Fairie Festival
Encyclopedia
The Fairie Festival is a music and arts festival currently held annually in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
, that began in 1991. The festival's primary theme is "celebrate the beginning of spring and all of the faerie
and nature spirits return to the warm world".
The May Day Fairie Festival is the brainchild of Rob and Lucy Wood, owners of Spoutwood Farm, an organic farm in the Community Supported Agriculture movement. It began as a tea party for about 100 friends and their children, and attendance has grown to over 16,000 “friends” annually. Previously a one-day festival, a second day was added in 1997; a third, in 1999. The festival features artists and authors from around the world, local and international musicians and crafters whose work is connected to or inspired by folklore
, specifically faerie
lore.
and nature spirits. It has been held on the grounds of Spoutwood Farm Center since 1991.
The festival expects, each year, performances by musicians and dancers, storytellers, participatory maypole dancing, fairie craft activities such as wand and garland making. It provides 70 juried arts and crafts vendors (featuring handmade art inspired by the faerie
), and food vendors. The Nature Place offers a place for environmental, health, animal interest and other groups to share their vision; fairie and gnome habitat tours are to be expected, along with fairie tea parties, and guest appearances by Sweet Pea, the Mossmen, and the Green Man. Alongside the traditional May Day
crowning of the May Queen
may be seen the crowning of the May King, Prince, and Princess.
The 2011 festival is scheduled to take place on April 29 to May 1 at Spoutwood Farm Center in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, York County on 26 acres of land.
vendors. In 2000, the Fairie Festival instituted a "Zero Waste" policy, requiring all vendors to haul out their own trash, and all food vendors to provide compostable materials to their customers. The compostable materials are added to a special compost pile located at the entrance to the CSA, and is part of the educational programs offered to attendees. In 2010, after a three day event attended by over 17,000 people, a total of 23 plastic bags worth of non-recyclables and non-compostables were collected and disposed of by Waste Management of York County.
Attendance is international, with vendors and attendees coming from England, Australia and Japan.
The Fairie Festival was the subject of a 2010 documentary
entitled "Glen Rock Fae: The Spoutwood Fairie Festival".
Glen Rock, Pennsylvania
Glen Rock is a borough in York County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,025 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glen Rock is located at ....
, that began in 1991. The festival's primary theme is "celebrate the beginning of spring and all of the faerie
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
and nature spirits return to the warm world".
The May Day Fairie Festival is the brainchild of Rob and Lucy Wood, owners of Spoutwood Farm, an organic farm in the Community Supported Agriculture movement. It began as a tea party for about 100 friends and their children, and attendance has grown to over 16,000 “friends” annually. Previously a one-day festival, a second day was added in 1997; a third, in 1999. The festival features artists and authors from around the world, local and international musicians and crafters whose work is connected to or inspired by folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
, specifically faerie
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
lore.
Events
The May Day Fairie Festival, now in its 20th year, was the first festival in the United States devoted solely to faerieFairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
and nature spirits. It has been held on the grounds of Spoutwood Farm Center since 1991.
The festival expects, each year, performances by musicians and dancers, storytellers, participatory maypole dancing, fairie craft activities such as wand and garland making. It provides 70 juried arts and crafts vendors (featuring handmade art inspired by the faerie
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
), and food vendors. The Nature Place offers a place for environmental, health, animal interest and other groups to share their vision; fairie and gnome habitat tours are to be expected, along with fairie tea parties, and guest appearances by Sweet Pea, the Mossmen, and the Green Man. Alongside the traditional May Day
May Day
May Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
crowning of the May Queen
May Queen
The May Queen or Queen of May is a term which has two distinct but related meanings, as a mythical figure and as a holiday personification.-Festivals:...
may be seen the crowning of the May King, Prince, and Princess.
The 2011 festival is scheduled to take place on April 29 to May 1 at Spoutwood Farm Center in Glen Rock, Pennsylvania, York County on 26 acres of land.
Impact
Each year, the Fairie Festival benefits the Spoutwood Farm Center CSA, which in turn provides organically produced food to over 150 families in the community. The Fairie Festival maintains an example of ecologically sound entertainment in the fantasy genre; it utilizes recycled printed materials, compostable foodware, and features a food court of diverse food vendors, including organic and vegetarian foodVegetarian cuisine
Vegetarian cuisine refers to food that meets vegetarian standards by not including meat and animal tissue products. For lacto-ovo vegetarianism , eggs and dairy products such as milk and cheese are permitted...
vendors. In 2000, the Fairie Festival instituted a "Zero Waste" policy, requiring all vendors to haul out their own trash, and all food vendors to provide compostable materials to their customers. The compostable materials are added to a special compost pile located at the entrance to the CSA, and is part of the educational programs offered to attendees. In 2010, after a three day event attended by over 17,000 people, a total of 23 plastic bags worth of non-recyclables and non-compostables were collected and disposed of by Waste Management of York County.
Attendance is international, with vendors and attendees coming from England, Australia and Japan.
The Fairie Festival was the subject of a 2010 documentary
Documentary
A documentary is a creative work of non-fiction, including:* Documentary film, including television* Radio documentary* Documentary photographyRelated terms include:...
entitled "Glen Rock Fae: The Spoutwood Fairie Festival".
See also
- Fairy Investigation SocietyFairy Investigation SocietyThe Fairy Investigation Society was founded in Britain in 1927 by a Sir Quentin Craufurd, MBE, to collect information on fairy sightings. In 1983, a headquarters for the society was located in Blackrock, Dublin, Ireland.-History:...
- Glen Rock Carolers
- List of fairy and sprite characters
- May DayMay DayMay Day on May 1 is an ancient northern hemisphere spring festival and usually a public holiday; it is also a traditional spring holiday in many cultures....
- The Fairy witch trials of Sicily
External links
- National Public Radio audio commentary on the 2001 Fairie Festival, by Marion Winik. NPR article, with link to audio file
- Official Fairie Festival website
- Official Spoutwood Farm Center website
- "Glen Rock Fae: The Spoutwood Fairie Festival (2010)" on IMDB