This past Saturday, Sept. 19, was Dahlem's 4th Annual Faerie Fest and Dragon Day. Weatherwise, things got off to a shakey start, but as the day progressed, the sun came out and it turned out to be a pretty nice day. Over 200 visitors came out to build dwellings for the homeless faeries and dragons of Dahlem!
This fun, family-friendly event builds on the natural connection between nature and imagination. It's an ideal way to get children of all ages reconnected to nature in a fun and non-threatening way. How? By using all natural objects, from pine cones to old bones, to build homes for denizens of the invisible realm.
An event of this scope is not possible without the generous donation of time by many volunteers. Some came as costumed characters:
Holly, the Sorceress
Gypsy with her furry friend
The Rain Fairy
Angus Folksinger, storyteller and minstrel
The Fortune Teller
One of the books for sale was written about characters who
were here at last year's Faerie Fest!
Potion-making is usually a big hit, and this year was no exception! Hope there are too many new toads out there!
But the main event was building homes, and we had builders of all ages come out to create.
This little boy, apparently, didn't really want to be here, and he resisted for a while, but then he saw some of the bones at the Fairy House Depot, and soon he was as enthralled as his sisters.
I love his creation (below).
Business was booming at the Fairy House Depot. We never know from year to year what the big seller will be, but this year the turkey feathers proved to be very popular.
Getting things placed just right can be a multi-person endeavor.
These boys were very proud of their house.
I love it when visitors come to this event in costume. This little boy was a dragon, and he really liked that large pine cone.
Our Fortune Teller was kept quite busy. She did tarot cards and palm reading...and at the end of the day she still had a line of customers waiting for their turn!
This was one of my favorite creations. The skull has a beard of leaves, so it was called the Bearded Dragon. I loved the backbone bridge down at the water's edge, and under the winged shell was a cage for the dragon's pet cicada.
Family in full concentration:
This year instead of the Dragon Egg Hunt, we did a Magic Fairy Ring craft, making "viewers" from large washers and beads on a string, and using them to see what we could find of the Magical Realms.
We watched bumblebees, discovered dogwood sawfly larvae, watched a slug, and even found a few amphibians, like the toad the girl below is holding. (She is the frog whisperer.)
Ultimately, though, it was all about the building of homes, and we had some stupendous dwellings created. As always, the event wraps up with the Grand Tour of Homes. Here is a sample:
And then there were the Rogue Builders who left this treasure along the Nature for All Trail.
Be sure to stop by Dahlem to see all the wonderful homes built by local imaginations before they disappear!
Many thanks to EVERYONE who made this event possible this year!
