Beltane Street Festival
Spring is in full, glorious bloom, warming the air as summer draws ever nearer. All across the city of Rhydin and the lands beyond, folk are flinging wide their windows and taking to the streets in celebration. In every neighborhood across the city, local shops showcase goods tailored to the Beltane season, cafes offer special treats and dishes to tempt the palate, and residents emerge to entertain their neighbors and visitors alike.
Happenings at specific locations include:
- Planting seedlings at the Botanical Garden (connected to the Rhydin Observatory Complex)
- Falconry demonstrations atop the Rhydin Observatory Complex itself
- Floral crown and wreath making at the Solarium
- Storytelling and poetry readings at Books & Brews
- Demonstrations of fencing and other armed combat at the Dragon’s Gate manor
- Hedge maze at the Orktoberfest grouds in Battlefield Park
- Mead brewing classes at the Golden Perch
- Horseback riding at Stardreamer Manor
- Daily surfing contests at Seaside Beach
- Fishing contests along the Tiamori River in the Near Wilds
- Knife/axe throwing, mud wrestling, and pie-eating contests in the Marketplace
- Archery contests at Four Points Square in Old Temple
- Obstacle course (The Trickster’s Path) in the orchards of Gardenhome south of the city
In addition there will be other activities taking place for all to enjoy in every corner of the city, including:
- Maypoles
- Acrobats and jugglers (including sword and torch jugglers)
- Belly, fire, and sword dancers
- Stilt walkers
- Musicians of all sorts
- Puppet shows
- Dunking and kissing booths
- Hair braiding
- Face & body painting
- Neighborhood pot luck dinners
- Scavenger hunts
- Whatever people come up with!
There are also more personal ways of celebrating the spirit of renewal and Beltane alone or in small groups:
- Creating talismans for personal growth, luck, love/fertility, and/or greater vitality
- A candle lighting ceremony/ritual to fully banish the darkness of winter
- Blessing the Wishing Tree (a faerie tree that characters can bless with poems, tokens, ribbons, whispered wishes, etc. either for some kind of return or to appease some kind of lore). This tree is located in the Solarium.
- Ritual of Intention (writing one's hopes or wishes onto a slip of paper, ribbon, etc. and burning it in the small brazier set in front of the Wishing Tree)
- Love Knot Exchange (anonymous small gift exchange)
- Encountering the Fae and dealing with their blessings and/or mischief
OOC:
The above activities are suggestions for vapor play, RP hooks to mention during live play in the Discord channels, or writing promps for posting your own stories here on the forums.
Any players who wish to create their own events, either on the forum or in live play, are both invited and encouraged to do so. Post a description of your event below, with a thread link and/or date, time, and channel in Discord (if it’s a live event).
Characters with shops or other businesses are also welcome to post below with any special goods or services they have on offer for Beltane.