And then I thought of my online exercise classes, and I thought: "Wait a minute. Why couldn't we have an online Faerie Festival?"
I sent a Facebook message to two people I'm close to who I met at the May Day Fairie Festival at Spoutwood Farm. Basically, with my limited technology abilities, I just imagined a group page where we could all just post some photos of yesteryear. Just so we wouldn't feel totally alone on festival day.
You know, people know people who can work wonders with the Internet.
Within ten days a young Fairie Festival performer had created a whole virtual playground on Facebook, and on Sunday there was a full schedule of live performances! In ten days more than 1,000 people found their way to that page -- and the photos were shared in profusion! Then came the pre-recorded stories. Then the live interviews with the owners of Spoutwood Farm. More photos, more comments, love in abundance.
Even the dreaded Wotan the Fairy-Smasher sent a greeting from Washington State!
What a weekend! I put on my festival clothes and decorated my front door.
EXHIBIT A: FRONT DOOR
The weather was brilliant. I set my machine up on the front porch and went to a splendid place called Cyberwood.
EXHIBIT B: FESTIVAL CLOTHES, FESTIVAL FRIENDS
All my friends were there. And the one festival pal who doesn't have a Facebook page messaged me, and I was able to send him some of the content.
Festivals exist because people want to be in social groups with like-minded people. Many of us go through the world feeling like misfits ... until we find that sweet, sweet festival. Nobody ever said the festival has to be on a particular piece of ground on a particular weekend. It can be any time, in the safety of home.
All of this will make the reunion sweeter when we are able to gather again in the apparent world. For me this will not occur until I've held out my arm for a Covid vaccine.
The moral of this sermon is simple: If you are missing a yearly event because of the virus, find some bright young whippersnapper and make an online version of it!
6 comments:
Kudos to you for initiating that fabulous idea! I love your photos, especially the one of you with your little gnome friends!
what a happy post! you look so peaceful in your garden with the gnomes and with your friends on the web. I think we will come out of this with a new appreciation for technology.
I love this. I attended the online Otherworlds festival a few weekends ago and that really worked. Here's to hoping everyone sets up online conferences. The ones at our college campus are shot for the year (sigh) but I am hoping other things will line up.
Such a positive post! I love that you initiated something that turned out to be so big and welcoming and magic-affirming! Well done, you!
Also, love the pix!
And, agree 100% about waiting for a vaccine. Full Stop.
you are the coolest person I know..
What a Splendid Idea and I'm glad it took off, I'll have to now surf FB looking for Festivals to attend. The Granddaughter and I managed to squeeze in our last In-Person Renaissance Festival at the very beginning of the Pandemic and before it hit Arizona... whew... my Brother, who Covers Festivals for a Living as a Professional Photographer, was suitably Envious since Cali closed all theirs down earlier and he had to miss them all this Year. *Cue in the Violins* I'm Down for a Virtual Festival Marathon to Escape all the Negative Vibrations this damned Pandemic has wrought!
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