Fairy Day at the Grapevine June 24

The air will sparkle with magic on June 24th, when The Grapevine will welcome all local fairies and gnomes to join in for Fairy Day, from 1-4 p.m. The event will feature The Storybook Sisters facepainting, from 1-3 p.m., as well as a visit from author and fairy-expert Liza Gardner Walsh (www.lizagardnerwalsh.com). Walsh, author of the Fairy House Handbook, Fairy Garden Handbook, Fairy Houses All Year and most recently, Fairy House Cooking, has also recently written the second of a four-part, seasonally-themed children’s picture book series (illustrated by Hazel Mitchell), entitled Do Fairies Bring the Spring? – a followup to Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows?
Gardner Walsh delved into the world of fairies when her two daughters were little. Her family had just moved to Camden, Maine, and her young daughters were delighted by the tradition of making fairy houses.
“My daughters were 2 and 5, and they were just captivated by making these houses for fairies. As a former children’s librarian and preschool teacher, to me, fairy houses and this period (in children) represent imagination and creativity, and it was a way to get my kids outside and do something that just kept them engaged.”
The author thought it was a great way to engage all kinds of families, so “one thing kind of led to another” in writing the books.
Her latest series of picture books is still in the works. The writer has just written the third book – about summer, and right now, her illustrator is working on it.
“For those books, what I love about working with children is just the endless questions they have. Working with fairies and anything that has a magical element, begs questioning. It’s the beginning of having a curious mind, and with fairies, who really knows (the answers)? It’s about playing with that idea and having fun with it, capturing this magical time in childhood.”
The author has also put together kits that accompany her books, such as fairy garden kits, fairy house kits, and her latest will be a potion making kit.
“I met Liza at a show, and we we just instantly clicked,” says Grapevine owner Diane Marrazzo. The day, she says, “is going to be really cute. We’re all going to dress up as fairies, and we want girls and boys to come dressed as fairies and gnomes.”
For updated information on the June 24th event, find the Grapevine, 21 Charles Street, Holliston, on Facebook.
You can find out more about Liza Gardner Walsh at lizagardnerwalsh.com.