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Trolls and fairies visit nearby Burke

A knight searches for a wish at the annual Fairy and Troll Festival. (Photo provided — Diane Chase)

Medieval Fantasy Faire. Those are three words that would send my children straight to the dress-up bin. After attending a few Renaissance Fairs and watching friends make their own renaissance wares, I’ve come to appreciate the work involved in creating an authentic event that isn’t just for kids. This weekend the fairies, trolls, and even a mermaid are coming to the Adirondack foothills to visit the annual Enchanted Fairy and Troll Festival. It may sound like it’s just for children, but this well-organized event is for all ages, especially for anyone searching for a bit of magic.

The two-day festival takes place no matter the weather. There are many interactive activities for all ages, but the one thing that I kept going back to was the Fairy House competition river walk. Tiny dwellings were placed through the woods, all handmade and created with natural materials. Along the walk were other interactive elements that kept even the youngest in the group entertained. We had to pan for gold to present a coin to the troll guarding the entrance bridge. After crossing safely we took our time exploring all the imaginative entries in this fairy house competition. It was a beautiful surprise to stumble across a Wishing Tree and have our own wishes join the others as well as catch a glimpse of the fairy queen reading a story to visitors.

Kids Kingdom has new oversized games such as Jenga, Candyland, Yard Yahtzee and Tic-Tac-Toe. Visitors can participate in sensory activities, crafts and even Viking rune painting. Search for the Viking ship being pursued by the dragon or play a round of Alice in Wonderland croquet. Remember to bring a stick to contribute to the 7-foot-by-7-foot forest birds’ nest.

The Fairy Queen tea with the Littles takes place each day at 1 p.m. Advanced registration and a $2 admission is required as the queen can only provide tea for 50 little fairies a day. Don’t worry, the queen will be back to read a story at the Wishing Tree.

There will be a variety of activities from fairy dancing to a caber toss competition as well as puppet shows and live music. You can decide when you’re there whether to join the dance of the Faires or toss the caber. It’s free so there is no pressure. There are traveling minstrels interacting with the crowds as well as a variety of food and drink to purchase. Don’t forget to visit the mermaid cooling off in her pool. Apparently she only speaks Mermish, but she still loves interacting with people. Over 50 vendors traveling from all over New York state, New Hampshire, and Vermont will be in attendance. Bring pocket money for all the handcrafted wares from original clothing, hand-poured candles, blown glass, as well as fine wood and stone crafts.

The Enchanted Fairy and Troll Festival takes place Saturday, June 2 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, June 3 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 12 Sellars, Road, Burke.

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children (3 and over), Free/children (under 3 years of age). Check out Enchanted Fairy and Troll Festival on Facebook for the complete schedule and bring a bit of magic to your life. Enjoy!

Diane Chase is the author of the “Adirondack Family Activities” guidebook series, “Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities.” For more family-friendly activities go to www.adirondackfamilytime.com.

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