Minnetrista Cultural Center celebrated an enchanting new take on an annual summertime event for faerie lovers of all ages and imaginations Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.
The event, "Faeries, Sprites and Lights 2006," offered a new twist on an old Minnetrista tradition of faerie celebration and exploration. While traditionally centered around children arriving dressed as faeries and dancing to entertain guests, this year's event focused on the faeries' legendary sighting in the gardens behind the center, Tanya Brock, lead interpreter for Minnetrista, said.
Brock said the faerie tradition began when, as a child, Elizabeth Ball spotted faeries while in the gardens behind her home, now part of Minnetrista's Oakhurst Gardens.
"We want to help children and people of any age come and explore the gardens and hopefully find the faeries Elizabeth once found," Brock said.
The event, which was sponsored by the Hotel Roberts, Indiana Public Radio and WMDH, featured a performance by Muncie Civic Theatre titled "The Faerie's Secret Name," which was an adaptation of the fairy tale, Rumplestiltskin.
Other highlights of the event included the Faerie Museum, which was in the Discovery Cabin and displayed a collection of artificial faerie artifacts from around the world. Visitors could also see the faerie store, which sold faerie dolls and human-sized faerie wings.
A variety of speakers were available to educate guests about faerie folklore and tradition.
Presenters such as Miss Luna, a faerie school teacher and Minnetrista interpreter, taught participants how to be a faerie and make faerie dust. Flora Fae, the fashion designer to the fairies, shared faerie world gossip and information on how to make faerie clothes out of plant material. Professor Trotter, the faerie spotter, told children stories about faerie sightings all over the world.
Minnetrista's gardens were lit by hundreds of luminaries and were sprinkled with faerie dust. Jennifer Peters, a Minnetrista interpreter also known as Gardener Kemper, was available to teach guests which flowers attracted faeries to gardens and how to make a faerie seed packet to take home.
"I love seeing the kids imagination come out," Peters said, "I love hearing how many people actually see faeries."
Also on display in the Oakhurst house was the art exhibition, "Art from the Faerie Garden," which featured works by Indiana artists who derive their creative inspiration from faeries, sprites, elves and other mystical creatures.
Ball State senior Julie Remijan said she attended the event in hopes of releasing her inner child.
"I like the ability to be a child," Remijan said, "I love to come and relive things I didn't have when I was little."
Brock said Minnetrista hoped the event would pull people in the Muncie community together for something different and fun.
"It provides people a chance to go on the other side and to sit in the faerie tree," Brock said, "And it also provides people with some history about this area."
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