Grafton Festival Attracts Visitors From Across The Northeast

The Nature Museum's Eighth Annual Fairy House Festival on September 24th and 25th was a warm, whimsical, and wondrous event. 1,200 visitors from across the Northeast came to Grafton to celebrate the magic of nature and revel in the spirit of fairies. Sunshine spilled over the autumn leaves as the smell of popcorn filled the air. Bubbles floated by as children, parents, and fairy-lovers built fairy houses in the gardens, made crafts, and enjoyed face painting. Thank you to everyone who came out to be a part of it! And a big thank you to all of our fairy house builders and festival volunteers for being the creative foundation which stirs nature's spirit in everyone who attends this event. It was exhilarating to see the excitement of the visitors as they connected with nature in ways that promise to outlast this festival.

The highlight of the weekend was the fairy trail itself; dedicated and imaginative volunteers built over forty unique and magical fairy houses for the tour, which lined a forest path through the Grafton woods. Visitors delighted in these minuscule hideaways, which included a fairy theater, an art museum, a school for wee folk, and a park for pixies. These volunteers' ingenuity and spirit are the soul of the Fairy House Festival. This annual event is an opportunity for people of all ages to interact directly with the Vermont landscape, expressing their creativity while fostering a deeper relationship with the natural world.

Pulling off this festive weekend, which delivers memorable, unplugged time outside for kids and adults, is no small feat, and we couldn't do it alone! We are incredibly grateful for the volunteer time and financial support of our extended community, which enables us to deliver this magical experience each year. The generosity of the 2016 community sponsors made this beloved Grafton tradition possible: Black River Produce, Blake Hill Preserves, Chris and Kat Meyer, Chroma Technology Corp., Cota & Cota, Delish Design, Drew's LLC, Durand Toyota, Finn & Stone Insurance, Flat Iron Exchange, Front to Back, Halladay's Flowers & Harvest Barn, Hughes Associates, Inc., Imerys Talc, Jill and Hans Bruning, Laurie & Will Danforth, Lily Pad Properties, Liza & Scott Sargent, Made to Move Pilates, Nancy and Steven Davis, Oak Meadow, Pat & Stan Mack, Pete's Stand, Salmon and Nostrand, Seventh Generation, Shona Grill, The Windham Foundation, TransCanada, and Westminster Auto Service.

The Nature Museum in Grafton, Vermont, is a regional resource for nature, science, and environmental education in the southern Vermont region. As a non-profit organization, we provide information and create experiences that engage and enlighten our audience of all ages and inspire stewardship of the natural world. The Nature Museum offers hands-on and historical natural history exhibits, nature programs for adults and children, plus field trips for schools and community groups. Information about other upcoming events can be found on The Nature Museum at Grafton's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/naturemuseumatgrafton) and on their website (www.nature-museum.org).

Photo Credit: Wayne LeFevre