elves’ faire

The Elves’ Faire is our Parent Council’s annual winter festival of magic and craft. It is parent-run, child-centered, open to the public, and proceeds benefit our scholarship fund. The school is transformed into the Elves’ workshop, with evergreen boughs and twinkle lights highlighting our already beautiful halls and classrooms.

Date: Saturday, December 14, 2024

Time: 11:00 am-3:00 pm

Location:
Ithaca Waldorf School
20 Nelson Road, Ithaca, NY

Natural Crafts for Kids
Marionnette Puppet Show (12noon, 1pm, 2pm)
Live Music
Artisan Craft and Food Vendors
Waldorf Book Sale
Magician Matt Jarman
Interactions with Magical Beings

Free admission; bundles of county-fair-style tickets sold at the door
Proceeds benefit IWS scholarship programs

Our 2024 Festival is made possible in part by a grant from the Tompkins County Tourism Program

Elves of all sizes are invited to come create simple, beautiful, natural-material crafts for holiday giving. Each class at IWS runs a different craft in a different classroom or outside, IWS parents and older students taking shifts teaching and supervising their craft. Most crafts cost 1-4 tickets.

Our Early Childhood faculty presents three showings of a marionette puppet show appropriate for the very young, and enjoyable for all (4 tickets per adult/2 per child/free for under-2). Live music presented by alumni and friends of the school wafts over the Great Room, which houses a dozen local artisan vendors, and a dining area for food available for purchase from a local food vendor, and a bake sale organized by our Middle Schoolers.

Stop by the book sale to peruse beautiful children’s books and books on Waldorf Education and other anthroposophical themes for adults. Check out the “Pay What You Will” table, where IWS families have donated quality toys, housewares, craft supplies and more to pass on to you at a price that feels right to you. Use our gift-wrapping station to finish your gifts.

Watch out for the Pocket Fairy, who roams the halls–you’ll know them by their fanciful cloak, and if you give them a ticket, they may let you choose a trinket from one of many pockets! Visit the Treasure Gnome’s Cave as well–you won’t see them, but send a ticket by boat around the darkened corner, and a gift will come sailing back to you!

Questions? Please contact parentcouncil@ithacawaldorf.org