There’s a very specific kind of impatience that sets in right around now. The kind where I keep checking the calendar (yes, it’s really opening on Thursday, April 23), peek at teasers, and start mentally planning outfits you absolutely don’t need but will 100% end up buying anyway.
Because it’s almost time for Fantasy Faire 2026! And as every year, I’ve been in “Faire mode” for weeks already!
A Little Bit of Behind-the-Scenes Magic
Back in March, I got one of those messages that instantly made my day, being asked (again! still not over that part) to create images that would be used for the official Fantasy Faire posters.
Every year I’m asked, I have the same reaction: A mix of “wait, really?” and “okay, Cait, don’t mess this up.”
If you’ve ever been to the Faire, you’ve probably seen those posters. They’re everywhere; on the website, across the Fairelands, woven into the visual identity of the event. Being a tiny part of that? It never stops feeling like an honour.
My role is to create the base images, the scenes and the mood.
And then…
Enter the Magic: Alia Baroque
Once I’ve done my part, the images are handed over to Alia Baroque of Fallen Gods Inc., and this is where things go from “oh nice shot” to “okay WOW.”
Alia takes those images and transforms them into the final posters you’ll see all over the Faire. The composition, the typography, the atmosphere; it all comes together in a way that always feels unmistakably Fantasy Faire.
I genuinely love this part of the process, because it becomes this quiet collaboration. I send something off into the world… and it comes back as something bigger, richer, and honestly kind of magical.
From Image to Faire Poster
In this post, I’ll be sharing both sides of that journey:
- a few of the original images I created
- and the final posters after Alia has worked his magic
It’s one of my favourite things to see, the before and after, the transformation, the way a single idea evolves into something that becomes part of the Faire experience for thousands of visitors.
Why This Still Means So Much
I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: Fantasy Faire is my favourite event in Second Life. Every year, without fail.
It’s not just the builds (though they’re always incredible).
It’s not just the shopping (also incredible, dangerously so).
It’s the feeling of the whole thing, the creativity, the storytelling, the community, and the purpose behind it all.
So being able to contribute in even a small way, helping shape the visuals people will see when they arrive and look for events, means more to me than I can properly put into words.
Almost Time
We’re so close now. The mists are gathering, the portals are (almost) opening, and somewhere out there an entirely new set of Fairelands is waiting to be explored.
And I, for one, am very ready.
See you on April 23!
Fantasy Faire 2026 runs from April 23 to May 10 and celebrates its eighteenth year as the largest gathering of fantasy designers, enthusiasts, roleplayers, and performers in Second Life. Under the banner “Many Realms – One Vision. Fantasy Faire 2026: Building a World Without Cancer”, this year’s Faire brings together thousands of residents and creators for a shared purpose: supporting the American Cancer Society in its vision of a world without cancer. Over the course of the event, visitors can explore shopping regions, dance and theatre performances, DJ parties, auctions, quests, the Literary Festival, themed events, and immersive roleplay across the Fairelands, each realm contributing its own unique vision to the whole.
Visit the official Fantasy Faire website
