Faerieworlds Summer Celebration

Faerieworlds 2012 will take place from July 27 to July 29. Drier weather than around the Summer Solstice is more likely, but not cast in stone. More details will be added as they are posted at Faerieworlds Summer Celebration.

Faerieworlds Summer Celebration 2011 is the tenth anniversary of this magical mystical event that celebrates the worlds of faerie and the human imagination. Kila is one of Ireland's premier Celtic and world music bands. They will be an incredibly energizing act and perfect for Faerieworlds. They'll be joined by favorites Delhi 2 Dublin, Woodland, Brother, Tricky Pixie and Adam Hurst, with more bands to be announced over the next few months. Be sure to check out my Celtic Music: Kila lens which features lots of videos of the band.

On March 22 it was announced that Solas, America's leading Irish band, will appear on stage on Sunday, June 19. Kila and Solas on the same weekend, now that's exciting. I'd already done a lens for Solas and it can be seen at Celtic Music: Solas. I've only seen Solas perform on their Reunion DVD, so it's going to be a real treat to see them in person.

Also appearing as a guest will be noted urban fantasy author Charles de Lint, who has brought the mythical world of Faerie into a contemporary setting in Newford, the North American city he created. Newford is peopled with memorable characters like pixie-sh artist Jilly Coppercorn, musician Geordie Riddell and his fantasy author brother Christy, and a host of others from the streets, lofts and pubs. Not all of de Lint's characters reside full-time in our world, aka "the World As It Is" - many travel between that world and others usually found in myths and dreams. de Lint was a guest at the very first Faerieworlds event in Prescott, Arizona in 2002.

Keep up with developments for the 2011 event at the Faerieworlds web site.

Start making your plans and your costumes now. See you in The Realm for a fantastical and magical time!

In 2010 the Village Stage was moved to the western end of the event field and renamed the Neverworlds Stage. Under the management of Matt Hawk, the stage had a pirate theme.

For 2011, Neverworlds has grown into much more than just a stage. From the Dream Tree on its eastern side to the Pirate Lagoon to the west, Neverworlds, with Matt Hawk's at the helm, has grown to include (the following section is from a Faerieworlds email):

- Neverworlds Forest Stage: The new official Neverworlds main stage featuring music, dance and theatre all day long
- The Pirate Land-Lagoon: Feast yer eyes on the magnificent 30 foot Pirate Ship
- The Dream Tree: Hang your wishes and desires on the dream tree and seek the faeries blessings
- Faerie Tea Party: Join us for tea and biscuits under the boughs each afternoon
- Gypsy Circle: See beautifully painted gypsy caravans
- Nymbol's Theater: Master puppeteer Bill Cass and his mischievous faerie friend, Nymbol entertain you
- Lost Boys Camp: A place of all sort of fun filled mischief

Faeries and friends, most in costume, gather for a weekend devoted to the worlds of imagination, music, dance, arts and crafts and just plain fun. It's a time of gossamer wings, goblin and wizard outfits, music that often compels dancing, and images, dolls and sculpture representing the worlds of the mythical and the fantastic. It's a fesitval of music, art and imagination, with echoes of Woodstock, and touches of the Oregon Country Fair (held in nearby Veneta in July).

Faerieworlds began in Arizona in 2002, founded by Emilio and Kelly Miller-Lopez of the band Woodland and Robert Gould, creator of the transmedia company Imaginosis. The festival, inspired by the work of renowned faerie artist Brian Froud, was held in Sedona and Prescott, Arizona, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California before moving to Oregon, where it was held at Horning's Hideout in North Plains west of Portland. From 2005 to 2008, the Faerieworlds Realm arose on the grounds of the Secret House Winery in Veneta, west of Eugene. Finally, in 2009, the Realm found its new home at Mount Pisgah where onsite camping brought the community of faeries and their friends together.

Faerieworlds is not only a delightful escape from reality, it's also a time for folks drawn by common interests in faeries, music, art and nature-centered spirituality to gather in a place that by their very gathering becomes a magical community. Vendors and attendees alike spend a lot of time preparing costumes and things to offer for sale (in the case of vendors), People from all over stay in touch throughout the year through online connections such as the Faerieworlds Facebook page and Faerieworlds onTribes.net, anticipating the gathering, the community and the good times.

Faerieworlds 2010 was the best yet according to Emilio Miller-Lopez. A permanently installed circle of standing stones serves as a focal point of the Faerieworlds realm and the opening ceremonies. The entire area was reconfigured from 2009 to a more compact site design that allowed for camping right next to the stages and vendor booths. Musicians came from all over the world, including Faun, Delhi 2 Dublin, Tricky Pixie, the Gypsy Nomads and Woodland. The Stone Circle has since been the site of a monthly Full Moon gathering for Faerieworlds friends.

About the photo: In exchange for a photo of another Faerieworlds participant, I asked him to take one of me as Gwydion the Wizard. Gwydion is under a curse from a witched wick, so whenever he tries to meak of spagic, it comes out in Spoonerisms. It makes it impossible to spast a kell.

Faerieworlds was started in the early 2000s in Arizona by Kelly and Emilio Miller-Lopez, founders of the band Woodland, and Robert Gould of Imaginosis. When the Miller-Lopezes moved to Eugene, Oregon, they brought Faerieworlds with them. The 2004 event was held at Horning's Hideout in North Plain, west of Portland. From 2005 to 2008 it was held at Secret House Winery in Veneta, west of Eugene. Faerieworlds 2008 was the largest one yet, with the Faerieworlds Events Newsletter released on August 14 citing attendance of 12,500, a 65% increase over Faerieworlds 2007. Faerieworlds 2009 was even significantly larger in its new location at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum southeast of Eugene. 2009 saw the introduction of onsite camping, and 2010 featured Inner Circle camping next to the main event area. Another addition was a permanent installation of Standing Stones, a circle of eight stones each representing one of the festivals of the Celtic calendar.

Music takes place on the Main Stage and the Village Stage (renamed the Neverworlds Stage in 2010), plus other locations for music workshops. Occasional jam sessions break out just about anywhere. In addition to Woodland, bands such as Faun, Estampie and Qntal from Germany, Kan'Nal, Trillian Green, The Wicker Men, Tricky Pixie, Delhi 2 Dublin and Solas have been featured. Individual artists have included Scott Huckabay, John Renbourn, Glen Falkenberg, Phil Boulding of Magical Strings, and harp guitarist John Doan. Once the sun sets, the focus is on musical performances and lightshows on the main stage. 2008 featured Woodland in an evening performance with a Brian Froud light show on Good Faeries Day, while Qntal, with another Froud light show, took the stage in the evening on Bad Faeries Day. 2009's and 2010's headlining band Faun, from Germany, was a definite hit with the folk of Faerieworlds.

In addition to musicians on stage, there are other entertainers: folks bounding about on Power Jumperz, jugglers, dance troupes, stilt-walkers, magic acts, hula hoopers, and storytellers. Mark Lewis, noted storyteller, shares emcee duties with actor Billy Scudder, who also roams about the grounds as the Green Man with the squeaky voice.

There is a large vendor village with over a hundred faerie-related vendors selling wings, pixie ears (not from pixies, they just make you look like one), faerie dolls, ornaments, sculptures, books by noted faerie and fantasy authors, vegetarian food even meat-eaters can love.

An essential part of the festivities is the people who attend in their magical costumes. Faerie wings are everywhere, of course, on young and old, female and male. There are usually a few satyrs and wizards, and more than a few guys in kilts. The photo at left shows Brian Froud's son Toby as a satyr on stilts.

The 2008 Faerieworlds featured fantasy artists Amy Brown and Jessica Galbreth. 2009 artists and authors include Amy Brown, J. Corsentino, Jen Delyth, Gris Grimly, Miss Mindy and Carolyn Turgeon . Featured artists in 2010 were Amy Brown and J. Corsentino.

In 2008 and 2009, Kyer Wiltshire and Byron Dazey were the official photographers. Galleries of their photos are available on the Faerieworlds website here. In addition, the Faerieworlds newsletter reports over 6000 images of Faerieworlds 2008 have been uploaded to Flickr. Mine are here.

Friday, July 30 to Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Faerieworlds Summer Celebration 2010 was the biggest and best ever. Once again it was held at the Mount Pisgah Arboretum in the Buford Recreation Park southeast of Eugene, Oregon. The main event field site was redesigned to include 300 Inner Circle camping sites on the eastern end, with more camping located within ten minutes' walking distance. (Here is a site map of the Faeriewords Summer Celebration main field.) A major addition is the permanent installation of the Stone Circle, eight standing stones representing each of the annual festivals on the ancient Celtic calendar.



Nine performers and bands were scheduled to make their Faerieworlds Summer Celebration premieres (names are also links to performers' websites):
- Mediaeval Baebes - Six talented, attractive women from England breathe renewed life into the rich texts of medieval songs and poetry. The Baebes use medieval instruments and modern scores for a unique sound. Unfortunately, complications with entering the United States prevented the Baebes from appearing.
- Stellamara - The music is rooted in Turkish, Arabic, Balkan, Medieval European and Persian musical traditions to celebrate love, beauty and unity. Stellamara is based in Maryland and appeared at FaerieCon 2009.
- The Gypsy Nomads - Samantha Stephenson and Scott Helland combine tribal, punk and mystical elements in a gypsy Celtic cabaret.
- Brother - Celtic tribal rock combines the didgeridoo and the Highland pipes, drums and guitars for a unique and incredibly lively sound.
- Telesma - Combining traditional and modern instruments, Telesma has created a unique sound that goes beyond the term "world fusion. Hailing from Maryland, the band appeared at Faeriecon 2009.
- Wendy Rule - Singer, songwriter and visionary from Australia - like the Mediaeval Baebes, Wendy ran into complications and was unable to attend Faerieworlds. Wendy is scheduled to appear at Faerieworlds 2011.
- David Helfand and the Majestic Ensemble - Original and traditional music on Celtic Harp, mandocello, guitar, keyboards and percussion from Oregon
- Taarka - Western and Eastern folk traditions of jazz, rock, bluegrass, old-time, gypsy, Indian, and Celtic from Colorado
- Caera Aislingeach - Celtic harper and singer from New England

Returning to the Faerieworlds Summer Celebration Main Stage were:
- Faun from Germany, 2009's hit headliners
- Woodland, the band formed by Emilio and Kelly Miller-Lopez, two of Faerieworld's founders
- Tricky Pixie - S.J. Tucker, Alexander James Adama and Betsy Tinney with Gypsy Celtic folk rock for naughty punk faeries
- Adam Hurst - Oregon cello virtuoso
- Delhi2Dublin - Music from India, Ireland and anywhere else that rocks. This group from Vancouver, BC was a hit at Faerieworlds 2009.

Faerieworlds 2009 will be remembered for at least two things: the new location at Mount Pisgah Arboretum in the Buford Recreation Area southeast of Eugene and the 90+ heat on Friday and Saturday (on Sunday it was still in the high 80s).

The new location, quickly arranged with Lane County Parks & Recreation, provided far more space for parking, which might have been a problem at Secret House Winery, the Faerieworlds home from 2005 to 2008. It also had more space for camping. The location is also much closer to I-5, making it handier for people driving long distances, plus it makes hotels and motels more accessible.

I arrived on Thursday to attend a storytelling workshop led by Mark Lewis, one of the emcees for Faerieworlds. It was a great experience, giving new insights in the use of facial and vocal expression, body language, gestures, and the need to "make it real." After setting up camp, I met with people I'd met online in the Circle of Merry Folk on Tribe.net.

Friday was Good Faeries Day with everyone turning out in their not-so-naughty, but in some cases still mischievous (we're talking the fae folk here, so there's always going to be mischief!) costumes.

The gates opened at 2 p.m. and the opening ceremony and spiral dance followed a performance on the main stage by The Wicker Men. The ceremony and spiral dance (which I photographed from the inside - a much better vantage point) was followed by main stage performances by Tricky Pixie, Gaia Consort (now known as the Bone Poets Orchestra), Beats Antique with bellydancer Zoe Jakes, Woodland with guests Louisa John-Krol from Melbourne, Australia and cellist Adam Hurst. The night ended with a special performance featuring fire dancing. Fire events were somewhat restricted due to the very dry weather of the Summer. There were also late afternoon/early evening performances on the village stage with Gypsy Moon and Ghillie Dhu.

Saturday was Bad Faeries Day. I spent the afternoon involved in another part of the park with a film crew shooting an independent movie called The Otherworld in which I played a wizard. I had a few lines which provided some comic relief as I got to speak in Spoonerisms (or spook in Speenerisms). Performances on the main stage were by Tricky Pixie, Adam Hurst, The Wicker Men, Delhi 2 Dublin, Louisa John-Krol (pictured at left), the US debut of Faun and a special performance featuring Mythmaker. The village stage had performances by The Milesians, Vixy & Tony, Sharon Knight and Man Overboard.

Sunday was Family Day. Kids 12 and under were admitted free (with weekend pass prices for kids reflecting that). Some folks had different costumes for this day, others may have worn what they wore Friday and some wore the same all three days. Again I spent a portion of the day with the film folks, although not nearly as long as Saturday. Filming involved use of a fog machine. I was concerned that the artificial fog might be mistaken for smoke, but no sirens or official visits resulted. The scene I was in along with others required no lines. We just moved about sort of like we were in a dream sequence. For my part, I imitated moves I'd seen the Mythmakers do in some of their performances. I did miss Glenn Falkenberg play his harp as the opening main stage act and most of John Doan's harp guitar set, but I did see the Gaia Consort, Faun, Woodland and the closing ceremonies.

Afternoon performances on the village stage were Che ok Ten, Krishna Rose and Man Overboard. I bought Tricky Pixie's new CD plus a couple of their posters and four postcards. All the artwork was by fellow COMF member Matt Hawk of Great Scot Productions and I like the art as much as the music. Following the closing at 9 p.m. the Circle of Merry Folk gathered at the COMFy Kitchen for the Stone Soup meal, in which people contributed various ingredients. Sam and Rosy made chili along with both vegetarian and omnivore soup. It was a great time to get to know some of the new friends a bit better.

On Monday I helped out some with breakdown by moving some chairs and stacking folding tables. The heat again really got to me, so I didn't do as much as I'd thought I would. I'd also arranged with Merlin Bear, one of my new COMFy friends to give him a ride back to Portland. I'd brought way too much stuff, but we somehow managed to cram his stuff and him into the car for the ride back.

Tricky Pixie is a trio that formed at Faerieworlds 2006. The group is made up of S. J. Tucker on guitar and vocals, Alexander James Adams on fiddle, mandolin and bodhran, and Betsy Tinney on cello and bodhran.

It was just my luck that I was only able to attend Faerieworlds 2008 on Saturday, but I found out from Alec's partner and manager Kore that they would do a jam session late that afternoon. I was there to listen, take pictures, and buy a copy of the CD.

Tricky Pixie performed once again at Faerieworlds 2009. The gig coincided with the August 1st release of their first studio album Mythcreants, which is available from their website.

For more about Tricky Pixie, check out the Faerie Music: Tricky Pixie lens.

Amy Brown

In the Faerieworlds Events Newsletter released August 14, 2008, Guest of Honor and faery artist Amy Brown is quoted as saying:

"It was an honor to be included in Faerieworlds this year. My family and I had so much fun (five year old Bella didn't want to go home and I sort of didn't either) and we can't wait to come back next year. After a few very stressful and emotionally draining years that had me seriously considering retiring from being a Faery artist, Faerieworlds was exactly what I needed to restore my passion for my work. Watching the sheer happiness and abandon of the crowds and seeing all of the beautiful unique items being sold by the vendors was inspirational. A little light bulb went off in my head 'AAhhhh...this is why I chose this life. Now I remember.' This is the type of life I want my girls to grow up with. I want them to know that there are other roads we can take. Faerieworlds helps us find those roads again and again."

J. Corsentino

Joseph Corsentino was born in Bogota, Columbia and adopted by an Italian-American family from Long Island. He has combined his love of photography, science fiction and fantasy into Time of the Faeries, in which faeries, angels and vampires, in a new mythology "between the stars and the streetlights" endure the chaos and tragedy of decaying modern cities.

Jen Delyth

Welsh artist Jen Delyth creates her Celtic art in a variety of media ranging from traditional egg tempura painting to computer illustration and multimedia presentations. She has published Celtic Folk Soul: Art, Myth & Symbol, a retrospective of 20 years of art and an interactive DVD, Beyond the Ninth Wave.

Gris Grimly

Grimly, an artist inspired by Poe, Gorey and Lovecraft, has created a number of macabre children's books that even adults can enjoy. His works for Baby Tattoo Books include Wicked Nursery Rhymes, Wicked Nursery Rhymes II, Little Jordan Ray's Muddy Spud, and Where Madness Reigns: The Art of Gris Grimly.

Miss Mindy

Miss Mindy is an accomplished fine artist, illustrator and product designer who brings her sense of silliness (something we can all use!) to her work. She has published a children's book and Miss Mindy's Sassy Paper Doll Bonanza from Baby Tattoo Books.

Carolyn Turgeon

Author of Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story, which looks at the aftermath of Lil's deception (she went to the ball in Cinderella's place and pays a price for it), will be at Faerieworlds for the first time along with Portland artists Lana Guerra and Jesse Reno.

Brian, Wendy and Toby Froud joined with other talented artists to present two days of Faerie Academy Workshops. There were eleven workshops presented during the two days before Faerieworlds itself. I participated in Mark Lewis' storytelling workshop on Thursday.

Wednesday workshops:

• Mask Making with Brian, Wendy & Toby Froud (3 hours)
• Enchanting Baby Fairies with Elizabeth Dye (8 hours)
• Fairy Wings with Sherry Morgan (2 hours)
• Breathing Life into Puppets with Toby, Wendy & Brian Froud (4 hours)
• Illuminated Fairy Mica Magic with Tamara Scott (4 hours)

Thursday workshops:

• Faerie Finery with Kate Clegg (3 hours)
• Object Alchemy with Bridget Wolfe & John Crawford (3 hours)
• Creating a Faerie Portrait with Wendy, Toby & Brian Froud (7 1/2 hours)
• Stroll with the Faye with Billy Scudder, the Greenman (1 1/2 hours)
• Fairy Wings with Sherry Morgan (2 hours)
• Make It Real! Storytelling with Mark Lewis (1 1/2 hours)

(Photo: Mark Lewis, storyteller, making it real)

The Faerieworlds people have always striven to present a "zero impact / soft footprint / eco-conscious" event. With the move to public land, this becomes even more important. The folks at Lane County Parks and Recreation were excited about Faerieworlds coming to Mount Pisgah, and the organizers hope the park will be the home of Faerieworlds for years to come. Learn more at Faerieworlds.com.

Each year, Faerieworlds has made a donation to educational and ecological organizations. For 2009, this donation was made to the Mount Pisgah Arboretum Friends of Buford Park.

The banner (from 2009) is a link to the main Faerieworlds website where you can also find information on three other Faerieworlds related events:

Faerieworlds Harvest - September 16-18, 2011 - "At Harvest, we gather the Faerieworlds community in a communal feast to enjoy the best of our local, food, wine, beer and of course, our extraordinary arts and crafts, within an intimate festival village atmosphere around the Standing Stones." (quoted from the Faerieworlds Harvest web page)
FaerieCon - held in Maryland November 4-6, 2011
Mythic Faire - an event combining Faerie, Renaissance, Pirate and Steampunk moves to Atlanta, March 29 to April 1, 2012
Faerieworlds on Facebook

A couple of Faerieworlds-related tribes on Tribe.net:
A Circle of Merry Folk - a group of folks who attend the Faerieworlds Summer and Winter celebrations and some who attend the events in Maryland
Faerieworlds - this tribe is maintained although much of the activity has shifted to Facebook

No faeries, pixies, elves, goblins or other creatures of the Realm of Faerie were harmed or even mildly inconvenienced in the creation of this lens.

Faeries Fiona and Rhiannon, along with Druff the Magic Pagan, kept watch as this lens was made. They were very attentive.