In many cultures May 1st signifies a time to celebrate spring. This celebration is often referred to as May Day. Historically, many holidays have been celebrated at the beginning of May, including the Celtic holiday Beltaine, the Germanic holiday Walpurgisnact, Indian and Egyptian fertility festivals, and a Roman festival that celebrated the goddess of fertility (May Day: A Cornucopia of Holidays). Many of the elements from these various celebrations comprise the current May Day festivals celebrated in the United States today.
History of the Fairie Festival
The May Day Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm in Glen Rock, PA will celebrate its 16th year on May 4th, 5th, and 6th, 2007. Traditionally held on the first weekend in May each year, the Fairie Festival is a grand celebration of the beginning of spring. Each year the Fairie Festival is attended by people from across the United States.
The Fairie Festival originated as a relatively small gathering, counting approximately 100 attendees the first year. The festival has grown considerably since then. In 2006, the festival hosted over 12,000 guests. A fee is charged for entrance to the festival, but the fee will be refunded to those who volunteer for a 2-hour job assignment during the festival. Proceeds from the Fairie Festival benefit Spoutwood Farm, which is “an organic farm in the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement” (Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm).
The Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm
The annual Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm boasts fun and entertainment for all. Arts and crafts vendors are plenty, offering items from jewelry, books, handcrafted fairy wings, clothing, and organic skin care products. In addition, several services are offered throughout the festival. Services include face painting for children and adults, temporary henna tattooing, seated massage, intuitive readings, and “Fairie” photography.
There is no need to worry that hunger will get in the way of enjoying the festival. Food vendors are plenty and offer reasonable prices for a variety of fare. Past festivals included food vendors offering hamburgers, fries, Mexican dishes, meat and vegetarian friendly wraps, pasta, gourmet coffee, fruit smoothies, hempzels (hemp pretzels) and vegan fare. This is only a sampling of the wide variety of food available at the Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm.
Entertainment plays a big part at the Fairie Festival. Several stages are set up around the farm and performances can be enjoyed throughout all three days. Musical entertainment often ranges from drumming to Scottish bands to solo performances. In addition, the festival offers strolling performers throughout the celebration, including bagpipers, string performers, windpipers, and singers. Storytellers also provide entertainment as they weave their tales through the festival.
The Fairie Festival provides enjoyment for both children and adults. The Maypole dance is a favorite of many. The many colored bright ribbons hang from the pole, awaiting the dance that will wrap them around neatly. However, it rarely happens neatly. But this is part of the fun, either watching the children and adults get wrapped haphazardly in the ribbons, or becoming wrapped in them while you take part. The Maypole dance always culminates in laughter and applause from all.
Another part of the festival that is a particular favorite of the children is the Nature Place. This is an area designed to both entertain and educate. The Nature Place offers educational material on animal rescue, environmental issues, and sustainable energy, to name a few. In addition, the Nature Place offers pony rides and the chance to meet real alpacas and llamas.
Spoutwood Farm Fairie Festival attendees enjoy getting into the spirit of the festival. Many people dress in costume, ranging from faeries to gnomes and even the “moss man” who is present almost every year. But the costume fun is not reserved for humans, because a “fairy cat” or “fairy dog” is often seen. Yes, this means that the Fairie Festival is pet friendly. Just be sure to check the website or contact the organizers to get the rules before bringing your four-legged friend.
Conclusion
The Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm is a wonderful event; full of fun, entertainment, and celebration. Spoutwood Farm, and the Fairie Festival, offer “a place for environmental, health, animal interest and other groups to share their vision, woodland gnome and elf tours, fairie tea parties, guest appearances by the Green Man, Shadow Fairie, and others” (Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm). The festival is the perfect chance to celebrate spring and get lost in the magic of it all.
References
“May Day: A Cornucopia of Holidays”. Infoplease website. URL: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mayday.html
“Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm”. URL: http://www.fairiefestival.net/
