CHELSEA — Wings flapped, tails wagged, and wands flourished. The 2025 Faery Experience: An Immersive Fantasy Retreat was well attended and the center of all magical wonder on the weekend of Aug. 23. Held at Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea, people came from all around to step into a world of whimsy and imagination.

The costumes were made with immaculate detail and painstaking effort, weaving every color of the rainbow with the glamour of the faery world. And that was just the people who attended the event. The fairy Thimblebrush painted, the dark fairy queen tried to learn names and steal souls, and the troll antagonized all with delight.

Booths and stands were set up around the grounds with a full range of activities to participate in and tchockies to purchase. Handmade honey products were available at one stand, while handcrafted jewelry was offered at another. And any visitor would be remiss to leave before they had their fortune told, and their futures seen.

As trolls roasted passersby and woodland nymphs flitted about, Abigail Rae set the mood with her music as she played the guitar. If the decorations, or the location, or the numerous winged wonders didn’t make you feel enchanted, then the retreat’s newest attraction had too. Once you walked through a path, a charming garden scene, you were witness to none other than mermaids lounging in a pool in the shade. The semi-aquatic beauties swam and splashed around, as they chatted to those strolling by, the mermaids were the visage of a fairytale illustration. Jessica Kettler, co-owner of Windy Goat Acres, summed up the reason for the floating women simply by saying, “Ya gotta have mermaids.”

If you weren’t able to make it to this year’s Faery Retreat, don’t worry, there is always next year. But if you simply can’t wait till next year, then you should check out all the other events hosted out at Windy Goat Acres in Chelsea. B’s Art Hive is hosting a Creative Retreat out there on Sept. 6 and 7, The Fall Soul Retreat starts on Oct. 3, and the Live From the Iowa Alps Art Show is on Oct. 5.