Writer’s note: You know those pretentious, self-important magazine articles that rely on overplayed openings like “Since the dawn of man …”? Well guess what, pal. This is one of those articles.

Since the dawn of man, humans have used art to represent the natural world around them. Art is by its own definition artificial and can only represent nature, but can never truly be natural in its own right. (All right, calm down there, Socrates.)

It was this primal connection between nature and art that drove Casey Bishop to gather with friends and take advantage of a wonderful community space to produce the annual Bloom Fest at Riverside Gardens Park in Leo-Cedarville. This year’s version will be Saturday, Aug. 12, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

“While introducing several mom-friends to each other, I realized each of us have our own artsy or nature-driven businesses,” Bishop said. “How cool would it be to put together an event that could help my friends’ small businesses, combine the beauty of nature and the beauty of the local arts, and make it a family-friendly event for all to come and enjoy. Six months later, the first annual Bloom Fest was held.” 

Organic beginning

Since its inception in 2018, Bloom Fest has grown from 49 vendors to more than 125 this year.

Those vendors are carefully vetted for quality and variety, but this is a non-juried event. That means the average family has an opportunity to take home something special and unique and still feel good about an impulse purchase that they might just remember forever.

There will be lots of options from those vendors. Oils and acrylics, ceramics, pottery, yard art, rock art, and jewelry of all kinds. 

That’s just a sampling of the wares on display plus visual artists performing throughout the day and an active beehive demonstration.

There will be vendors with natural pet treats, which is pretty handy because this is a dog-friendly event. Bring your well-behaved dog and go home with something special for Rover, too.

Play, eat, and enjoy local music

Riverside Gardens Park is a great venue for a celebration of art and nature. There’s a playground, splash pad, and the play creek to keep the little ones engaged. There’s also a nice little trail along the river to give suburban kids a taste of a natural riverfront. 

Throughout the festival, the scenic St. Joseph River flows by quietly in the background. The river might be quiet, but the festival won’t be. 

The music stage will be in full effect throughout the day. Sunny Taylor, Todd Roth, and Jordan Bridges are just a few of the talented local performers that will provide a background soundtrack.

The music begins with Roth at 10 a.m., followed by Sunny Taylor and Teresa Lyon at 11 a.m., Adam Rudolph at 12:15 p.m., Bridges at 1:15 p.m., Space Junk at 2:30 p.m., Music Fill at 3:30 p.m., and Toth Family Trio at 4 p.m.

A festival isn’t a festival without a little celebratory consumption, and Bloom Fest has that covered. Twelve food trucks ensure tough decisions for lunch. The Charlie Horse mobile bar will make sure you can keep a cold beer in your hand while you scope the art. 

Park it and help others

Ask Bishop about her favorite part of the festival, and you might be surprised that she tells you it’s the parking. 

The festival itself is free, but the nearby parking goes for a reasonable $5. 

Nearby Grabill Missionary Church gets half of the proceeds in exchange for helping people park an orderly fashion. They have put that money to work helping families with varying needs, paying for a wheelchair and a service dog among other specific outreach for locals in need. 

“I’m so gratified to be able to do this with the church’s help with volunteers who assist with parking,” she said.