It’s an annual event for locals and visitors whether you have children, grandchildren or not. It seems everyone and their neighbor attends and/or participates in the world’s largest tour of fairy houses in Portsmouth NH each September.

This year, over 200 houses were made by individuals and a variety of organizations…. schools, artists, florists, garden clubs, families, children, businesses, and more. We had a map in hand to identify and guide us but eventually it was the grandchildren who set the pace on this HOT afternoon. We just had to keep up with two little ones as they ‘flew’ through all the displays.

Mother Nature provided the makings of each house with stumps and sticks, leaves and pine cones, shells and sand, rocks and pebbles, grass and moss, gourds and seed pods, bark, and fantastic imaginations. Some houses were dainty and and some were taller than the children who were admiring them. Peeking in the windows was half the fun.

Rules were QUIET VOICES to not disturb the fairies and NO TOUCHING the houses, the latter rule we heard repeated by adults over and over as we toured… of course, to these two as well. The temptation was too great!

Here and there along the tour, we met lovely life-size fairies to the delight of little ones and parents alike. What a photo op!

Other entertainment included ice skating performances on this sizzling afternoon and a gigantic bubble blowing machine that sent our grandchildren scurrying afar in the heat and haze to catch them.  I stood in the shade and watched….

Naturally we indulged in cotton candy and checked out wings, lace, and taffeta or tulle for the 14th annual event in 2018.

The Portsmouth Garden Club won the first prize blue ribbon for their “Scary Fairy Scream House” that was too adorable to scare us at all. Kudos to the club for this creative and clever creation!