About

The PEEPshow is the Carroll County Arts Council's largest fundraiser. The Arts Council is a 501c3 non-profit arts organization located in a renovated 1937 movie theatre in downtown Westminster, Maryland. Our Mission Statement is: The Carroll County Arts Council strengthens and enriches Carroll County, culturally and economically, by promoting the Arts, arts education, and diverse cultural expression. Through innovative programming, community collaboration, and active facilitation, we strive to integrate the arts into the everyday lives of the community.

To the best of our knowledge, the Carroll County Arts Council's PEEPshow is the oldest annual PEEPS® art exhibit in the world! We owe our inspiration to the Washington Post's diorama photo contest that debuted in 2007. Past Arts Council Executive Director, Sandy Oxx, entered the Post's first contest but did NOT win a prize. The experience inspired Sandy to envision all of the fantastic artistic possibilities of an exclusively PEEPS® themed art show. In 2008, the first PEEPS® art show opened at the Carroll Arts Center with just 60 entries, but it was a huge success and a sweet tradition began. This year, we're back at the former Sears/Spirit Halloween store location in the TownMall of Westminster (400 N Center Street in Westminster, MD) in the same space as 2025!

The PEEPshow has grown every year since and now features over 100 unique PEEPS® creations. Along the way, the event has gathered amazing media coverage, accolades, and attracted tens of thousands of people. Coverage of the PEEPshow has appeared on The NBC Nightly News, People Magazine, Time, Buzzfeed, Gizmodo, ESPN, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and even internationally. Entries from the PEEPshow have made their way to displays at the Just Born company headquarters, the American Visionary Arts Museum, the official Peeps & Co. store, and the PEEPSFEST New Year's Eve Celebration. We are continuously amazed by the marshmallow masterpieces that our artists submit.

PEEPS® and the PEEPS® chick and bunny shapes are trademarks of Just Born, Inc., Bethlehem, PA 18017. © 2026. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission by the Carroll County Arts Council.