Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival to Feature Music, Gardening, Homesteading

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. / rareseeds.com

Festivalgoers admire vibrant spring blooms during a previous Baker Creek Spring Planting Festival in Mansfield.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company will host its Spring Planting Festival from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, May 3, and Monday, May 4, at its village headquarters, located at 2278 Baker Creek Road in Mansfield, bringing together gardening, homesteading and a full lineup of live music rooted in tradition.

For more than 25 years, the festival has celebrated heirloom gardening, sustainable agriculture and back-to-the-land living, drawing thousands of gardeners, farmers and homesteaders from across the country. Attendees can expect a wide variety of activities, including educational talks, food vendors, shopping, contests and live entertainment.

This year’s festival will feature a strong musical lineup led by bluegrass legend Rodney Dillard, founding member of The Dillards and widely recognized as one of “The Darlings” from The Andy Griffith Show. A native of Salem, Missouri, Dillard has spent more than six decades shaping American roots music and continues to perform and preserve the traditions of bluegrass and storytelling through song.

Joining him are Richard Bennett and Fiddling Leona, a duo known for blending East Tennessee roots with international influence. Bennett, a veteran guitarist and songwriter, has performed alongside some of the genre’s most respected names, while Leona, originally from Tokyo, Japan, brings a unique global perspective to traditional bluegrass through her fiddle and vocals.

Music will carry on across three stages throughout the two-day festival, creating an atmosphere centered on community, craftsmanship and simple living. In addition to scheduled performances, festivalgoers can participate in a music contest and a crowd-favorite costume contest, both offering prizes and a chance to celebrate creativity in true festival spirit.

Tickets are $10 per adult and are valid for both days of the festival. Admission is free for ages 17 and under. Tickets purchased prior to April 25 will be mailed, while those purchased after that date should be printed or saved digitally as proof of purchase.

More information and tickets are available at rareseeds.com.