DRAIN – The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, and on Saturday, tea will be served.
The seventh annual Midsummer Night’s Enchanted Tea experience is set to kick off on July 19 at the Capricorn Manor – also known as the Hasard House – at 105 W. A Ave. There will be crafts, games, live music, and vendors in the fantasy and Victorian antique mall.
Due to the heat, this year’s event will take place from 7-10 p.m., in what organizers call an “evening of fairy ambiance, live music, tea, and food.”
The event and garden tour are free, with the opportunity to support local businesses, crafters, and nonprofits. Additional activities include a workshop at the Flower Crown Bar by Gwendolyn at Capricorn Manor, priced at $20 for adults and $15 for children.
If you catch a whiff of something artistic in Drain, chances are Ame Beard, Academy of Arts & Academics principal and owner of Capricorn Manor, is behind it. From the Art Car Fire Fest to fantasy-themed parties, Beard aims to bring art, entertainment, and people to Drain.
Beard said that the party is “an opportunity for people to see all the amazing aspects of Drain, including the businesses and the local gardens, and also highlight some of the historic properties.”
In addition to the garden parties, Drain resident Norma Lindh-Nussbaum will be giving historic tours of the area. These will be done by “bicycle carriage” powered by Manny Guendulay through Bewitching Brews Bicycle.
Local band Mood Area 52 will feature original folk music and styles influenced by jazz and tango. Belly Dance Eugene and Springfield performers at 8 p.m., and a costume contest at 9 p.m.
Mistie Savage, resident of Drain, will be providing tarot card readings, and Indra Hunter of Pixie Panic is in charge of half a dozen vendors in the Capricorn Manor garden, which include Alien Faerie, Enchanted Forest Treasures, and Settra Stones.
Amalia Sullivan, massage therapist at Inner Light Counseling & Bodywork, is hosting a fundraiser at their booth.
“We are offering 15-minute chair massages for donations with 100% of the proceeds going to The Trevor Project to support struggling young LGBTQ kids,” Sullivan said.
Tallulah Kidd of Tallulah’s Traveling Tea will be selling tea and elixirs, offering a portable tea lounge, and serving complimentary tea.
Kidd is looking forward to “creating an immersive sanctuary for people to connect with each other.
At the end of the day, it isn’t about the tea, it’s about the experience I am creating.”
Kidd teaches tea blending workshops, hosts tea parties on her property in Eugene, offers a mobile tea party experience, sells her products at local markets, and is working on creating an online shop.
“More than anything, I want to create a sense of playfulness. I grew up with tea parties … I want to recreate that with adults who want to dress up,” Kidd said.
