Fairy Land, Massachusetts
"Elf Folk Frolic" by Kathryn Brown
On June 8, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst becomes a host of magic and whimsy for the whole family. A Fairy Garden Celebration is the theme of the Carle’s 8th Annual Children’s Book Festival, featuring a day of fairy-inspired artists and authors and activities.
The annual festival celebrates the work of children’s book artists, some of which reside in Hampshire County and the surrounding areas in Massachusetts. This year’s featured artists and authors have been inspired by the world of fantasy and the magic of fairy tales.
At The Fairy Garden Celebration, you can enjoy:
- Presentations, book signings and story times by featured authors and artists
- Building fairy houses in The Carle’s orchard
- Creating apple-head elfin puppets
- Learning how to draw a dragon
- Galapagos Puppets presenting “Badger Meets the Fairies”
- Fairy costume photo opportunities
- An original art sale
- Tasty treats from Northampton’s Foley’s Franks food truck
The festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and all presentations and activities are free with regular museum admission. The complete schedule is online at www.carlemuseum.org.
The theme this year pairs well with one of the Carle’s current exhibitions, A Garden of Ordinary Miracles, an alphabetical ode to nature by Robert R. Zakanitch. In this exhibition, the delights of nature’s everyday wonders come to life for both children and adults in detailed renderings of plants that correspond with each letter of the alphabet. A Garden of Ordinary Miracles is open through November 10, 2013.