KALISPELL — The Flathead Faerie Festival is back for its 2nd consecutive year full of fairies, elves, dragons and more — all benefiting a great cause.
The Festival includes a celebration of all things fantasy and includes many different kinds of vendors and activities, such as aerial shows and combat sports.
“Basically it is a ren faire, comic con, all inclusive, just come and have a good time,” Festival President Adriann Allabaugh said.
The event was so successful last year, it had to move to the Flathead County Fairgrounds, a larger and more accessible location.
“It just makes it easier, it's centrally located, people drive by and say ‘oh yeah that's going on,'” Allabaugh said.
With limited fantasy and renaissance festivals in the area, the faerie festival provides communities, such as cos-players, a resource to get what they need in person.
“That's one of the biggest things to bring to the valley in that we don't have a lot of cosplay merchants where people can get the gear, and not have to go online if they don't want to,” Festival Vice-President Gayle Emberstone said.
Although lots of fun, the festival’s main goal is to support adults with special needs. Donations and other fundraisers go towards that community.
“This helps support adults with special needs to be independent and be self-sufficient and be on their own and be whatever they need to be,” Allabaugh said.
One of the best parts of the festival is the crowning of the royal court, full of adults with special needs, and this year the king was Walter Pyatt, who enjoyed the experience.
“Fantastic, unbelievable, I’m so proud," Pyatt said.
Overall, the festival is providing things for the Flathead community they can't normally get, creating a weekend of fun, but most importantly, helping support a community that needs it.
“I think that's more than just the help of it, is letting the community of the adults with special needs know that they're seen and they're heard," Festival Media Chair Jenny Reed said.
