The Adams County Farmers Market (ACFM) is excited to be hosting its second annual Fairy Festival event at the Gettysburg Rec Park on Saturday, June 15 from 8am-1pm. This event will take place concurrently with the regularly scheduled farmers market, and will feature over 25 new vendors with magic-themed products, family-friendly entertainment, face painting, a wand-making craft for children, live music, and much more. This event is free to attend, and was made possible with support from the Union Hotel in Gettysburg.
ACFM’s first Fairy Festival in 2023 was an enormous success, and event organizers hope to keep the momentum going. “Last year’s fairy festival brought in hundreds of people from near and far,” said Market Manager Reza Djalal. “We also saw a huge spike in sales for growers, which shows that these types of creative events are a great way to connect even more shoppers with local agriculture and support our farmers market vendors.”
New to the festival this year will be East Coast Pirate Entertainment, a performance group from Delaware who are committed to providing fun and interactive fantasy experiences for events of any size. This entertainment group will be facilitating kid-friendly activities throughout the event, including a fairy-themed storytime, a costume contest, and the opportunity for children to “fight a pirate,” plus other activities as well.
“I am ‘fairy’ excited to return to this festival,” said Jillian Breneman, also known as Gingersnap the Fairy, a returning entertainer. “I loved how the organizers, vendors, entertainers, and community happily participated in the first Farmers Market Fairy Festival last summer to make it such a success.” Also returning as entertainers to the festival this year are traditional Irish fiddle player Keith Engle, Highland Games Academy headed by Aaron Zipp, and whimsical face painter Mirabella Took Creations, among others.
Some of the many magic-themed, event-specific vendors scheduled for the event include Dancing Pig Pottery, The Magician’s Menagerie, Forest Fae Treasures, Whispering Trees Fairy Gardens, and dozens more.
To help make this event even more fun and exciting, the ACFM is offering $2 in market tokens to children who come to the event dressed up in a costume. “Fairy costumes, or any sort of magical attire, are all encouraged. Kids can dress up as pirates, goblins, wizards, dragons, or whatever they want,” continued Djalal. “The most important thing is having fun!”
Event organizers are glad that what started as a simple idea is slowly becoming an annual tradition for the Gettysburg community. “This is a multigenerational event for everyone,” said Tania Reyes, a volunteer with the festival. “It’s important that children and adults are both encouraged to let their imaginations soar and create unforgettable memories.”
For more information about this event, visit www.acfarmersmarkets.org/fairy-festival. For booking information for East Coast Pirate Entertainment, visit www.ecpecrew.com.