Attending a Fairy Festival with My Almost-Three-Year-Old: A Magical Adventure
Let’s get one thing straight—gender roles aren’t exactly a thing in the Benion house. Colors don’t belong to anyone, and my 7-year-old son would be truly perplexed if someone suggested that boys shouldn’t wear pink. (He’d probably point out that flamingos are pink, and they’re clearly cool birds.) 🌈
But, I’ll admit, being in a house full of boys and men, I had started to doubt whether I’d ever get to indulge in daydreams of girly adventures—like that iconic trip to the American Girl store in NYC where we sip overpriced tea and match outfits with our dolls. I had resigned myself to being a "boy mom" forever trying to avoid stepping on Lego mines, constantly dealing with bathroom seat situations and the other gross things that seem to come with raising boys. 🤦♀️ So, when I found out baby number four was a girl, I lost it. I literally jumped up and down and peed myself. On Facebook Live. Yes, forever memorialized for all to see.
When River was born, she was this tiny little pixie—4.9 pounds of fierce and fabulous. I nicknamed her my “fairy babe,” but let me tell you, she came into this world with equal parts fairy and dragon. Sweet one minute, fiery the next, truly glitter and grit.
Preparing for the Fairy Festival
Fast forward almost three years, and River has fully embraced her role as a magical, muddy person. River has blossomed into this amazingly cool little human. She’s equally at home playing in mud or sprinkling glitter—sometimes simultaneously. Imagine a Tonka truck being driven by a princess in the sparkliest, fanciest dress she owns. That’s River, and she pulls it off with style.
So, there I was, scrolling through my feed, when I stumbled across something called the Fairy Festival at Rosemary House. A whole festival devoted to fairies?! My inner 6-year-old squealed. I knew instantly: this was it. All my princess/fairy/glitter/unicorn/tea party dreams were about to come true. And, of course, River was going to be my perfect little sidekick for this magical day.
I frantically checked the dates, saw that it was in just a few days, and immediately started planning. Would there be flower crowns? Wings? Sprinkling pixie dust on strangers? It all sounded too good to be true. And River? She was all in.
The night before the festival, we found out there was going to be a trading post, where festival-goers could swap magical creations. River, of course, was determined to make something truly special. She lovingly selected tiny crystals from her collection (because, yes, this almost-three-year-old has a crystal collection) and created a wishing jar. She carefully added dried flowers, a sprinkle of glitter, and a few other magical ingredients from her "special stash" to make a wishing potion. I couldn’t help but be impressed—this girl is committed to her craft.
The Big Day: A Fairy Dream Come True
On the morning of the festival, River donned her best fairy attire—a twirlable explosion of pastel tulle and sparkles, glittery wings, a flower crown, and a wand to complete the look. She was ready to enchant the world. I half expected her to summon a unicorn. 🌸🧚♀️
When we arrived, it was like stepping into a fairy tale. Everywhere we looked there was magic, from the fairy gardens to the magical creatures to the oh so many bubbles. The first stop? The trading post, where River proudly traded her wishing jar for a fairy crafted necklace of the most magical shades of purple. She was beaming, and so was I. My little pixie was in her element.
Magical Face Paint, Fairy Hair, and Glitter Tattoos
After the trading post, we headed straight to the face-painting station, where River’s face was transformed into a glittery masterpiece. She looked like she’d stepped straight out of a fairy woodland. Next, we visited the fairy hair station, where River got sparkly hair tinsel threaded into her curls, adding just the right amount of magical shimmer. And, of course, she had to get a glitter tattoo—because what’s a fairy festival without some sparkly body art? Let’s just say, by this point, she was practically glowing.
Tea Parties and Tiaras
There were stations to add to our repertoire of magical accessories - for making crowns and magical jewelry and wands and we did it all, because can a girl ever have to many wands? What’s a fairy festival without a fairy tea party? Once appropriately bedecked, River and I took a break from the excitement to sit down at the most magical little table, complete with tiny teacups and dainty treats. River raised her pinky like a pro as she sipped lemonade from her miniature cup, and I tried to keep it together while my heart practically exploded. It was the perfect mix of sweet and surreal—River embracing her inner fairy queen, and me getting all the tea party dreams I’d hoped for. ☕👑
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The Mermaid and the Birds of Prey
As if things couldn’t get more magical, River spotted a mermaid lounging by a fountain. River stared in awe, completely mesmerized by her shimmering tail and, yes, more bubbles. They exchanged a few words (in what I can only assume was a secret mermaid language) before we moved on to the next magical encounter.
The highlight of the day came when we visited the area with live owls, a pied crow, and falcons. River was fascinated by the majestic birds, and to top it off, she actually got to hold a crow! She stood there, tiny hands gently cradling the bird, her eyes wide with amazement. It was like watching her step into a fairy tale for real.
Belly Dancers and More Fairy Fun
As if this fairy tale day needed any more magic, we stumbled upon a group of belly dancers performing in the center of the festival. Their colorful costumes and mesmerizing movements had the crowd entranced. River, of course, couldn’t resist joining in. She twirled and danced, glitter flying off her dress as she spun around in circles. I’m pretty sure she thought she was part of the performance—and, let’s be honest, she kind of was.
In Conclusion: A Perfectly Magical Day
By the time we left the festival, River was a walking glitter bomb, face painted like a fairy queen, with hair that sparkled in the sunlight. She had made new friends, held a crow, and shared a secret with a mermaid. Meanwhile, I was over the moon that my little fairy dragon had found a place where both her love for glitter and her wild spirit could thrive.
The Fairy Festival at Rosemary House was everything I had dreamed of and more. It was the perfect mix of magic and adventure. River got to twirl in fairy hair and glitter while holding a crow, and I got my fill of fairy tea parties. It was just the girl time we both needed before heading back to the land of boys, where glitter is replaced by mud—and there’s always, always pee on the toilet seat. 👑🧚♀️
Ready to have your own mother/daughter adventure? Our calendar is full of opportunities and the Pennsylvania Tea Festival at Rosemary House is just around the corner!
🫖Pennsylvania Tea Festival @ Rosemary Tea House (Mechanicsburg) (Teen pick)September 20, 2024
Or, you may wish to check our the Enchanted Fairy Festival taking place in nearby York PA
Enchanted Fairy Festival (York)September 21, 2024
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Disclaimer: While the ideas and the bulk of the brilliance are all mine, I confess that I enlisted the help of ChatGPT to polish things up. Why? Because AI is the friendliest grammarian I know—no red pen, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love for a well-placed comma. So if you find any rogue semicolons or unnaturally perfect phrasing, you can thank my digital editor for that.
