Gallery are within walking distance, visit artists in their studios, stop for lunch and finish the afternoon with an exhibition and a wine tasting. The distances are manageable, the experiences are varied and there is plenty of room to slow down and enjoy the places you discover between exhibitions.
Our suggested route is simply a starting point. Check the current SALA program and individual venue opening times before setting out, then choose the exhibitions and experiences that interest you most. Art, Wine and a Weekend Away. If you visit the visitor centre they will have a daily guide available to whats on.
A SALA Day Among the Vines in McLaren Vale
SALA in McLaren Vale can be as much about the journey between exhibitions as the art itself. In one day, you can move from a major contemporary art and wine experience to a working artist’s studio, discover an exhibition in a florist, stop for a long lunch and finish with a tasting at a family-owned winery.
Start at the Fleurieu Arthouse just a few doors away from Vale 194 (where you can see Archers Arcadia or over 40 artists have works on display or for sale), or start at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre, where you can explore Beauty of the South, pick up the latest SALA information and plan the day ahead.
From there, head to the d’Arenberg Cube, one of McLaren Vale’s most recognisable landmarks and a destination where art, design and wine have long been part of the experience. Allow time to explore, Chester Osborn exhibits artworks alongside artist Greg Johns and David Archer at the d’Arenberg Cube.
Continue along Main Road to discover Vintage Blooms, where four artists are exhibiting within a local florist.
Lunch at the Salopian
Next stop at the Salopian Inn. Its Gail Kellet’s – Inn Print exhibition creates the perfect excuse to slow down over lunch and enjoy the connection between art, food and place.
In the afternoon, take the short drive to McLaren Flat, where you can visit Annette Olofson Design Studio and James Cowley Glass Artist Studio. Textiles and glass sit side by side at the same studio site, offering the chance to experience art in the spaces where artists and makers work.
Depending on your timing, you can also visit Art at McLaren Flat at the Recreation Ground and Hither & Yon in Willunga, a proud SALA sponsor, is showing Reprise a photographic exhibition exploring connection to the ocean.
Finish the afternoon back among the vines at Oliver’s Taranga. Explore Layered Impressions and enjoy a tasting at one of McLaren Vale’s historic family wineries — a relaxed way to end a day of art, stories and discovery.
If you have more time, Manning Sculptures and Dog Ridge Cellar Door & Art Gallery are worthwhile additions for a second day or a slower weekend itinerary.
This is what makes SALA in McLaren Vale so enjoyable. You aren’t simply moving between galleries or ticking exhibitions off a list. You’re discovering art in grand architectural spaces and intimate studios, meeting makers, exploring the township, lingering over lunch and experiencing the wine region from a completely different perspective.
Stay a Little Longer and Follow the Art Further
If you’re staying for a weekend, SALA can take you well beyond the McLaren Vale township, link to the full Program SALA Map and you can plan your own exploration.
The wider Onkaparinga program connects the Vale with Willunga and the coast. A weekend might combine art and wine, a handmade market in historic Willunga, exhibitions around Port Noarlunga and time exploring the coastline.
Stay for a few more days and you can widen your art trail across the Fleurieu Peninsula, discovering studios, galleries and SALA exhibitions in townships and coastal communities along the way.
A longer creative winter road trip might take you through Mount Compass and Hindmarsh Valley before continuing to Victor Harbor, Port Elliot, Middleton, Normanville and Goolwa, with a return through Strathalbyn.
For me, this is one of the most interesting things about SALA. It gives you a reason to visit places you may not otherwise have discovered and, along the way, experience the food, wine, townships, landscapes and coastline that connect the Fleurieu.
Your SALA visit can be as simple as a day among the vines or grow into a creative winter road trip across the Fleurieu Peninsula.
How to Spend a SALA Day in McLaren Vale
Planning an art-filled day in McLaren Vale? Here is one way to bring together SALA exhibitions, local artists, food and wine.
- Start at the Visitor Centre
Begin at the McLaren Vale & Fleurieu Coast Visitor Centre. Explore the SALA exhibition, collect current festival information and get your bearings before heading into the township.
- Visit Fleurieu Arthouse
Head to Fleurieu Arthouse in the heart of McLaren Vale to explore its SALA group exhibition and discover the work of South Australian artists.
If you’re staying at Vale 194, this is an easy place to begin, Fleurieu Arthouse is right next door. - Discover Art in an Unexpected Space
Continue along Main Road to Vintage Blooms Co, where SALA brings the work of several artists into a local florist. Or Sam I am Cofffee shop and tie it in with Breakfast or a coffee.
It’s one of the things that makes exploring SALA so interesting: exhibitions can appear in places you may not expect. - Stop for Art and Lunch
Make your way to the Salopian Inn, where the Inn Print exhibition brings art and food together.
Allow time for lunch rather than rushing to the next stop. One of the pleasures of exploring SALA in a wine region is that the day can be as much about the places between the exhibitions as the exhibitions themselves. - Meet Artists and Makers
Take the short drive to McLaren Flat to visit Annette Olofson Design Studio and James Cowley Glass Artist Studio, where textiles and glass are exhibited side by side at the same studio location.
Depending on your timing, you can also add Art at McLaren Flat at the McLaren Flat Recreation Ground. - Art Wine and Architecture
Continue your SALA journey at the unmistakable d’Arenberg Cube, where art, architecture and wine come together in one of McLaren Vale’s most iconic settings. During August, Chester Osborn exhibits alongside sculptors Greg Johns and David Archer, adding another layer of creativity to a visit already filled with bold design, curious installations and sweeping vineyard views. Allow time to explore the Cube, enjoy a tasting. Entry fees apply.
- Finish with Art and Wine
Return to McLaren Vale and finish the afternoon at Oliver’s Taranga. Explore the Layered Impressions exhibition and enjoy a cellar door visit at one of McLaren Vale’s historic family wineries. You can also plan your whole exploration around wine if you view the collection from the McLaren Vale Wine Region team.
- Make It a Weekend
One day will give you a taste of SALA in McLaren Vale, but staying for a a few nights gives you time to explore more slowly.
Head to Willunga and visit Battle of Bosworth and there is a groups of exhibitions in the Centre of Willunga, and then add Manning Sculptures or DogRidge Cellar Door & Art Gallery, spend time walking or cycling the Shiraz Trail, book a long lunch or extend your SALA trail towards the coast or the rest of the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Two Festivals, One Delicious August
August is also a wonderful month for food lovers, with the Fleurieu Food Festival running throughout the region.
Explore our Fleurieu Food Festival guide for more inspiration and another very good reason to visit McLaren Vale this winter.August is also a wonderful month for food lovers, with the Fleurieu Food Festival running throughout the region. With more than 120 events planned for 2026, you can easily build a few delicious stops into your SALA weekend, from long lunches and winery experiences to farm tours, masterclasses and fireside feasts.
Come for the art. Stay for the wine, food and everything you discover in between.
Frequently Asked Questions About a SALA Weekend in McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale offers the chance to experience SALA as part of a broader regional getaway. Exhibitions appear across galleries, studios, cellar doors, restaurants and community spaces, allowing visitors to discover art while also enjoying the wine region, walking trails, local food and nearby coastline.
The variety is part of the appeal. A SALA day here might include a gallery in the morning, lunch at a favourite restaurant, meeting an artist in their studio and finishing with an exhibition at a cellar door.
Yes. McLaren Vale is particularly well suited to visitors who want to combine art and wine in the same trip.
Some SALA exhibitions are hosted at cellar doors and wineries, while other galleries and studios are only a short drive from the region’s many tasting experiences. It is easy to build a day that includes both without spending hours travelling between stops.
Yes. McLaren Vale’s restaurants and cellar doors make it easy to plan a weekend around art, food and wine without having to travel far between experiences.
During August, visitors can also combine SALA with selected Fleurieu Food Festival experiences, creating a winter getaway built around exhibitions, local produce, wine and long lunches.
Two or three nights gives you time to explore SALA exhibitions without rushing and still enjoy the wider McLaren Vale experience.
A longer stay allows time for cellar doors, a long lunch, the Shiraz Trail and perhaps a coastal walk, as well as extending your SALA explorations towards Willunga, Port Noarlunga or further across the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Yes. McLaren Vale is a great place to begin your SALA explorations, with exhibitions in the township, nearby McLaren Flat and across the wider Onkaparinga area.
Stay for a few more days and you can widen your art trail across the Fleurieu Peninsula, discovering studios, galleries and SALA exhibitions in townships and coastal communities along the way. A longer stay gives you the freedom to explore at a relaxed pace, combining art with local food, wine, walking trails and the coast.
It means your SALA visit can be as simple as a day among the vines or grow into a creative winter road trip across the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Between exhibitions, you can visit cellar doors, book a long lunch, walk or cycle the Shiraz Trail, explore Main Road or head towards the nearby coastline.
This is one of the advantages of choosing McLaren Vale for a SALA getaway: the art becomes part of a broader regional experience rather than the only reason for the trip.
Staying centrally makes it easier to combine exhibitions with restaurants, cellar doors and other experiences.
Vale 194 is located on Main Road in McLaren Vale, right next door to Fleurieu Arthouse and close to restaurants, cellar doors and the Shiraz Trail. For groups travelling together, our five self-contained houses provide the option to stay close while still having separate private spaces.
Plan Your SALA Stay
Start next door at Fleurieu Arthouse, follow the art through McLaren Vale or stay a little longer and explore SALA across the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Book your August stay directly with Vale 194 and use code SALA26 to save 10%.
Come for the art. Stay for everything you discover along the way.
About the Author
Jodie Sheldrick is the owner of Vale 194, a family-owned collection of luxury self-contained holiday homes in the heart of McLaren Vale on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. Born and raised in the region, she is a member of the McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association and the McLaren Vale Business & Tourism Association, and enjoys supporting local tourism while encouraging visitors to explore everything McLaren Vale and the Fleurieu Peninsula have to offer.