Page 84 - South Mississippi Living - October, 2026

Blue MoonOnce
in a
The Blue Moon Art Project
story by Cherie Ward photos by Fred Salinas
For Ginger Woechan, “Once in a Blue Moon”
turned out to be a fitting title.
The Ocean Springs artist captured top honors
in the 2025 Blue Moon Art Project, an annual
statewide competition held in conjunction
with the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival
presented by Blue Moon.
A committee selected Woechan’s winning
work from entries submitted by Mississippi
artists. Along with the honor came a $2,000
prize—and something considerably harder to
2025 WINNER Ginger Woechan
hang on a wall.
Her artwork became the face of Blue Moon’s 2026 Peter Anderson Festival promotions.
Festivalgoers can expect to see “Once in a Blue Moon” throughout this year’s celebration,
including on signage, souvenir cups and other Blue Moon promotional materials.
Woechan wasn’t the only artist to leave last year’s festival a winner.
Festivalgoers selected Gulfport artist Adam Plitt’s “Moon Beach” for the 2025 People’s Choice
Award after viewing and voting on the finalists displayed during festival weekend.
The two awards are part of a partnership among Blue Moon Brewing Company, F.E.B.
Distributing, and the Ocean Springs Chamber–Main Street–Tourism Bureau designed to
spotlight Mississippi artists while adding another layer of creativity to an event already
known for it.
And this year, another artist will get a turn.
The Blue Moon Art Project returns as the Peter Anderson Arts & Crafts Festival takes over
downtown Ocean Springs November 7 and 8.
Finalists will be displayed outside the Ocean Springs Visitor Center during festival weekend,
where visitors can see the artwork up close and cast a vote for their favorite. The grand-prize
winner receives $2,000 and becomes the featured Blue Moon artist for the following year’s
festival, while festivalgoers choose the People’s Choice winner.
It’s one contest inside a much larger celebration of creativity.
More than 400 artists, crafters and food vendors are expected to fill downtown for the 48th
annual festival, joined by live music, demonstrations and other activities throughout the
weekend.
And somewhere among this year’s Blue Moon finalists may be the artwork everyone will be
looking at next year.
Sometimes you just have to catch it once in a Blue Moon.
84 | October 2026 Blue Moon
Brighten Your Pint
Interactive Exhibit
Thanks to Blue Moon, festivalgoers can
unleash their inner artist at the always-
popular Blue Moon Activation Station
located in the heart of Government
Street in downtown Ocean Springs.
The interactive Brighten Your Pint
experience invites attendees to design
and decorate their own pint glass to
take home, creating a keepsake that
blends art with the festival’s laid-back
spirit. With brushes and paints in
hand, participants can let inspiration
flow while enjoying live music and
the vibrant festival atmosphere. It’s
an activity that draws both seasoned
creatives and those simply looking to
try something new.
Brighten Your Pint has quickly become
one of the festival’s most beloved
attractions. Last year, thousands joined
in, proof that the event hits the sweet
spot between creativity and community.
For many, the hand-painted glass
becomes more than a souvenir—it’s a
memory of the weekend, a personal
piece of art tied to the Gulf Coast’s
largest celebration of creativity.
So, grab a brush, raise a glass, and let
your imagination run wild. This year’s
Brighten Your Pint experience is more
than an activity—it’s a reminder that art
is meant to be shared, celebrated, and
lived. And what better way to do that
than with friends, music, and a cold
Blue Moon in hand?
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