Beltain (May Day) Rite and Celebration
Saturday, May 6, 2017
12:00 PM
East Rise Grove, South Park
(South of Pittsburgh, PA)

Please join Sassafras Grove on Saturday, May 6, 2017 for our Beltain ritual and celebration! The festivities will be held outdoors at East Rise Grove in South Park, which features a large pavilion and a play area for the kids. All Pagan and Pagan-friendly people are welcome to join us for Pittsburgh’s longest continuously running Pagan tradition!

Our ritual this year will be held in Romano-British style and will honor Flora, Goddess of Flowers, and Faunus, God of the Wild. We will also, of course, be dancing joyfully around the Maypole as we bring in the May!

Schedule:
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Flower crowns and other crafts (fun for children and adults!)
1:00 pm: Beltain Sing-Along
2:00 pm: Choosing the May King and Queen
2:30 pm: Ritual briefing
3:00 pm Ritual begins
After ritual: Community potluck picnic
After feast: Annual Beltain Auction

What to Bring:
* Offerings for Flora and Faunus (Suggested offerings include: wine, juice, honey, fruit, flowers…anything representing the new green of the season, fertility or passion)
* Flowers to share for making May crowns
* Drums, tambourine, bells, etc. for festive music-making
* A chair/blanket if you wish to sit during the ritual
* A dish to share at the potluck picnic
* Cash, checkbook or credit cards for the Beltain Auction and raffle—our biggest and most important fundraising event of the year! (Photo ID and phone number required for checks).

Pets are welcome at this rite, but they must be kept leashed at all times per park regulations.

Alcohol is permitted at this event. If you choose to drink, please drink legally and responsibly. Glass containers are not allowed per Park rules.

Plant a tree! Throughout 2017, Sassafras Grove will be collecting cash donations to be used to plant trees through the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of the Earth Mother. For just $2.00 we can plant a tree in a National Forest! So if you have an extra dollar or two, please consider donating! We’ll keep you updated quarterly on the planting progress!

East Rise Grove is located off of East Park Dr. Entering the north side of the park from Broughton Rd, veer to the left to take East Park Dr. instead of Hundred Acre Dr. The road leading to East Rise Grove will be 0.2 miles down East Park Dr. For those using a GPS device, the coordinates of 40.332654, -80.008125 will lead you to the parking lot. You can find a park map here: http://www.alleghenycounty.us/parks/maps.aspx.

Our rites and events are free and open to the community, but we do rely on the monetary donations of those who are able to defray the cost of space rental and ritual supplies. Our Beltain auction and raffle is our biggest and most important fundraiser of the year, so please be as generous as you can. Take home fabulous merchandise while supporting your local Druids!

For more information about this event, Sassafras Grove in general, or our parent church Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF), please feel free to email us at info@….

Bright Blessings,
Maria
Scribe, Sassafras Grove, ADF
http://www.sassafrasgrove.org
Celebrating 25 Years of Serving the Gods and the Folk