In the first week of March, the Paine Arts Center mansion in Oshkosh is annually filled with flower arrangements, bringing the freshness of blooming flowers right before the spring equinox.

The Paine Art Center and Gardens has been creating an immersive experience of spring inside the historic Paine mansion and conservatory for over 20 years now.

Starting March 5-8 and continuing March 12-15, visitors who have made reservations can come to the Paine Art Center and Gardens at 1410 Algoma Blvd., Oshkosh to experience the Rooms of Blooms event. Florals are replaced between the two dates and fresh installations are recreated, to create the beautiful blossoming effect people are looking forward to.

The main floral show is located in the Paine mansion.

“The mansion itself is designed to reflect different periods of time … each room reflects a different century and design elements,” Marketing Manager Noell Dickmann said. 

The first floor of the building holds the flower showcase and the second floor aims for a more lived-in, everyday life installations.

Coming in this year, a complementary “Dancing with Life: Mexican Masks” exhibition will be taking place in the main gallery. Floral designers will be presenting their floral arrangements, inspired by the masks. 

“I think it’ll be really cool to see what people come up with for the masks, because they’re so vibrant and 3D,” Dickmann said.

The mansion’s Great Hall, located on the first floor, holds six tablescapes with decorative floral elements and dinnerware. “Tablescapes are a huge hit … we call them show stoppers … the heights, the colors, the lighting in there is always really beautiful,” Dickmann said. 

Visitors can walk among these designs and help support the artists by voting for a People’s Choice Award. 

Rooms of Blooms is featuring a different sort of entertainment called Shop Hop, where participants can unlock a special keepsake by visiting three or more locations of the participating florists’ businesses. By doing so, there’s a chance to take home a bronze-level membership to the Paine. 

Continuing with the theme to support these engaged artists, guests can shop at a floral-inspired Vendor Marketplace, held in the Carriage House. Hand-crafted goods, original artwork and much more in the spirit of the blooming season, making it the perfect opportunity to go home with a reminder of what to look forward to. 

“Kind of like a little farmers market approach,” Dickmann said. 

To complete the feeling of walking through park gardens in the mild days of spring, the conservatory provides a moment to catch your breath and refresh your senses. 

“You get your tea, you get your little tea cakes and you can just sit among the blooms,” Dickmann said.

 The Paine’s curator of horticulture hosts “Tea Time,” offered in the mornings and afternoon, with a selection of teas with assorted treats. After hours, throughout Friday and Saturday, guests can indulge in a variety of vines and mini charcuterie boards at “Sip and Savor.” Tea Time, Sip and Savor and Vendor Marketplace have separate schedules, coordinated around the main floral exhibit.

Some florists have been with the Paine Art Center and Gardens since they started Rooms of Blooms, while others get approached by event organizers, coming from Oshkosh, Appleton, Green Bay and surrounding areas. Artists combine both florals and creative elements to showcase their abilities. Showcasing the range of their skills in themed tablescapes, tea party setups, flower arrangements and more, helps them get the recognition they deserve.

The Rooms of Blooms event is a curated presentation of spring, featuring all the best warm days provide, capturing everyone with blossoming fragrances and leaving out the insects. 

“Getting to see the artistry, the beauty, the smells … a splash of Spring-like life in the middle of winter … people love that part,” Dickmann said.

The experience is unforgettable and cannot be seen anywhere else, unless you wait for springtime.