Pure Magic: The Gathering of the Fairies

I liked building!

What did you build?

Fairy houses!

Bubbles, wands, and fairy-dust glittered the Somerville Community Growing Center last Saturday at our annual Gathering of the Fairies. Parents came with small children, or rather, small fairies, in droves. One parent noted, “It’s my daughter’s favorite day of the year!”

Fairies of all ages navigated their way through the magical mazes of the Growing Center and were greeted by fellow fairies who helped them make wands, build fairy houses, paint their faces, and send letters to their fairy friends.

Children laughed and played games of tag as they floated through the afternoon. Parents, grandparents, and family friends were not left out of the fun. They connected with friends and watched in awe as their children burst into laughter and smiles. From my spot at the table greeting fairies and directing them to the activities, I understood exactly what that parent meant when she said that today was her daughter’s favorite day of the year. It was all pure magic.

After hours of enchantment, families readied themselves to return to their normal lives, their hands filled with fairy dust. As we wished the fairies adieu, I asked them about their favorite parts of the day.

“My favorite part is blowing bubbles,” chimed Micah, and Allie exclaimed, “I liked making fairy houses!”

Sunanah’s favorite part was face painting, and the two little fairies in matching pink dresses said their favorite parts were face painting and books.

Unable to choose just one part, Emerald, with a big smile on her face, announced, “All the parts!”

The Gathering of the Fairies could not have been possible without our outstanding fairy volunteers - so thank you to our wand makers, letter-writers, hula-hoopers, fairy house construction managers, face-painters, story-readers, greeters, and clean-up crew. We generated over $400 in donations and welcomed more than 300 fairy guests including visitors who were brand-new to the Growing Center. We cannot wait til the next gathering! Until then, we have several events coming up for both adults and children including a Plein Air Drawing Class in Soft Pastel on September 24, Harvest Festival on October 1, and the Seasonal Salvage Sale & Makers’ Market on October 21 (if you have goods to donate click here).

See you soon!