It’s a hot August day in Eugene, Oregon. The sky is blue, the sun is bright, and there is a hint of magic in the air. Crows call overhead in the lush green trees, their harsh voices adding to the cacophony coming from the swirling crowds. Sylphs in diaphanous beribboned gowns dance with pixies in striped stockings and sparkling wings of every hue. Wooly-legged, bare-chested fauns compare horns with dark sprites wearing lacy black corsets and wicked leather boots. On-stage, a Green Man in vivid leafy rags introduces the next performer while a roving jester juggles fragile glass balls; a satyr on ten foot tall stilts navigates deftly among the dancers as a rainbow-clad goddess makes her way through the audience. Tiny babies dressed as bumblebees and lady-bugs nap contentedly on patchwork quilts and blankets. Their mothers braid ribbons and yarn into each other’s hair and chat with passersby who stop to admire their adorable infants.

Welcome to Faerieworlds, one of the largest and most popular festivals dedicated to the celebration of all the lands of Faerie.

Whether light and ethereal or wild and rollicking, music at faerie events is always filled with the enchantment of the Otherworld. Here is a sampling of just a few of the musicians who have found favor with faerie fans — and surely with the Fae themselves!

• Alexander James Adams
Adams describes himself as “the heir to Heather Alexander” and carries on in Heather’s tradition of fine fiddling, filk, and folk music. Whether doing traditional ballads or the still immensely popular “Creature of the Wood” he is pitch-perfect and full of mischief. Adams weaves complex Celtic-inspired tunes around riveting stories to produce foot-tapping, memorable songs. Alexander performs at faerie and folk festivals around the world both on his own and with fae-band Tricky Pixie, and his playful presence and intense performances are a joy to fans at every turn. Find him online at www.faerietaleminstrel.com. (Heather Alexander’s backlist remains available at www.heatherlands.com.)

Authors and Artists

• Amy Brown’s distinctively willowy faeries grace books, jewelry, tapestries and clothing. A deal with clothing retailer Hot Topic widened her audience to include young Goths and punks, and her work is frequently used in tattoos that adorn her fans. Her books include The World of Faery and The Art of Faery and The Faery Wisdom Deck. See more of her work at www.amybrownart.com

What is Faerie (or Faery or Fairy) Wicca? What is Feri? How are these magickal practices different from other Pagan practices? In general, one could say that these forms of practice differ in that practitioners call upon faeries, elves, and other Fae beings instead of or in addition to other deities. It’s far more complicated than that, of course, but it’s a good place to start. There are several major Fae magickal traditions, and of course there might be as many offshoots of those as there are varieties of Faerie across world culture.