Kids in the Community: The Seelie Court of Ann Arbor’s Faery Artists and Events

What have our fairy friends and their artists been up to during the pandemic? To brighten everyone’s spirits, I wanted to track down some fairy fun this spring for the young ones. Might we see more fairy doors pop up around Ann Arbor? Maybe you’ve seen glimmers of whimsical fun around Ann Arbor in the chalk drawings of the ephemeral and adorable characters dreamed up by Ann Arbor’s David Zinn. It’s almost time for the return of Shakespeare in the Arb, and we’re celebrating with a production of the fairy-packed fun of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Ann Arbor is one of the best places around to find events and artists who work on a fairy theme, but like the fae they can be hiding in plain sight. I went searching under every rock and leaf, even a few book jackets, to find you the best fairy-themed events, artists, and authors in Ann Arbor to find while we’re still in need of a little fun.

A Charming Faerie Baby

Oh, the last days of fall! Soon the flowers will be snuggling into their winter beds, the birds will fly south, and little faeries will begin to hibernate. In the spirit of these little environmental sprites, I’ve designed a cute little faerie baby reusing a plastic deli container (I’m sure you have some of those laying around since we’ve all been supporting our local restaurants delivery service through the pandemic). You can use the plastic bauble you make as a magnet, make a pin or a charm, or tie it to a lovely winter gift.

Using Crystals to Attract Faeries

Once upon a time, nearly every culture on every continent held some measure of belief in the existence of fairies. A life form described as small humanlike creatures that live in natural habitats, often invisible to human eyes. Early writings depict them as mischievous and even at times, malicious. Travelers often left offerings of food and drink for them in exchange for protection against the elements, wild animals, and other dangers that might befall on their journey. Legend has it that fairies especially appreciated milk, bread, cheese, sweets, and other prepared foods.