Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Reminder Assistant Editor LONGMEADOW There are some rules one needs to follow when building a fairy house. They need to look natural and be located close to ground. They should be built of only natural materials, but not of things that are currently living like moss or flowers. Beyond that, one's imagination can go wild. Longmeadow Parks and Recreation will be hosting its second annual Sprite and Fairy Festival on May 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. on the town green across from the Community House. Young children are asked to dress up, build houses for fairies that may be living in town and when they're done, will be invited to a Fairy Tea Party. What is a fairy house? It is a small structure made for a fairy to visit. Sticks, bark, dry grasses, pebbles, shells, feathers, seaweed, pine cones and nuts are just some of the natural materials used, according to www.fairyhouses.com, the Web site for the Fairy Houses book series from author Tracy Kane. "I was in Portsmouth, N.H., with my family the fall before last and attended a fairy home building festival they were having and I thought it'd be a big hit in Longmeadow," Kelly Zieba, Director of School Age Services with the Parks and Recreation Department, said. She explained how she got in touch with Kane's "people," who said Zieba could develop a fairy festival in her own style. Kane actually began writing the Fairy Houses books after seeing the festivals taking place. Kane has said, "There are several islands off the Maine coast where there is a tradition of building fairy houses out of pieces of nature. Ten years ago I visited Monhegan Island and saw my first fairy houses and it was there in Cathedral Woods where the inspiration for Fairy Houses originated." "This kind of thing has been going on for generations," Zieba told Reminder Publications. "And some people still believe fairies actually come to these houses." Zieba said about 100 young children came out to the festival last year and that she's expecting close to 200 this year. About 30 fairy houses were built last year and Zieba said, "Every house was so unique some were grand, some were secret hiding places." In addition to the construction part of the festival, a Fairy Tea Party will be hosted by Daisy Doos of East Longmeadow. There will be two sittings, from 2:30 to 3 p.m. and from 3:30 to 4 p.m. "The house building is more natural, but the tea will have more of a fairy tale feel to it, be more magical," Zieba explained. "Kelly actually came to me when we first opened and asked us to be a part of the festival," Samantha Macero of Daisy Doos said. "I thought it would be a perfect opportunity it goes with what we do. We came up with the tea party idea." Although actual tea won't be served, the girls will be enjoying fruit punch and mini cupcakes at the party. To register for the tea party, call Daisy Doos at 525-6429 or e-mail them at daisydoos@comcast.net. "We had a blast last year," Macero said, "and we hope for a great turnout this year. It's going to be a great day." Arts and crafts and face painting will be available under the magical tent that is decorated by the Longmeadow Gardeners as well. Daisy Doos will be hosting another coloring contest and temporary glitter tattoos may be a possibility for this year's visitors. Because this festival takes place parallel to Long Meddowe Days, Zieba sees it as a perfect opportunity for the youngest members of the community to get involved. "This really creates a sense of family and community for young children," she said. "There are not a lot of free events for the toddler group in the area, so this really promotes getting involved with the community and having fun with families." Although the festival is aimed toward the younger crowd, Zieba said last year, girls as old as sixth graders as well as parents and grandparents enjoyed the events just as much. The Sprite and Fairy Festival is free of charge and is partially sponsored by a grant from the Longmeadow Cultural Council. For more information, contact Zieba at 565-4163 or at kzieba@longmeadow.org. |
