Photo by Erin Nelson Sweeney
Guests walk through different booths during the annual Moss Rock Festival at the Hoover Met Stadium parking lot Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023.
The 19th annual Moss Rock Festival returns to the Hoover Metropolitan Complex on Nov. 2-3, once again celebrating art, nature, design and “smart living.”
The festival will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3. Co-director Alex Kunzman said this year’s event will offer a new perspective as it is moving to a newly renovated upper lot in front of Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.
“We’re excited about moving it there,” Kunzman said. “The space will be about the same size, but it will be configured differently so people won’t have to walk as far.”
More than 100 juried artists who re-purpose objects from the environment into their work will be selling their creations. The featured artists for this year will be Levi Levinson and Jordan Thompson of Bendy Knees Design.
“They not only paint with a brush, but also use a tablet and technology,” Kunzman said. “That hybrid, collaborative and versatile approach to art and design is very Moss Rock Festival.”
Other participants scheduled to attend include:
- Freshwater Land Trust, which has partnered with the Moss Rock Festival since the festival’s inception in 2006. The nonprofit, among other environmental stewardship work, manages the Red Rock Trail System, which has nature trails, parks and bike lanes that connect through central Alabama.
- Foxhound Bee Company, which will feature supplies and equipment for beekeepers, honey and possibly an observation hive.
- Cool Green Trees + Jefferson County Greenways, which will educate participants about native trees in Alabama and will have a tree giveaway that people can enter.
- The Shelby Humane Society, which will be on-site with cats and dogs available for adoption.
- The Ebenezer Swamp Project, a printmaking exhibit of about 60 acres of wetlands that is part of the University of Montevallo campus.
The festival also will have a WonderKid Studio, where young artists use nature as their inspiration for creative projects, some based on the “Year of Alabama Birding.” This year’s Planet Project, called “Ripple Effect: Our Watershed Connections,” will feature sculpture projects by school children that reflect on Alabama freshwater fish in watershed habitats.
Collin Williams, an art professor and director of new media at the University of Montevallo, will share knowledge about sustaining trees and various pollinators in Alabama as part of his “Take Root: A Tree Legacy Project.” Visitors can also pick up seeds to plant.
The festival also will feature a Smart Living Market + Sweetery that will offer products for the home, body and health. Some expected food vendors include Over the Top Toffee, Scooty’s Apples (gourmet caramel apples), Chicken & Sweets Southern Yardbird (locally sourced seasonal jams) and Gitts Bajan Pepper Sauce.
There also will be a beer garden tasting event featuring local, regional and national select craft brews, wine sampling, live music and more. Planned food trucks include Eugene's Hot Chicken, Uncle G's Pizza, Red Diamond Coffee & Tea, Hey Bebe and Rae Rae's Catering.
Scheduled entertainment includes the Starlings, Orange Bunny, Dala Dance Co., Iron Giant Percussion, Wyrd Arts Group Bellydance Collective, Mad Hatter Dance Co., Cheyloe & Kyle, Rebecca Egeland, Bob Marston, Americana’s Grandson and an Alabama School of Fine Arts jazz ensemble.
For more information and updates, visit mossrockfestival.com.
FESTIVAL ADMISSION:
Advance: $12/adult (includes entry Saturday & Sunday)
Gate: $15/adult (includes entry Saturday and Sunday); kids 18 & younger free
BEER GARDEN ADMISSION:
Advance: $35 (order by Nov. 1), adults 21+
Ticket includes festival entry Saturday & Sunday, plus 13-ounce commemorative Belgian tasting glass (advance tickets are guaranteed the 2024 glass design)
Gate: $45, adults 21+
