It is your parents' celebration—or perhaps, your grandparents' celebration, a way of celebrating the Summer Solstice that fell out of fashion by the early decades of the present century. Though still enjoyed in some more isolated communities (Avalon Glen has kept up the tradition, though at a much smaller scale), Sunnstede Wyrd fell by the wayside as Magical Britain grew more modern (the year without a summer did not help matters)—is it time for a resurgence?

Enter: The Society for the Preservation of Magical History, who certainly think so. For the past decade, they've been trying to get the day Officially Recognized by the Ministry of Magic who, understandably, has had bigger priorities. Finally, it occurred to the Society that they could simply take matters into their own hands!

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WHEN: June 20 to June 22
WHERE: Padmore Park, Hogsmeade

The festival begins at dawn on the first day, with the procession of Gubraithian Fire through the streets of Hogsmeade. By mid-morning, it will reach a ceremonial pyre on the Black Lake, where it will remain lit for the duration of the festival. Officially, this fire has been kept alive since the last time Hogsmeade celebrated the occasion, but this has not been verified.

It reaches its head on the second day—the solstice proper—with a large dance at dawn around a temporarily erected stone circle. One of the society members was adament that the dance be naked "as it was in yore", but he was outvoted. Throughout this dance, the member of the Society voted Most Engaging Voice will narrate the story of the festival as conjured images above the stone circle. provide a visual to their tale.

The dancing, largely, lasts all day and night, with a dance floor erected and charmed instruments playing throughout the day. Country reels and medieval dances are the order of the day, not your frilly waltzes in your poofy gowns!

At dusk on the third day, the fire is collected into a lantern, then taken once again through the streets of Hogsmeade to a plinth in Asphodel Cemetery, where it will provide warmth for the memories of those who are gone until next year (the Society hopes). For this recessional, the marchers will be accompanied by musicians and dancers—and hopefully revellers who have gotten into the spirit of things!

Throughout the festival, there are myriad activities in Padmore Park:

• Stalls throughout the park selling trikets and mementos, herbs, potion ingredients, runes, folk crafts, and as Olive describes it, "lots of old school looking wizarding shit". The rather horrifyingly-named Merlin's Root, if ingested, imbue the eater with great stamina and a general sense of merriment for a full day and night (though will result in the worst hangover you have ever had).
  
• There are also small tents hosting a magical tattooist and seers of verying ability (but certified Not Crap)
  
• A small tent will be erected near the shore, in view of the pyre. Those who enter are treated to a very large tent hosting, each night, a medieval style feast (complete with differing seating and food quality depending on how wealthy you are!). Notably, the banquet is free to all, and the tent will simply grow in size to accomodate those who attend. Musicians and Conjurers will be on hand to provide entertainment as well. Come indulge in the recepies beloved by your great-grandparents' grandparents!
  
• Another tent elsewhere in the park will hold puppet-show (think Punch & Judy) renditions of tales of old by day, and shadow puppet renditions by night!
  
• A fire crab fighting ring—whomever loses the most money betting on the match (through official betting channels) will win the shell of the losing crab!
  
• Bonfires throughout the park, and vendors selling powders and herbs to change colour, scent, etc. of the flames
  
• Magical facepainting for the children that makes them sprout a couple of matching features until the paint is washed/worn off (ex. Fox face gets a fox tail, cat face gets cat whiskers, etc.)

...and who knows? Maybe there will be some surprises as well!