Reviewed by: Patience Itson
5 reasons you don’t want to miss this year’s fantastic Moss Rock Festival, Nov. 5-6
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Looking for a fun weekend full of art, live music, food, drinks and more? Moss Rock Festival is back for its 17th year, and you don’t want to miss it. Keep reading for five reasons to attend, and get your tickets today for Saturday, November 5 and Sunday, November 6.
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1. Celebrate the 17th year of a favorite festival
The beloved fall festival that combines art & design, nature, smart living and fun is officially back for its 17th year. Trust us—there’s a reason it’s still going strong!
- What: The 17th annual Moss Rock Festival
- When: Saturday, November 5, 10AM-5PM | Sunday, November 6 ,10AM-4PM
- Where: Hoover Metropolitan Complex, 5500 Stadium Trace Pkwy, Hoover, AL 35244
- Tickets: Advance Day Tickets – $10 | Day Tickets at door – $12 | Kids 15 + under – free
2. View + purchase art from 100+ artists 🎨
If you know and love Magic City Art Connection, Moss Rock Festival’s spring complement, you probably don’t need me to tell you just how important art is for each artist and fan. At the Festival, you’ll enjoy art from over 100 artists. Many of the works are inspired by nature and feature natural materials like wood, clay, glass and found and re-imagined objects.
Amongst the art, you can also find functional products made by local makers and artisans.
Meet this year’s featured artist, Jane Marshall
Birmingham’s Jane Marshall works in several art mediums ranging from printmaking to ceramics to her aptly-named woodcut paintings where she uses woodcut blocks that have been carved out for her printmaking to create whimsical, textured paintings. Whatever her desired medium, her subject matter is always firmly grounded in nature and wildlife, often touching on their symbiotic and fragile relationship with humans.
“For this exhibition, I have included a series of woodcut paintings, woodcut reduction prints and ceramics that embody these sources for inspiration as well as containing messages regarding environmental concerns and my hope for the future.”
Jane Marshall, Featured Artist, Moss Rock Festival
“Collectors don’t get too many opportunities to see or purchase Jane’s work locally, unless they have run into her making ceramics at Red Dot Gallery or selling pieces at a recent Flameworks Holiday Art Show. I’ve amassed my own small collection of her wonderfully quirky ceramic bear sculptures at the latter. That’s why it’s extra special for Moss Rock Festival to have the opportunity to show off Jane and her nature-inspired work to a larger public during our 17th year.”
Alex Kunzman, Co-Director/PR + Marketing Director, Moss Rock Festival
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3. Experience a combo of nature + art
You’ll see what sets Moss Rock Festival apart while you spend the day exploring the art, exhibits, nature and sustainability. Nature inspires almost everything at the Festival, from the artwork for sale to the special programming and features to explore. Nature showcases at the 2022 Festival will inspire an appreciation of wildlife, sustainability and the great outdoors.
The School Planet Projects are back after a brief hiatus! This year, the theme of the art and educational sculpture challenge, Southern Hospitality for Monarchs, delves into the role Alabama’s native plants and environment play in the migration cycle of eastern monarchs. For the projects, students will upcycle an old chair into a lush monarch butterfly environment.
Plus, join Moss Rock Festival’s LOVE TREES initiative and plant a tree. The Take Root: Tree Legacy Project is partnering with Colin Williams, Professor of Art & Director of New Media at the University of Montevallo, in creative collaboration with university art students to give festival visitors an experience to own, appreciate and learn skills for planting and caring for trees in our community. During your visit, pick up a seed packet at the Take Root Booth, enter a giveaway for a Ginkgo Tree and learn more about planting and caring for your tree choice. Available seeds: Sugar Maple, Buckeyes + even more to be announced.
“The planting of a tree is a gift which you can make to posterity at almost no cost and with almost no trouble, and if the tree takes root, it will far outlive the visible effort of any of your other actions, good or evil.”
George Orwell
4. Enjoy special exhibitions for all ages
There’s truly something for everyone at Moss Rock Festival. After browsing the art on display from the state and region, head to attractions with inventive appeal like The Smart Living Market and Sweetery where you can browse choices for your everyday life including fresh, locally-made products and designs. Then top it all off with sweet treats.
Be sure to pop into the 2022 Special Exhibition, which will spotlight curated quilt designs from members of the Birmingham Quilters Guild.
You can also step inside a Storyteller Overland van, which is expertly crafted for endless adventure, exploration, travel, play and work.
Alongside the fine art, you’ll enjoy live music and dance performances. Check out the 2022 Crescent Stage lineup:
- Saturday, November 5
- 11:15AM | IAmGreatness Poetic Expression
- 12PM | The Mad Hatter Dance Company
- 12:30PM | IAmGreatness Poetic Expression
- 1PM | Alabama School of Fine Arts Jazz Ensemble
- 2:15PM | Khloe Isabella with Maxwell Imms & Bree Hines
- 3PM | IAmGreatness Poetic Expression
- 3:15PM | M.U.A.D Modular Units of the Analog Domain
- 4:15PM | Cheyloe with Kyle Sawhill
- Sunday, November 6
- 11:15AM | Khloe Isabella
- 12:10PM | Dala Dance Company
- 12:35PM | Nkosi
- 1:45PM | Glaser/Speights Duo
- 2:30PM | Bob Marston
- 3:45PM | Kamál Akeem
Children can take advantage of the fun of Moss Rock Festival’s WonderKid Studios, where local artists present workshops and studios inspired by the endangered Monarch Butterfly. Enjoy studios such as:
- The Milkweed Garden | A large-scale painting project with teaching artist Rhiannon Reese
- Metamorphosis: clay caterpillars, chrysalis and butterflies | An exploration of all stages of a butterfly’s development with artist Mohamed Jalloh
- Monarch Mayhem | A project where kids create 3D butterflies with materials with artist Kinch Raby
- The Garden of Wonderful Things | A project for kids to create sculptures of everything from flowers and bees to mermaids for a Festival Garden with artist Jamira Rice
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5. Fill up on tasty food from local businesses
Hungry for something delicious after experiencing local art? Enjoy food trucks and other local offerings at the Festival Cafe, including sweets offerings from Sweetery vendors like Chocolata, Over the Top Toffee and Nana Bakes. There’s something to satisfy every craving from lobster rolls and tacos to burgers, ramen bowls, kettle corn and snow cones.
BONUS: discover new beers at the Beer Garden
What goes better with a fun fall weekend than tasting craft beer? With your Moss Rock Festival Beer Garden ticket, you’ll get a souvenir tasting glass, entry into the festival and the craft beer tasting event featuring 50+ brews from breweries and homebrewers, plus wine, beer snacks and football games to watch on Mr. Mancave’s killer display.
- Tasting sessions: Saturday, November 5 Noon-2PM | Saturday, November 5 2:30-4:30PM | Sunday, November 6 1-3PM
- Tickets: $30 per session in advance | $40 per session at the door
Grab your tickets for Moss Rock Festival 2022 taking place November 5-6 at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex. Plus, follow @mossrockfest + @mossrockbeergarden for updates about the event.
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