FESTIVALS
“Festivals are the heartbeat of our community.”
It is a common practice in Waldorf education to celebrate the cycle of the year through a series of festivals marking the changing seasons. At Central Sands, we have incorporated some of the traditional Waldorf festival days along with our own, original celebrations. Some of these festivals are events for the public, and some are celebrated in-house among the school community. Below you will find a description of each of our festivals and how we celebrate together.
Renaissance Faire
Renaissance Faire is a joyful celebration of history, creativity, and community. This festival is a school event that is open to the public each September. Our students work together through the first month of the year to put on this festival which includes Commedia Dell'arte performances, historical reenactors, local vendors, food, and games.
May Faire
Just as we begin our year with the public event of Renaissance Faire, we end our year with the public event of May Faire. This school tradition was started by one of our original students and has been carried on as a celebration of spring as well as a fundraising event. We have live music, vendors, a petting zoo, and carnival games. The highlight of the festival is the may pole dance, where we make beautiful woven patterns out of colorful ribbon as we dance around the pole. It is a wonderful way to cap off our school year in celebration with our community!
Ancestors Day
Each November we hold an in-house Ancestors Day Festival where we remember loved ones who have passed and share their photos and stories with one another. Following this time of sharing we partake in a Thanksgiving potluck feast and create a community art piece that illustrates the people and things in our life for which we are most grateful.
Solstice Festival
As the days dwindle to the shortest of the year each December, we hold our in-house Solstice Festival to bring light and joy into the darkness. We create a large spiral out of pine bows in our side yard, and individually take an introspective walk to the center to light a candle, then back out again. This spiral walk is a long-held Waldorf tradition that marks the passing of the old year and the beginning of the new. As we walk into the spiral, we reflect on the year that has passed, and walking out, we set our intentions for the year to come. But it's not all quiet introspection. In addition to the spiral walk, we hold a potluck feast and a raucous white elephant gift exchange that fills the school with laughter!
Doldrums Festival
This festival is completely unique to Central Sands. March is often considered to be the doldrums of the school year. The weather is bad, we are beyond mid-way through the year but still have several months until summer vacation, and our spirits can get low. So, we decided to create a festival to bring some joy into an otherwise gloomy season. Doldrums festival is all about having fun as a community. We create art together, hold a potluck, play games, drink cocoa, and watch a fun movie. This festival provides wind in our sails during the doldrums of the year.
