Festival: Faerieworlds Festival
Festival Location: USA, Sedona, Arizona
Article Title: When Worlds Collide

by: ©  David Salcido 2003

Adding to the otherworldly quality of the occasion is the fact that this particular festival takes place in the neo-spiritual environs of Sedona, Arizona, nestled as it is amongst majestic red bluffs, squat pine trees and the infamous vortexes which give this once sleepy little town its mystic drawing power. "It's a bit like Mars, isn't it?" says Eugenia Middleton-Price, a self-proclaimed "changeling" and first-time visitor, who has traveled all the way from Manchester, England to experience this latest crossing. "All this lovely red dirt. Perfect for mud daubing. Faeries love mud daubing. They say there's magic in this dirt and I can certainly believe it. I can feel it invigorating me through the soles of my feet."

Brian Hoge has different reasons for being here. A bespeckled film student from Los Angeles, California, he's driven here to, as he puts it, "Meet the King of the Faeries, himself." That would be Brian Froud, the creator of the internationally bestselling books Faeries, Lady Cottington's Pressed Fairy Book, Good Faeries/Bad Faeries and others, who, along with his lovely wife Wendy and handsome son Toby, have journeyed from Devon, England to bestow a touch of authenticity to the proceedings. "This guy's been an inspiration to me ever since I was a kid and I saw the movies Dark Crystal and Labyrinth," Hoge enthuses. "The creatures in those films were so amazing to me, I knew that filmmaking was the way to go. If I can create worlds with even a fraction of the magic those films had, I'll be happy."

Whether being introduced to the world of Faerie through films or books, the consensus appears to be the same for the many thousands of festival-goers who have come out to enjoy the beautiful weather and wondrous sights of this special day. Some will sit comfortably in the soft green grass of the Sedona Cultural Park, listening to Celtic and Medieval European music, played live from the central stage by such eponymous groups as Mandrake, Wild Thyme and The New Potatoes. Others will shop the Renaissance craft village, where sparkly geegaws, faerie-themed artwork and heavenly fragrances abound. While still others will spend the afternoon interacting with and photographing the many Faeries who flit hither and yon throughout the glen.

In fact, there will be no dearth of fantastic and amusing sights for curious onlookers this day. "I'm the frat faerie," says one fellow, wearing sunglasses and dressed in a tattered t-shirt bearing his fraternity symbols, an equally tattered pink tutu and an outrageous headdress composed of spiraled wire and wilted vines. "I kind of made this costume at the last minute," he adds, beaming like an elf in a shoe shop. "But this is nothing. I just saw a Viking couple buying beer and, over there by the food booths, was a guy with horns and hooves eating nachos." He shakes his head and wanders off to join a group of spellbound children watching as busy Mudfaeries carve a smiling dragon into a clay hillside. Such distractions are commonplace throughout the park.

Indeed, at any given moment, one is likely to come across faeries, sprites, elves and pixies of every age and assortment. Some are young and comely, others have seen a few too many seasons or healthy meals to justify the gauzy finery and brief raiment of the fae folk. But it's all in good fun and a testament to the many magic mirrors, which must surely proliferate throughout our mundane realm. Here a willowy redhead with opalescent wings flirts openly with an earthy fellow bearing horns, leather leggings and little else. There a whimsical drag duo on stilts, in flowing Renaissance dress and rosy-cheeked half-masks above bearded chins, entertain the crowds with Monty Python-esque banter and off-color blessings. Verily, everywhere one looks, wings, ears and horns pervade. So, too, do the pranks.

It isn't surprising to find faeries trying to spirit away young children to the Children's Faerie Workshop area. Or snatching food, bags, hats or anything else not tied down, from unsuspecting tourists. Or even buzzing around one unlucky fellow wearing Scottish attire, with the single-minded purpose of finding out just exactly what such gentlemen wear beneath their kilts (the answer, to his dismay and the crowd's amusement, is nothing but hair). There are no raised voices or temper flare-ups when such occasions present themselves. It's almost as though those attending expect such shenanigans. Embarrassment is quickly forgotten and snatched items are always returned, usually with a flower or a particularly colorful rock as gifts to ensure appeasement. Simple pleasures from a simpler time, all spontaneously geared to bring enjoyment and a sense of wonder to smiling revelers.

The day ends with a spectacular finale, consisting of musical performances by Woodland, Johnny Cunningham and Susan McKeown along with a Faerie Lantern Performance courtesy of the Froud Digital Lightshow. It's a magical end to a magical day as, once again, the veil condenses, Faeries fade away into the twilight and the mundane amongst us count our blessings that we have been favored with such a visitation. Of course, scraping the smeared remains of unsuspecting faeries, who wandered a bit to close to the highway, from the windshield of one's motor vehicle, is always guaranteed to bring one right back down to earth. But that's a troubling thought, and much less magical moment, for another day...