St. Bernard’s idyllic campus will buzz with springtime activity once again this weekend. After canceling last year’s event because of COVID-19, the abbey’s annual Bloomin’ Festival arts & crafts fair is coming back with a packed lineup of unique artisans and vendors that organizers say may just be its best yet.

Now in its 37th year, the Bloomin’ Festival is the St. Bernard Prep School’s signature annual fundraiser, and a major regional draw for tourists and weekend trippers seeking an engaging way to get outdoors and mingle. This year’s festival kicks off at 9 a.m. Saturday, and runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. A voluntary $5 donation is the customary price of admission.

The juried arts event typically draws as many as 25,000 guests over its two-day span, with springtime weather often playing a wild card role in how attendance shakes out on each day. Forecasts for this weekend call for cool overcast conditions with highs in the mid-60s and only a small chance of rain, giving this year’s roster of craftspeople, musicians, food makers, and more a chance to shine.

Thanks to the ever-active mind of St. Bernard Prep marketing director Joyce Nix, this year’s event even has a new mascot — which you may’ve already spotted if you’ve seen anyone sporting around in an official 2021 Bloomin’ Festival T-shirt.

“He’s a little squirrel, and he’s eating a hot dog,” says Nix. “We even named him; his name’s ‘Rudy.’ He’s adorable! And he’s based on a real creature. He’s our little mascot on our T-shirts, and those have been selling like hotcakes.

“Every day I look out my window at work and see a little squirrel in this big old tree on our beautiful campus,” she said by phone Monday. “In fact, I’m looking at him right now! Our campus has so many squirrels, and I wanted something that was reflective of the area. Animals and food and kids always resonate with people, and I think we’ve found our winner this year.”

Nix and festival organizers set a high bar for the type of vendors who showcase at Bloomin’ Festival, favoring one-of-a-kind artists and makers who offer hand-made originals over more typical resellers. In addition to blacksmiths, jewelers, stained glass crafters, wood turners, quilters, long bow makers, and even a sword smith, this year’s event will also feature plenty of live music and (of course) all the Monk’s Bread, funnel cakes, chocolates, and other goodies you (or your kids) can eat.

Admission to the abbey’s Ave Maria Grotto will be halved for festival guests through the weekend, and as always, parking at the event is free. The Bloomin’ Festival does not allow pets, so leave your four-legged companions behind. You may not hear it, but Rudy and the other campus creatures will be up there in the trees, thanking you.