a celebration of the art of nature

AUGUST 5-14

in the Mercer Street Grassroots District

& Camp Creek State Park 

in Mercer County, West Virginia 

Click HERE for a complete schedule of activities. 

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Schedule of Activities

The ten day celebration will feature a variety of events in the Grassroots District and Camp Creek State Park; explore them all here. Click the links for details.  

Previous events

Peak of the Bloom Picnic in the Park (catered by Jimmie's Restaurant)

Enjoy a lovely picnic in the beautiful Camp Creek State Park, catered by Jimmie's Restaurant, located in the Grassroots District. Enjoy live music by Tim & Maggie Mainland, and a delicious meal. Reservations are required for the picnic baskets but attendance to the event is free and no registration is required. Pre-order your picnic basket at peakofthebloom.com/picnic-pre-orders.

Learn to Make a Mushroom Bed with EB Fungi!

Camp Creek State Park

Learn how to cultivate your own mushroom bed with the experts of EB Fungi, who just opened their new location in The Grassroots District! This event will take place in Camp Creek State Park, right after yoga & sound healing with The Gaia Den! Meet at the ampitheater at Camp Creek at 11am. Consider camping for the weekend & taking in all the lovely activities!

Plein Air Painting Excursion

Camp Creek State Park

En plein air (French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃ plɛn ɛːʁ], French for outdoors, or plein air painting) is the act of painting outdoors. Artist Lacey Vilandry will lead a plein air painting workshop in the beautiful wildflower fields of Camp Creek State Park. Meet at the Camp Creek State Park amphitheater at 3:30pm and enjoy a beautiful ride up to a remote area of The Forrest. No experience necessary. Cost to attend is $35. Lapboards, canvases and paint will be provided. Register here on this site! Reserve your spot now, as this event is likely to sell out.

a Peak at the Pollinator Garden

Princeton City Park

Discover the best kept secret in Princeton, a magical labyrinth of medicinal and pollinator plants in Princeton City Park. Learn how and why to start a pollinator garden, and meet and greet with the garden's volunteer steward, Ms. Becky Kidwell. This event is part of Peak of the Bloom, a celebration of the art of nature.

Plant Propagation Party with Leslie Caneda!

The Pigment Sanctuary, 860 Mercer Street

Learn how to propagate your plants, decorate a pot, and transform thrifted ceramic finds into planters! Participants are encouraged to scavenge their local thrift store and bring quirky ceramics treasures to MMF and, and adopt a plant! The Pigment Sanctuary is located in the back of Appalachian Coffeehouse at 860 Mercer Street in The Grassroots District.

The cost of this workshop is $20. Checks may be written to The Pigment Sanctuary.

POTB Open Stage Night

 —  —

The Room Upstairs, 865 Mercer Street

Enjoy poetry, creative writing, music and more at Open Stage Night in The Room Upstairs. This special edition will be, of course, wildflower themed. All ages and styles are welcome. This is an all ages event, so please be mindful of your material choices when young people are present. There is a cover charge of $3 for audience and $2 for performers. Coffee, drinks and snacks are on the house.

Award Winning Photographer Steve Jessee of Associated Photography will lead us on a guided photo exclusion through the beautiful and remote fields of wildflowers at Camp Creek State Park. Enjoy a beautiful wagon ride up to the special spot, and a delicious picnic by Bucha Brewhouse & Bistro following. (Pre-registration required). Meet at Associated Photography at 813 Mercer Street at 1 p.m. OR at Camp Creek State Park Amphitheater at 1:30 p.m. * Free of Charge but PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED*

Kickoff Concert & Reception

 —  —

Town Square & RiffRaff Art Boutique in The Grassroots District

Enjoy a concert by Andrew Adkins Trio & Grace Campbell, part of the First Friday Concerts in the Square series, explore artisan vendors of The HeART Market, meet & greet the Featured Artist Ian Bode at The RiffRaff Art Boutique, and explore our blossoming neighborhood! The events are FREE & open to the public. ❤ Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs & picnic blankets, and enjoy dining, strolling the shops, creative activities and all our blossoming neighborhood has to offer.

About the artists:

Picture “Andrew Adkins is without a doubt the embodiment of the current state of roots music in West Virginia, as well as it’s most profound songwriter” -No Depression Magazine After 7 years of fronting the popular Appalachian Stompgrass band The Wild Rumpus at countless festivals, concerts and clubs including Merlefest, Bristol Rhythm and Roots, and the AMA (American Music Association) as well as writing nearly all of the songs for their 3 studio albums, Andrew has now firmly established his own voice with the release of his 4th solo album. “Who I Am” on Mountain Soul Records. Produced by Mountain Stage musical director Ron Sowell, recorded by virtuoso guitarist and engineer Bud Carroll and featuring an all star line up of WV musicians, the album showcases Andrew’s wry insightful songwriting and his soulful authentic voice. He is not only a talented singer songwriter, he is held in high regard as performer by his peers.

Grace Campbell: Grace Campbell is a singer/songwriter from Princeton, WV with a charm all of her own. A world traveler and classically trained vocalist, Grace's multifaceted influences have coalesced into a well versed, intelligent young performer. Grace's impeccable songwriting skills and charismatic personality have warranted her quite the fan base in Southern WV - and it's only growing! Her inaugural performance at Culturefest in 2019 (and later in 2020 and 2021) gained her the attention and respect of many in the area. Soon, she was playing as far as Pittsburg, PA. Grace is a bright light in the Grassroots District of Mercer County, WV, but she wants to grow to be a shinning light even further. She lives by the motto: "Never turn down a gig!" Now living in Morgantown, WV, Grace is utilizing her talents through hard work. Her song "Who'd You Fall in Love With Now?" Is out on Spotify, and there is an album in the works. She is ecstatic to see where her future in music will go.

Ian Bode Ian Bode was born and raised in Charleston, WV. After leaving WV in his late teens and traveling around the country, he returned to become a self-taught, full-time artist. His work is displayed in galleries, public buildings, and private collections across the country. He also collaborates with other visual artists and graphic designers on commercial projects. In addition, he has individually and collaboratively made several 2D and 3D public art projects. His most recognizable style is a graphically narrative, cartoon-oriented world filled with his black and white faceless characters collectively called “The Passenger.” This faceless cartoon is a vacuum into which the viewer’s identify and awareness can be filled in. The viewer is in the emotive driver’s seat, much like a passenger. Using repeating themes, colors, and icons, he aims to establish a visual language that makes each piece relatable to the other creating a universe with loose laws and a sequential narrative that does not intrude or contradict itself. He was recently named WV Artist of the Year 2018 by West Virginia Living magazine. You can find his work by quick google search, and in person at The Art Emporium in Charleston, and RiffRaff Art Boutique in The Grassroots District!

Sunflower Painting Workshop

Diamonds & Gold Look, The Grassroots District

Join Promise Sloan for her bold take on flower painting! We will be painting a Sunflower in the style of Van Gogh. All materials are included to paint your masterpiece. No experience necessary, our artists will guide you through. So grab your friends and family and come out and have yourself a great time! You can get tickets at the store location Thursday through Saturday or pay at the door. Seating is limited so secure your spots today! The price per ticket is $29.99. BYOB!

The price per ticket is $29.99.

Guided Plein Air Painting Experience (SOLD OUT)

Camp Creek State Park

En plein air (French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃ plɛn ɛːʁ], French for outdoors, or plein air painting) is the act of painting outdoors. Artist Lacey Vilandry will lead a plein air painting workshop in the beautiful wildflower fields of Camp Creek State Park. Meet at the Camp Creek State Park amphitheater at 3:30pm and enjoy a beautiful ride up to a remote area of The Forrest. No experience necessary. Cost to attend is $25. Lapboards, canvases and paint will be provided. This event is part of the Peak of the Bloom celebration August 6-15. This event is now SOLD OUT. You may register and be put on a waiting list, and we will contact you if a spot opens up. Feel free to call us with questions! 304-320-8833.

Enjoy a lovely picnic in the beautiful Camp Creek State Park, catered by Bucha Brewhouse & Bistro, located in the Grassroots District. Enjoy live music and a delicious meal. Reservations are required for the picnic baskets but attendance to the event is free and no registration is required. Pre-order your picnic basket at peakofthebloom.com/picnic-pre-orders.

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