A Magical Day of Creativity, Community, and Fun at Fairy Fest – Believe 2019

Four years ago, shortly after launching the Life and Whim blog, we decided that it would be fun to host a community event in our hometown Traverse City, Michigan that blended several things that we’re passionate about: creativity, family, and the great outdoors. Because our daughters were obsessed (and still are) with fairies, we thought it would be fun to recruit people to build whimsical, tiny fairy houses made from all-natural materials, and place them on a hiking trail near our home. Our first event was great—over 200 people showed up, which was way beyond our expectations.

Four years later, Fairy Fest has evolved in big and magical ways. In early June, we hosted our fourth annual event, which preserved the core element—fairy houses—of our first event, but also incorporated live music, dancers, food trucks, face painting, and lots of other free, family friendly activities. And the community responded in an incredible fashion. More than 2,500 people turned out to celebrate the coming of summer and explore more than 50 artist built fairy houses on the trails near the Botanic Garden at Historic Barns Park in Traverse City.

We were, and still are, blown away by how Fairy Fest has grown and been embraced by people who traveled from all over Michigan, and beyond, to be part of the day’s festivities.

We would like to thank everyone who helped make the event extra special this year, especially those who spent time creating incredible fairy houses for kids (and kids at heart) to explore and discover on the trails.

We also want to thank the many people who visited our shop and purchased Life and Whim gear at the event—your support is what allows us to continue to plan and host free events like Fairy Fest throughout the year. If you missed the event but want to check out our newly released summertime collection of capes, bucket hats, t-shirts, and tote bags, all inspired by the majesty of northern Michigan, you can check it out here.