Tommy Helmer will make his solo Carbon County Plantfest debut when the event returns for its fifth year May 24 at Lehighton Borough Park, located on Oak Grove Drive.

The Lehighton musician, who in May 2024 played on the main stage with his band Doktor Thomas Doubter & The Endogenous Psychedelics, will perform from noon to 2 p.m. in the lower park. A surprise performance will follow Helmer at the same spot in the park.

Plantfest, held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., also includes performances by returning Lehigh Valley bands Hatter and Geode. In addition, Montgomery County band Stateside and Lebanon singer-songwriter Alex Stanilla, with The PiSeas, will make their Plantfest debut.

Facebook group Carbon County Plant People first held Plantfest in 2021. The event features 40-plus artist, crafter, food and plant vendors, plus a free plant swap and live music.

Born and raised in Lehighton, Helmer danced to music as a child and grew up watching “Soul Train” with his mom. He also watched MTV in the 1990s.

“I always listened to music and wanted to do what they did, make some good noise,” Helmer said. “Especially Ween, Primus, Keller Williams, Pink Floyd, The Residents, etc.”

While in middle and high school, Helmer wrote rap music. He soon decided “I wanted to learn music, and started saving for keyboards and guitars. Today, my sound is more neo-psychedelic prog rock/folk, funk, bluegrass, punk, reggae, experimental noise, jazz.”

Helmer plays guitar, bass, synthesizer, mandolin, hand drums and slide whistle, and does vocals such as beatboxing and whistling, while using loop pedals to live record each instrument for particular songs.

The musician, who played his first paid gig in April 2022 at ShawneeCraft Brewing Company in Shawnee-on-Delaware, has about two albums worth of original songs. Helmer plans to record solo and band albums, with plans to release different versions of the songs.

“ ‘Naturally’ is an acoustic prog rock song I mainly do solo. ‘Must Be Cheese’ is mainly a band song; with the jazz and noise, it requires a full band. But then there’s songs like ‘Crowley,’ ‘Longing’ and ‘All Good Things,’ which I do both band and solo versions.”

Thus far, Helmer only has recorded unreleased demos. “I’m pushing to get my debut out around October,” he said, “along with some music videos I have planned.”

Helmer, who also performs covers, tries try to play “some known music to keep people engaged.” However, “more so I like the obscure and underground, and try to change unfamiliar songs into something people like, but more so make it my own and what I like.”

As for Plantfest, “we don’t have anything like this in Lehighton,” Helmer said. “This town used to have big fairs and busy streets. Things like Plantfest bring life back to Lehighton.”

Helmer wants Plantfest attendees to see “we can make something bigger than ourselves, bring some life and attraction to town. Maybe help realize that if someone else has an idea like this, with the proper networking and focus, it can bring more attractions.

“That’s what I hope people take from this event,” he said. “And some plants, too.”

Plant community

Amy Wood, Plantfest coordinator, created Carbon County Plant People during the pandemic after her favorite plant store closed. The Lehighton resident unknowingly created a community “around my need for plants. Our growth has been organic over the years.”

The group, currently boasting 4,000-plus members, held its first plant swap in August 2020. In February 2021, Wood officially changed the event to Plantfest.

With the first Plantfest going surprisingly well, “we had set the foundation for the next five years,” said Wood, who works with a team of volunteers to plan and prepare for Plantfest.

Plantfest, held twice in both 2023 and 2024, has retreated back to one event this year for a few reasons, Wood said. Aside from economics and less group passion for a fall Plantfest, Wood wanted to give herself more time to focus on growing her new business venture.

“While working Plantfest through the years, I ended up working in local flower shops,” she said. “I knew I always wanted to work with plants, but adding floral design to my skill set has always been exciting for me. It’s taking art and plants and bringing it all together.”

Wood, Pocono Florist co-owner/lead designer, hopes to open her storefront on Blakeslee Boulevard, Lehighton, in mid-June. She and co-owner Kelsey Adair plan to offer common and uncommon plants, plus daily deliveries and services for weddings, funerals and events.

The shop will also include a few artists’/crafters’ work, starting with Dusty Sage Arts, who, Wood said, “created our original logo and I’ve worked with over the years for Plantfest.”

In the meantime, Wood hopes Plantfest attendees’ festival experience sticks with them.

“Plantfest is plant-focused, but there is so much more,” she said. “The event is organic and DIY. All the vendors and musicians are creative. There are a lot of connections and cool things to find.”