Festivals of Flowers and Stars

For me, summer festivals are the bestest part of the season.  Sure, I love the beach and vacation and lazing around on weekends drinking beer at barbecues.  But there is something perfectly wonderful about wandering around a festival with a crispy sugary piece of fried dough, browsing through shop stalls, playing games of chance, and people watching.  *happy sigh*

You will understand, then, why I am so FREAKING excited by the plethora of summer fashion festivals all over SL these days.  I haven’t been able to cover them all yet, or even the very biggest (that will be its own post).  Today I am highlighting two of my smaller, quirky faves.   Not just because they are filled with excellent shopping– though they are.  The design and feel of these festivals is so… *happy sigh*.  Believe me, you will have fun!

The Twinkle Night Bazaar is being held in honor of the Japanese Festival called Tanabata.  I admit, I had not heard of this festival before, and I am sad that I hadn’t.  If you are a sucker for a love story, it won’t take you long to get into this either.  Star crossed lovers, literally: a princess and a cowherder are separated by a wide river, and can only meet once a year through the kindness of magpies who form a bridge to carry them high across the water.  This fable is immortalized in the sky, with the stars Altair and Vega playing the lovers, and the wide white Milky Way separating them.

What does this have to do with SL, fashion, and summer festivals?  Well, friends, apparently the date the lovers are allowed to meet is almost upon us– July 7.  And as a result, the stores of Pookie Promenade have gotten together to design special twinkly, star-themed exclusive items.  They are fun, delicate, and placed in a surreal swirl of darkness that lets you climb a path of stars as you shop.  It is… FUN.  And have I mentioned the prices?? SO good!

Twinkle Night Bazaar Outfit details

Dress*: MayoNaise, Star-ified Tube Dress

Shoes*: duboo, byul flip flop 2

Fan*: Dustarrz, Japanese Hand Fan

Tattoo*: My Ugly Dorothy, Tanabata

Necklace*: Magic Nook, Moon River Necklace

Skin: Curio, Glow in hot peach

Hair: Clawtooth, Twinkle Toast in blinding

* These items found at Twinkle Night Bazaar

Once you have been dazzled by stars and are ready for the summer sun again, hop over to Tableau’s Summer Festival.  A squee-packed arrangement of stalls down Tableau’s supercute main street has a load of summery goodness and exclusives from the regions shops.  It will make you feel like bluefly landed on Main Street USA… and once again, the prices are outstandingly reasonable!

Tableau Summer Festival Outfit details

Top*: Surf Couture, Canvas Garden Top in tomato

Shorts*: tb, Denim Cutoff Shorts

Bag: Vooner, Marti Bag Art

Hair flower*: Clawtooth, Shabby Chic Flower

Tattoo: The Habitat, Springtime

Bracelet: SLink, orchid wrist corsage (group gift)

Shoes: creamshop, Beach Sandals in brown

Skin: My Ugly Dorothy, joe01

Hair*: lamb, Soma in rotten carrot

* These items found at Tableau