The 2nd Annual Philadelphia Fairy Festival was held on Sunday, June 28th from 12-4pm at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education. It was beautiful. A truly magical event hosted by wonderful people. We loved it. The highlight of the event is a trail through the woods called The Fairytale Trail. Festival goers walk along the trail, lined with tiny little cottages built for fairies.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The fairy house submissions are brought to the Schuylkill Center a few days before the festival. Small structures built of natural materials, fit for fairies!
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The little houses are a part of a fun competition to attempt to build the best fairy house. The guidelines state that the houses can be any size, but should be kept to a miniature scale. The houses are to be made of only natural materials, but you may use hot glue and other materials to help with the structural components.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The submissions were vastly different and filled with tiny, delicate, and incredibly creative details. As festival goers walk down the Fairytale Trail, they take note of their favorites. When they return from the trail, they vote for their pick for best fairy house of all.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
At the end of the festival, the fairy house that receives the most votes wins.
#100 Is The 2026 Winner
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
Fairy house #100 received the most votes. I voted for fairy house #100 (above) too. A deserving win. So many tiny details like stairs (with a thin railing to go with them), a small fairy bicycle and more. The closer you look, the more you discover.
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
The artist who made #100 (above with the white skirt and blue bandana in her hair) accepted her award at the end of the 4-hour festival. She gave a short thank you to the crowd, and I really loved that she thanked her baby for sleeping… which allowed her the time to make the house. Her baby was happily sitting in the crowd watching mommy up on the main stage.
The entire event start to finish was filled with charm, attention to detail, and well… magic! Congrats to the winner, and everyone that worked on these beautiful little fairy houses and the event as a whole.
This was the 2nd Annual Fairy Festival, and I’m already looking forward to next year. If you want to build a fairy house next year too, there are some great photos below to help with inspiration. The Fairy Festival this year sold out, so be sure to get your tickets early if you plan to attend in 2027. Keep an eye on the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education’s website, and follow for some of their other great events too.
Check Out Some Of The Other Fairy House Submissions Below:
Kristen Herrmann for BBGI
