Kick off the spring season with us May 9th – The Whole Bloomin’ Thing Spring Festival! Enjoy local growers and artisans, featuring a large selection of plants, handmade goods, and garden-inspired products. 

Dance down the block to live music and entertainment, explore Frog Level shops, sip on fresh brewed coffee, cheers a friend with a craft beer and dine on delicious food all at The Whole Bloomin’ Thing Spring Festival!

Join Dayna Walton of Solstice Handmade for a workshop exploring sketching nature from life using colored ballpoint pens. Portable and vivid, pen sketching is great for those interested in drawing on the trail. We will cover foundational techniques such as color theory, mark making, creating textures, and planning compositions, then head outdoors to practice our new skills.

This class is open to any experience level, and all the supplies you’ll need are included.

This program will take place outside and will follow easy trails and paved walkways. Dress for the weather and prepare to be outside for the entire program time.

I’ll be vending and debuting a new print!

Native Azalea Day

April 18, 2025

10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Visit the gardens this spring for Native Azalea Day, an invitation to celebrate and experience azaleas through the eyes of plant enthusiasts, botanists, and artists. For one day only, visitors can observe as plein air artists capture the scene in paint and pen, learn about the garden and its collection on a walking tour, and participate in hands-on activities for children and adults.

A shuttle to the Collection will be available between 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., departing to and from the Baker Visitor Center throughout the event. Visitors are also welcome to walk to the Native Azalea Collection from the Gatehouse Parking Lot using Old Mill Road to Bent Creek Road, or can park at the Baker Visitor Center and walk down Running Cedar Road to Bent Creek Road. Walkers should be prepared to travel one mile over unpaved roads and paths.

Special thanks to Community Partner Carolina Native Nursery for sponsoring Native Azalea Day.

Schedule Coming Soon

Join Mainspring and local artist Dayna Walton of Solstice Handmade for this drawing workshop exploring the basics of sketching nature with colored ballpoint pens! This method is perfect for nature journaling, as it is quick, colorful, and portable. We will cover some foundational techniques including capturing organic textures, blending colors, and developing life-like values. Then we will learn the basics of sketching from life, then apply our new skills to create a finished drawing using provided plants, rocks, bones, and more. This class is open to any skill level, and all the supplies you’ll need are included. 

This class is suitable for all levels, no creative experience required, just bring an open mind! Tickets are $40 and all materials will be provided. You’ll even get to take home 4 pens to continue drawing with! Feel free to bring along your own pens/markers or items to draw from home, if you’d like to experiment.

This event will occur on Friday, March 6th from 5:00pm-8:00pm at Olive’s Porch in Murphy (27 Peachtree St, Murphy, NC 28906.) Please plan to arrive between 4:45pm-4:55pm to get settled. Click here to purchase your ticket (this link will bring you to a different page.

Join us for artisan vendors, printed panties, make your own honey love potion (herbal electuary)

and celebrate a year of our little shop in the River Arts Distrcit