Downtown alley activations & more ahead of Indiana Peony Festival

By KELLY McVEY
President, Indiana Peony Festival Inc.

We are 10 days out from a spectacular, peony-filled weekend! Whether you’re planning to attend our fifth annual festival or our brunch and retail crawl, there’s an activity for everyone next Saturday.

While we’re on the topic of activities, we wanted to share all the activations we’ll be offering in downtown Noblesville on May 17. Save this as your list of alleyways to visit.

North Alley

See one of our most popular alleyways featuring our beloved Indiana Mural. Andy Schomburg will play live music for all. We’ll offer tables and chairs for a break in your busy day. It’s the perfect spot to grab a DORA (Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area) drink at any participating locations and walk to the alley. Make sure to check out the show-stopping floral installation we’ll have featured at the entrance, too.

East Alley

Matteo’s will cover this alleyway and offering a special (alcoholic) Peony Spritz. Grab a glass of bubbly and watch Sean Moore perform while admiring the famous floral mural in the East Alley. We’ll have a beautiful floral installation and tables and chairs set up for resting between shopping.

South Alley

Bar Ellis plans to take over the South Alley and extend their restaurant hours on Festival Day. They will have peony drink specials, bar carts, and lots of peonies to adore. Tina Rose & The Locals will perform, so make sure to stop in.

9th Street Alley

9th Street Bistro opens its alleyway by offering a limited menu of their fresh brunch items. Kelli Yates will perform and peonies will be scattered throughout to transform the alley. This is a must-see in your day.

Maple Avenue Alley

Located on Maple Avenue between 9th and 10th streets, you’ll find our newest peony mural. This mural is a new addition to the downtown and we think it’s perfect for Noblesville’s storytelling. This alleyway will be a designated rest area filled with tables, chairs, and a place to recoup.

Courthouse Lawn

We’ll have numerous activities available on the courthouse lawn this year. Harmony Homes, a woman owned and operated design and build firm dedicated to creating homes that are as functional as they are beautiful, will be set up on the northeast side of the lawn to offer a photo booth next to a small bistro set with a styled floral display. This makes for a beautiful photo op for social media sharing. They’ll have a small DIY craft area where guests can create and decorate Polaroid photo frames using petals and florals. All furniture vignettes will feature furniture and decor for sale.

On the south side of the courthouse lawn, we’ve partnered with 46 & Spruce and Syndicate Sales to offer two live floral demonstrations. One class will be held at 11 a.m. and another at 1 p.m. These demonstrations will be led by Syndicate Sales’ lead floral designer and educator, Derek Woodruff.

Woodruff joined the floral industry at the age of 16 where he began learning floral design in vocational school and working for a local florist. Since then, he has continued to study through institutes such as Michigan State University, Great Lakes Floral Association, and the American Institute of Floral Designers. In 2008, he launched his own business, Floral Underground. He is a captivating speaker who specializes in “today’s consumer,” connecting and engaging them through different types of media including demonstrations, subscription services, and hands-on workshops.

In addition to being an educator, Woodruff is considered a “National Floral Design Champion” spending many years polishing the practice of live floral design competition which has won him numerous awards of note, including second runner-up on the televised reality show The Arrangement, the 2016 Sylvia Cup, and the 2024 Floriexpo Iron Designer.

Make sure to stop into all the alleys and the corners of the courthouse lawn to experience the beauty of festival weekend.

For even more information ahead of Festival Day, go to IndianaPeonyFestival.com.