Perfect weather (and perhaps a little pent-up pining to head outdoors) conspired over the weekend to draw throngs of guests to the grounds of St. Bernard monastery for this year’s annual Bloomin’ Festival, marking what coordinator Joyce Nix calls one of the most successful iterations of the event in its nearly four-decade history.

“It was one of the most incredible weekends we’ve ever had,” a fatigued but upbeat Nix said Monday. “It was certainly one for history books. We just had fantastic weather on both days, and that really does bring people out.”

No formal attendance numbers were available on Monday, only one day after the weekend-long event concluded. But this year’s festival attracted big crowds, slowing eastbound traffic along U.S. Highway 278 at times to a near standstill, with the busiest hours finding vehicles at a bumper-to-bumper crawl as far back as Main Avenue in Cullman — a distance of nearly three miles from the St. Bernard campus.

“We haven’t had a chance yet to recap from the event, so I don’t know ho many people came through at this point, but it was a multitude,” said Nix.

“Our artists were delighted with the crowds, of course, but they were also delighted with our community. Cullman put its best foot forward to visitors this weekend, and everyone involved — from our sponsors, to our student and parent volunteers, to the local people who just came out and enjoyed the festival — they all gave our event tremendous support. We couldn’t be more pleased with how everything went — or more grateful to the community.”

Organizers already are eyeing the calendar for October, hoping that the momentum of this year’s huge Bloomin’ Festival turnout carries over to Bernard Blues & BBQ, the St. Bernard Prep School’s other big annual fundraising festival. “I’ve already got people signing up for Blues & BBQ and for next year’s Bloomin’ Festival; vendors who loved how things went over the weekend and want to go ahead and get on board,” said Nix.

A big part of the appeal, she added, comes from each festival’s focus on curating its lineup of arts and crafts vendors. “When you watch a man sit down and make a broom out of the very corn straw that he grew himself, or see our own local blacksmith, Allan Kress, hammering away on a piece of his work — that’s remarkably appealing for people. It’s something unique that you can’t find at a retail store or online, and I think that extends a really strong appeal.”

Made-to-order weather, of course, certainly helps, too. “Oh, there’s no question,” laughed Nix. “Weather makes all the difference. But none of it would have been possible without the terrific support of our community.”