By Lindsay Doty
It’s a chance to gaze at mermaids, touch a unicorn and have tea with the inhabitants of the Fae of Norsey Woods.
The Central Indiana Enchanted Fairy Festival on May 18 at the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds & Conference Complex in Danville is a first-time event that caters to the whimsical.
“It’s a chance to fully immerse yourself into the fairy world. People will be able to see different fairy creatures and how they live,” explains Brownsburg resident and owner of Realm Events Management Rebecca Holloway or Odonata the Dragonfly Fairy. “Odonata loves purple and green and has large wings.”
Holloway is a theatre major from Ball State University.
Around 10 years ago, the artsy stay-at-home mom decided to take her daughter to a Renaissance Fair to showcase her crafty side. And something magical happened.
“My daughter just fell in love with the idea of a fairy,” she remembers. “She was too young at the time to be a brownie fairy, so in order for her to participate, I had to be a fairy.”
For us human folk, a brownie fairy is a species of the Fae that lives among humans in peace and helps with housework.
It worked out. Years later, mother and daughter (who performs as a water sprite named Aria) both enjoy life with wings.
Today, Holloway is part of the theatrical group called the Fae of Norsey Woods —the main attraction at the enchanted festival.
The event will include a family day with games, crafts, archery, unicorns, 50 vendors and local and regional performers. Costumes and pets are welcome. In the evening, there will be an ethereal ball for adults 21 and older.
The one-day festival is an extension of the Central Indiana Enchanted Fairy Trail –an ongoing journey of stops throughout Hendricks County where visitors can discover fairy habitats and try to spot a fairy.
Holloway started the trail last year and families (especially little girls) are starting to take notice.
The stops include local parks, gardens, businesses, and cafes.
“You can spot the fairy, do a craft, take a hike, engage in the community around you. I wanted to spotlight those things that are creative and whimsy,” Holloway said.
She hopes the trail will help visitors explore new businesses and organizations in their community.
“It’s about discovering what’s in your backyard and using fairy stories to take a break and see interesting things we live with every day,” Holloway added. There is such a connection with the world around us. The little things we don’t always see.”
