I mean- every superhero has one… right?
INFESTATION- A HISTORY!
Recently I did something I swore I would never do… I outed myself… other than the few times I have had too much Fairy Wine (LOL) and have messaged people online who have enjoyed my street art project… I have not done this… I did become concerned that no one would know my story… when these diseases im running from catch up to me… so the fairy wine… and some story telling occurred and I dubbed these people I didn’t know in person… my story keeper… But then the pandemic struck… and I felt the need to try and help small businesses that year… and really get my messages of hope out there… So I volunteered to have my story shared… in hopes of sharing Fairy City with more… Here is that article…
Bountiful’s Fairy City celebrates its 6th year
Jun 04, 2021 11:06AM ● By Tom Haraldsen
BOUNTIFUL–You might not realize that Davis County is being visited again this year by another special community. It’s right where it’s been for six years, tucked along the path behind the Bountiful Branch library, delighting children and adults alike with its annual emergence. And it’s a labor of love for resident Kerry Goodrich, creator of Fairy City.
“I wasn’t really a fairy person, but I needed to do something small and magical, and this was it,” she said. “It kind of started when my stepdaughter came home from 4th grade very sad. I asked her why and she said that Trump had announced his candidacy for president and she thought the world was going to end.”
Kerry was shocked to hear her talk that way, and decided she needed to create some magic for fourth graders. “And this idea really came to me out of nowhere.”
That first year, 2016, Kerry planned to make just six fairy doors “as a random act of kindness. I ran to the craft shop, got some things and just started painting. They were meant to be a message of hope and magic. That’s how it got started.”
There’s quite a backstory to Fairy City, and its founder who is affectionately known as the Crazy Fairy Lady. Kerry says she was a troubled youth who spent a lot of time out of classrooms. One of the places she hung was along the path behind the library. Her initial six doors soon morphed to 40 that first year, including some mushrooms and ladybugs, and placed in several locations. Once she saw the reactions of children who spotted her creations, and got her first thank you notes, she was hooked.
“I was concerned at first that the city would be upset about me putting these up, but the landscapers have been very careful with them,” she said. “I’ve heard they even pick them up while weeding and then put them right back in place. And what I found is that many people love them and leave behind all kinds of crystals, necklaces and even letters and notes for the fairies. All I wanted to do was help cheer someone up, and I think Fairy City has done that.”
But along with the joy of the first Fairy City came a sad reality—Kerry began feeling ill.
“We didn’t know what was wrong, but I knew something wasn’t right,” she recalled. “I often painted and did my hot glue work in bed, and made my first flowers in 2017. I wanted to branch out and gave the Thought Bubble project a trial run, along with 80 fairy doors here in town. I also shipped another 20 all over the country, and even some internationally.”
By year 3, in 2018, the Thought Bubbles gave way to decorative rocks, and she continued to work on pieces that were biodegradable. She also got a diagnosis—Lymphoma and Lupus, with a tumor in one leg that crushed her hamstring. But that didn’t stop her, and she was blessed that a daughter of a late friend of hers in San Diego, Danielle, was willing to come to Utah twice a year to help drive her and set up Fairy City.
“I can walk, occasionally use a cane and sometimes a wheelchair, but I only have so many steps in me a day,” Kerry said. Each year the decorations have gotten better, thanks to both Kerry’s work and the donations from family and friends. Her goal for this year’s Fairy City is that everything can be upcycled—with biodegradable components and non-toxic paints. “I’m not leaving a mess and everything is safe,” she said.
Kerry photographs every decoration, and posts photos online at www.fairy-city.com. She has received a number of suggestions and recommendations. Her creations often use quotes from esteemed writers and poets. She’s traded personal messages with celebrities such as Neil Gaiman who have learned about Fairy City.
She admits to having strong opinions on politics herself, “and my fairies do as well. I’ve learned that in this very Republican state, when done in fairy form, people can have conversations with the fairies.”
As each new year unfolds, Kerry admits she gets both nervous and excited.
“I just hope the fairies find those who need them the most,” she said. “I hope however they are received, they bring joy. They have brought so much of it to me.”