MONROE, CT — A fairy village on Stepney Green has grown to 28 houses built by town residents. The display of small model houses are made with all-natural materials like nut shells, grasses, leaves, twigs, pebbles, shells, pinecones and flowers.
The village may be seen on the green until the end of the month and creative children and adults are still encouraged to add their own houses to the Save Our Stepney Task Force’s display.
Kathie Loehr, who is co-chairing the event with Mary Orsillo and Evelyn Pravecek, said people are making it into a family project. She has seen people stopping for dinner at Country Pizza at the corner of Main and Pepper streets, then walk over to the green to check out the fairy houses.
“I’m amazed at how many people are down there looking at them,” Loehr said of the display.
Among the creativity, she said her favorite fairy house is the Fairy Zipline, in which someone hot glued a stick to a base for the zipline and used drawer wheels and strings.
SOS used money from the Werth Family Foundation for the project.
Loehr said people home more often because of the COVID-19 pandemic have made making fairy houses into a family activity and a YMCA camp made 10 of them.
Make your own
All fairy houses should appear to be made of natural components. Hot glue, acrylic spray, twine and other man-made items can be used, but should be concealed by natural elements. No paper or cardboard products, which melt in the rain.
Houses can be in the theme of your choice and should be portable with maximum dimensions of 16” by 16” and 24” high. Use a sturdy base that can hold up on wet grass and to wind.
Do not use any items of value in the houses as neither SOS nor the town is responsible for any loss or damage.
For information or to register, send an an email to [email protected] or call Kathie Loehr at 203-261-7892, Mary Orsillo at 203-268-4246 or Evelyn Pravecek at 203-445-9879.
Cathleen Lindstrom and Kathie Loehr contributed to the following gallery:
