Photos
and Article By Barbara Arnstein
Lily Dale, the Spiritualist community that has been offering classes, events, workshops and readings since 1879, is having a Fun Fest next Saturday, June 15th, from 10am-8pm. Lily Dale is a beautiful place to visit at any time during its summer season, from June 21st to September 1st. The beauty of its lovely little houses, the gardens full of various kinds of flowers, the lake full of water lilies, the woods full of adorable fairy figurines and especially the serene atmosphere of the community make it a very special place. During the Fun Fest there will be added attractions: lots of vendors, twenty-dollar mini-readings, a 50/50 raffle, and a basket raffle. (The vendor spaces are now sold out and there is a waiting list.) Admission to the Fun Fest is free. On Saturday, June 22nd, from 9:30-11:30am, Tibetan Monks will prepare and begin a Sacred Sand Mandala for the opening ceremony to officially launch Lily Dale’s summer season. Admission for this event is $50.
Just before the season’s official start, on Sunday, June 16th, Lily Dale will begin its “Pre-Season Conference: Mystical Medley”. Visitors will be able to learn about mental and physical mediumship and its phenomena. The conference will be led by Susan Barnes, Patricia Best, Lisa Klee and Anthony Mikolojesk and others. The special guests are Julie Adreani and Mychael Shane (yes, he does spell his name with a “y”). From June 16th to June 20th, each day of events will stretch from 9am-9pm.
On June 17th, the workshops will focus on divination tools, past lives and aura work. The evening event will involve several types of readings, including tea readings. The cost for each day of activities will be $125. On June 18th, the topics will include “Meet Your Guides”, “Mediumship” and “Connecting with Spirit”. The evening event will be a mediumship demonstration. On June 19th, the focus will be on evidential mediumship, trance healing and more. The evening event will involve a trance demonstration. On June 20th, the focus will be on automatic writing, (using planchettes and slates), energy work and more. The evening event will be about spoon bending and table tipping.
On June 22nd, in the Octagon Building, Brenda Reading will conduct a day of interactive activities entitled “Beginning Your Mediumship”. Her focus will be on the mechanics of receiving and giving spirit messages. The exercises she conducts will enable her audience to practice, share and benefit from her instructions.
For two consecutive days, July 5th & 6th, Chautauqua County residents (with proof of county residence) will be allowed free gate entry. Visitors at that time can experience the outdoor services, book a reading and visit the food and retail shops.
There will be more events throughout the summer. Every Tuesday from June 25th to August 27th, there will be an event entitled “Adventures in Mediumship”, from 7-8pm, in the Octagon Building. On June 21st, there will be a Butterfly Release ceremony, symbolizing the transition if the soul. On July 27th & July 28th, Grammy-award-winning musician and songwriter Barry Goldstein, who creates healing music, will present day and evening sessions involving his musical knowledge.
On September 14th, a special event, the “Classic Car Cruise”, will include music, a cookout lunch, vendors, a 50/50 raffle and more. The ten-dollar car registration is due by August 25th. Each vendor space is $40 and it involves a six-foot table and two chairs in the auditorium, or a 10 x 10 spot outside. A gift card will be awarded to the car voted the favorite of Lily Dale residents.
Lily Dale is located at 5 Melrose Place in Lily Dale, NY. For more information, go to lilydaleassembly.org or call (716) 595-8721.