The fairies are returning to the Gallatin Valley!
Orlinda Worthington takes us behind the scenes of this Random Acts of Silliness.
The fairies are returning to Bozeman for a fourth year in the mysterious Bumblewood Thicket a couple of miles North of downtown at Glen Lake Rotary Park.
The free, self-guided outdoor tour of fairy houses is the creation of Random Acts of Silliness, a group of people in Bozeman whose mission is….
“Spreading whimsical joy inducing art for free throughout the Gallatin Valley.”
That’s Danielle Thompson, Executive Director for the non profit.
She says not only are Random Acts of Silliness fun, they’re also important to our mental health.
“Doing these things really creates a sense of community. It makes people feel less isolated, it reduces cortisol levels in our bodies, and it makes us happier people,” Thompson says.
Chet Work is with the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, one of the event's partners. He hopes the fairy village can also help improve trail-health.
“We see a lot of strain on the trail system, we hear about a lot of conflict on the trail system, and art and creativity and kids and magic seems like a great antidote. This is bringing the community together with the trails,” Works said.
And yes, the fairies must follow the same trial rules of etiquette as the rest of us.
“We do ask the fairies to clean up after their dog, to stay on the trail, to be kind to one another, but they tend to be exemplary trail users” according to Works.
The village is composed of 20 all-new fairy houses created by Gallatin Valley artists. It is open every day from August 26th through September 17th.
New this year, is an original play inspired by Bumblewood Thicket. “The Magic of Bumblewood Thicket: A Fairy Play” is the tale of a serious scientific investigation hijacked by fairy hijinx.
More information can be found at https://www.randomactsofsilliness.com
