Loose Leaf Notes

The “blue girls” did not make a Floyd Fest appearance, as they have in years past, but I did come across two pink fairies-in-training who were kind enough to pose for me, and I did get a fairy blessing from the festival’s resident and larger-than-life "Blue Fairy."

“You have the best job going,” I shouted up to my friend Alina, who several times a year puts on stilts, dresses to the hilt, and makes the rounds, blessing the wishes of festival-goers.

“So be it,” she announced convincingly, while blessing my wish, sprinkling me with fairy dust, and tapping me gently with her wand.

You’d be surprised how many people are uplifted by the Blue Fairy’s ministry. “It’s mostly adults who come up and ask for blessings,” Chris, Alina’s flute playing partner told me while Alina was busy bestowing her good fairy magic. Watching the Blue Fairy at work, I discovered it was true; people of all ages and all walks of life can't resist a fairy, and being in the presence of one brings out the child in just about everyone.

“Oh, wouldn’t it be fun to interview a fairy?” the blogger and closet interview in me later thought. But getting an audience with the Blue Fairy is harder than one might think. Besides the fact that people were practically lining up to make wishes and have them blessed, it’s hard for a tall fairy to stand still in stilts and have a conversation.

Post notes: I did catch up with Chris and Alina, out of costume late Sunday afternoon, and they told me the Blue Fairy had probably blessed about 200 Floyd festers over the weekend. When they aren’t bestowing wishes or traveling the world, Chris and Alina create art, as featured in THIS past Loose Leaf “featured artist” snapshot post. You can view more festival photographs at Blue Ridge Muse and floydvirginia.com. I also plan to post some of my favorites throughout the week.