Is There a Gnome Festival Happening Near You in 2019?

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As gnome enthusiasts, collectors, and artists, we often to think of our gnomes as homebodies. But there are actually a surprising number of events across the country (and around the world) that bring gnome fans together to share stories, make crafts, and be entertained. It often takes a some asking around town or some Googling, but I love searching for gnome-themed festivals and events close to home and in places I plan to travel to.

Some events are very well-established and draw in lots of people each year, such as the annual Festival of the Gnomes at Billie Limacher Bicentennial Park & Theatre in Joliet, Illinois. This gnome festival takes place in early December each year and is filled with live music, “gnomemade” crafts, red pointy hats, and even festive drinks. Of course, there’s the epic Australian Gnome Convention that celebrates Australia Day in the Blue Mountains at Glenbrook Park. This January event usually draw in around 8,000 visitors, has over 2,000 gnomes on display, and has everything from food to train rides and even dog demonstrations!

But there are also lots of smaller and more localized gnome festivals that take place at nearby parks, trails, and botanical gardens. For example, the Buffalo Botanical Gardens in Buffalo, New York hosts a Fairy and Gnome Festival in May that offers kids the opportunities to create their own miniature gnome garden or gnome house. The Oatland Island Wildlife Center in Savannah, Georgia offers an annual Fairy and Gnome Festival each May as well that encourages gnome costumes, crafts, face painting, and plenty of imaginative play for little ones.

Similar annual fairy and gnome festivals also take place in the spring at the AnnMarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center  in Dowell, Maryland, the Evergreen Children’s Center in Xenia, Ohio, and the Kimball Jenkins Estate in Concord New Hampshire.

Need some more ideas? Perhaps you can check out Gnome Fest in Townsend, Delaware, go on a Gnome Adventure Hike at Kroger Wetlands in Marietta, Ohio, attend the Seabrook’s Gnome & Fairy Festival in Washington State, or head over to the Fairy and Gnome Home Festival in Centerville, Utah.

As you can see, there are ways to embrace your love of gnomes all over the country! All of these local events are family-friendly and many accept volunteers. They’re also wonderful opportunities to get the little ones in your life interested in gnomes and to feel spirit of love, nature, and adventure that they represent. Is there a gnome festival happening near you this year? Please share details with us, and we hope to see you there!

St. Paul, Minnesota Has a Gnome Restaurant You Gotta Check Out!

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Now more than two years into my nomadic journey as a full-time RVer traveling around the country, I sometimes find myself missing the gnome collection that I’ve been growing since my teenage years. There aren’t a whole lot of places to decorate with gnomes when your home is 33 feet long by eight feet wide, so the bulk of my collection is locked up in a storage unit. I’m sure they’re doing okay, but I’ll admit that I worry about them from time to time.

Although I don’t have the pleasure of spending time with as many gnomes as I’d like to these days, I make up for that by visiting gnome-themed places around the country! My latest gnometastic adventure was to a restaurant called The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota. It’s easy to name a restaurant after gnomes because it’s clever, but this local spot really embraces its love of gnomes in the décor and overall theme.

The Happy Gnome has been in business for over 10 years and focuses on fresh and seasonal cuisine with local ingredients and a creative flair. The restaurant also has about 90 craft beers on tap, as well as a whiskey list with over 250 selections. I’m a pescatarian and my husband loves all-things-meat, but The Happy Gnome gave us the best of both worlds with an ahi tuna noodle bowl for me and a sirloin steak for him. Better yet, The Happy Gnome’s outdoor patio is dog-friendly, so our pup, Monkey, got to enjoy this gnome adventure right alongside us!

In addition to the delicious food, excellent selection of Belgian beer, and relaxing patio atmosphere, what I really loved about The Happy Gnome is how many gnomes call this restaurant home. Gnomes were everywhere you looked – from the menu to the glassware, the beer taps, in the windowsills, and sitting around the fireplace. My only complaint was that they didn’t have any merchandise available for sale, because I would have loved buying a souvenir from this awesome place.

So, if you ever find yourself in Minnesota, do yourself a favor and stop by The Happy Gnome. Your taste buds will thank you, and you’ll meet lots of little gnome friends to make your meal special. Unfortunately, the restaurant didn’t have any gnome friends that I could take along with me on my journey, but it made ME a happy gnome to be surrounded by such friendly faces.

Located in the Cathedral Hill Neighborhood at 498 Selby Avenue in St. Paul, The Happy Gnome is open on Sundays from 10am to midnight, Mondays through Thursdays from 11am to midnight, and Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 1am.

A New Gnome World Record! 755 “Gnomes” Gather in Atlanta!

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There are over 40,000 records in the Guinness World Records database, but few more relevant to this group of club members than the “largest gathering of people dressed as garden gnomes.” Since November 18, 2011, this coveted title has been held by a BBC Hereford & Worcester, which gathered 478 people dressed like gnomes in Worcester, UK to raise money for BBC Children in Need. In fact, our very own club member, Davy Turner, was part of that legendary day!

Well now, we have a new (pending) world record holder to congratulate in the U.S. city of Atlanta, Georgia! It took a full decade to get these gnomes’ numbers up, but a group called Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons organized its tenth attempt to break the record at the Inman Park Festival Parade on April 28. This is a wonderful local group that has been advocating for grown-up playtime since 1999, and its mission is to get everyone to come out and play because creative participation in civic events is a priceless contribution to the community. This year, Krewe of the Grateful Gluttons was able to bring together a whopping 755 people dressed as garden gnomes. In 2016, the group was only able to gather 260 gnomes, and in 2017 that number reached 315. So, this is definitely a big accomplishment for organizer Chantelle Rytter, her Krewe, and all gnomekind!

At the time this article was written, the group was still waiting for official confirmation from Guinness World Records to confirm that it is, in fact, the new world record holder. But regardless, this is still very exciting news for our growing community of gnome fans. Red hats filled the park, white beards were adorned by gnomes of all shapes and sizes, and the gnome pun signs were nothing short of hilarious. Although I moved away from Atlanta too soon to get to participate in this momentous day myself, I couldn’t be prouder of my old city!

So, with this record-breaking day in mind, you might be wondering what other gnome records exist in the world. Right? Well, our very own Ann Atkin still holds the Guinness World Record for the “largest collection of gnomes and pixies” (2,042), a record that was confirmed on March 25, 2011 at the four-acre Gnome Reserve in West Putford, Devon, UK. And the record for the “largest garden gnome” is held by Ron Hale of Nanoose, British Columbia in Canada. Standing at 25 feet, 11 inches tall, this gnome was built in 1998 for an amusement park that no longer exists, so it stands on the grounds of a petrol station today. Congratulations to our famous gnome friends in Atlanta and aspiring record-breakers all around the world!

A Visit to Hopping Gnome Brewing in Wichita, Kansas

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In our last issue of Gnome News, I highlighted some of the best gnome-themed restaurants and breweries around the country. Since that time, I’ve had the opportunity to visit one of these amazing places!

To visit family and friends for Christmas, I embarked on a cross-country road trip from Arizona to Georgia and Illinois with my husband and pup. A quick look at a map revealed that we would be traveling near Wichita, Kansas, which is the home of Hopping Gnome Brewing!

It was a clear and chilly Wednesday night when we rolled into town after driving for over eight hours. Hopping Gnome Brewery is located in the Douglas Design District of Wichita and got its start with a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago. I was a bit disappointed to learn that the owners, Torrey and Stacy Lattin, aren’t gnome collectors or as obsessed with gnomes as me. Instead, the inspiration for the brewery’s name came from a gnome giveaway from a Kansas City Royals All Star game. “How about Hopping Gnome? You know like hops, and gnomes are known for drinking?” Torrey asked his wife.

Regardless, this brewery really embraces its gnome theme and is completely decked out with gnome décor and gnome-inspired merchandise. The illuminated sign outside instantly welcomes all gnome lovers, and there’s a long row of gnomes waiting to meet you inside near the ceiling. Pages of Wil Huygen’s iconic book, Gnomes, are displayed at the bar, and gnome artwork adorns the walls.  Since it was the holiday season, there was also a Christmas tree decorated with gnomes.

All of the beer glasses feature the brewery’s gnome logo, which made the delicious brews taste even better. We ordered a flight of beers to sample each and every one. My two favorites were the Barrel Aged Coffee Stout and the Rollergirl RyePA.

The brewery doesn’t serve food (other than some tasty free popcorn), so we ordered a couple pizzas from Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria next door. I highly recommend the Mushroom Medley with sautéed cremini, white, and shiitake mushrooms!

I spent several hours at the Hopping Gnome, taking a million pictures and chatting with the staff about all things gnome-related. The brewery also has free Wi-Fi (the password is GnomeBeer1) and some fun card games and board games to play. To savor all these fond memories, I visited the brewery’s little merchandise section to stock up on gnome gear – a t-shirt and beanie hat that I wear pretty much every day now.

So, if you ever find yourself in Kansas, make sure to stop by the Hopping Gnome and say hello! The brewery is open Wednesdays through Sundays and is well worth the trip!

Gnome-Themed Breweries & Restaurants Worth Visiting in the U.S.

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As we continue to travel around the country we have noticed lots of businesses have begun adopting gnome themes. Obviously, this is awesome! Obviously, we are big craft beer fans, and we’re certainly not one to turn down a delicious meal!

So, here are the gnome-themed breweries and restaurants that we’ve come across so far. After all, there’s really nothing better than dining and drinking with your little red-hatted companions!

Hopping Gnome Brewing is based in the up-and-coming Douglas Design District of Wichita, Kansas. Using a 5 BBL brewing system, 8 fermenter vessels, and 2 Brite beer tanks, this brewery has many styles of beer on tap. It offers brewery tours each month and hosts lots of fun events throughout the week, including art shows, local food vendors, coloring book nights, and yoga classes.

There’s another gnome-themed brewery in the Sharpsburg area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania worth checking out. It’s called the Dancing Gnome, which specializes in hop-heavy styles of beer and often has food trucks onsite. Like Hopping Gnome, this brewery sells fun gnome-themed merchandise, including t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hats.

If you’re traveling through Fort Wayne, Indiana, make sure to stop by The Hoppy Gnome, a restaurant with a diverse menu and that serves locally brewed beer from the GnomeTown Brewing Co. Their fun logo is a gnome hat over a hop bud, and there’s even a kids’ food menu so you can bring your little ones along for a gnomish adventure.

The Happy Gnome in St. Paul, Minnesota describes its experience as a craft beer exploration and culinary adventure. There are 89 beer taps with different breweries featured every month, and the chef creates fresh and delicious fare for lunch, happy hour, dinner, dessert, and Sunday brunch. Another exciting destination for gnome lovers is Denver, Colorado, where The Grateful Gnome Sandwich Shoppe & Brewery is located.

Not into beer? No worries! There are some great gnome-themed restaurants around the country for you to enjoy.

For example, the Gnome Café serves healthy vegan cuisine downtown Charleston, South Carolina. Platypus and Gnome, located in Wilmington, North Carolina, is also vegan/vegetarian-friendly but serves American favorites like burgers too.

Have you discovered a gnome-themed restaurant or bar that didn’t make our list? Share with us in the comment section below so we can stop in next time we’re in town!