A VICTORIAN FAIRY PARTY
Presented by Strictly Ballet, RiverStage Community Theatre and Lewisburg Downtown Partnership
Greenspace Center Lawn, 815 Market St, Lewisburg
Saturday, July 24th at 7:30 pm
Free admission – no tickets or reservations required! Includes a Grand Promenade, Costume Contest and conclusion of the Scavenger Hunt!
Strictly Ballet, RiverStage Community Theatre and the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership announce “A Victorian Fairy Party,” Saturday July 24, 2021, from 7:30 – 8:30 p.m., on the front lawn of the GreenSpace Center in Lewisburg. A summertime celebration of Victorian sentiment, the fairy party is a fundraiser for the Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker.
“This will be the third Victorian Fairy Party,” said its creator, Amy Casimir, “although last year’s was a virtual version.” Originally conceived as an effort to gin up summertime interest in the Nutcracker and to alert performers that auditions would soon arrive, the Fairy Party has evolved into its own event. “If there’s one good thing about quarantine,” said Casimir, “it gives you time to think. I realized that the Art Nouveau period was Victorian, too, and that’s the summertime lawn party style we want to evoke.”
For the 7 days (July 17-24) leading up to the party, all are invited to take part in this year’s Scavenger Hunt, in which five (5) Nutcracker character ornaments have been hidden in downtown Lewisburg shops and restaurants. Those who take selfies and DM it to @StrictlyBalletArts on Instagram will be entered into the drawing for a prize, with this year’s prize a framed and autographed print by local artist Bradley Shoemaker, donated by The Open Door Gallery in Lewisburg. For contest details and additional information, go to strictlyballetarts.com, Strictly Ballet Arts on Facebook, or @StrictlyBalletArts on Instagram.
At the party itself, With the focus on creativity, this year’s event will begin with a Grand Promenade and Costume Contest. Three celebrity judges will award prizes for best fairy and best Victorian apparel. Dance and musical performances, lawn games and light refreshments will follow. “After the intense learning curve of putting the Party online last year, I’m not sure I ever want to see another gimbaled camera again!” said Casimir. “However, we will likely stream some portion of the event, and will have official, ‘framed’ photographs made of all guests who dress in the spirit of the evening.” Although Victorian standbys like croquet, hoops and hopscotch will be there for children, “We’re also arranging a visit from the Green Fairy, for the adults.”
The party is a fundraiser for the Lewisburg Victorian Nutcracker, and donations will be accepted on the lawn. “We’ve received wonderful food sponsorships from the Lewisburg Hotel and Weis Markets for tea sandwiches, cookies and lemonade, and we expect a couple more donors to provide additional Victorian refreshments.” A new feature of the Victorian Fairy Party this year will be a Grand Promenade to kick off the festivities. “We want this event to be true to its Victorian roots, but we also want it to be a fun summertime lawn party,” said Casimir. “In particular, we want to give the many local sewists, costumers and other fabric artists a chance to show off their creativity, skill and sense of style, while also creating a welcoming place for performers to inhabit their fantasies.” Celebrity judges will award prizes for best Victorian attire and best Fairy apparel. “There’s no fee to attend or participate,” Casimir continued, ”but we hope people who come will enter into the spirit of the evening. We know there are a lot of Victorian costumes out there, but hopefully some will also accept our invitation to create their fantasy fairy ensemble. This is a pleasant midsummer evening that we and our sponsors provide to the community to celebrate the subtle yet sensual delights of our area during the languid days of late July. Slip on something prim or diaphanous and come join the fun.”