Faeries, Sprites and Lights at Minnetrista is a faerie wonderland!

On a Friday night in July, I will step through a magical door and onto the brick paths of Oakhurst Gardens at Minnetrista. There will be luminaries lighting my path. I will be holding hands with my tiny daughters, dressed in faeirie wings and glitter paint. Folk music will fill the gardens, along with laughter, bubbles and LOTS of children in costumes! Faeries, Sprites & Lights at Minnetrista in Muncie is an annual celebration of summer, imagination and mythical creatures. And it’s the perfect family night or romantic date night.

Three little faeries waiting at the gate

The event has a long history, dating back to Elisabeth Ball of the Muncie Ball Family. As a child, Elisabeth lived at Oakhurst and the gardens were her playground. She had a vivid imagination and believed with all her heart that faeries were real. This year marks the 16th mid-summer celebration of Faeries, Sprites, and Lights honoring Elisabeth Ball and her faerie friends at Oakhurst Gardens.

I’ve been attending Faeries, Sprites & Lights with my daughters for five years.  (Full disclosure: I also work at Minnetrista, but I’ve been enjoying the event long before I worked there). Each year the festival gets better. One of my favorite parts of the event is the Faerie Home exhibit. Artist Twila Beahm creates intricate, miniature homes out of sticks, moss and other natural objects. They are fantastically beautiful. Other highlights of the night include live theatre performances, scavenger hunts, crafts, shopping and refreshments, temporary tattoo art, live music, dancing, luminaries, a faerie parade and much more.

Faerie Home by Twila Beahm (detail)

Make plans to attend Faeries, Sprites & Lights on July 8^th & 9^th, from 6 to 9 PM Cost of admission is $4 for members, $5 for non-members. Bring a little extra cash for snacks, drinks, and tattoos! You can enter a Faerie Story contest for a chance to win a FREE family pass.

If you’re really into faeries, you should attend the Faerie Tea Party during the day on July 9^th. There are two tea times, morning and afternoon, and they fill up fast!