Lily Dale Fun Fest 2023
Lily Dale Fun Fest 2023
Put this Enchanting Place on Your Summer “Go-To” List
Photos Courtesy of Lily Dale
For readers not familiar with Lily Dale, it is one of the most unusual, precious jewels in the crown of Chautauqua County, neighbor to Cattaraugus County. Lily Dale is a hamlet in the town of Pomfret on the east side of Cassadaga Lake, at 14 E. Street, 44 miles from Ellicottville. Much like the Village of Ellicottville, Lily Dale’s population is estimated to be under 300 persons. Unlike Ellicottville, whose annual, four-season visitors number in the hundreds of thousands, about 22,000 visit Lily Dale during their short summer season (June 23 through Labor Day) filled with classes, workshops, mediumship demonstrations and private appointments with individual mediums. One nice thing about Lily Dale, which requires a gate fee during their summer season, it is free to enter and explore the rest of the year, from the day after Labor Day through the last Thursday in June.
A Spiritualist community plus, it offers much more than just the mediumship opportunities, individually or en masse. A walking community, this is also a place for peaceful encounters with nature (bring Vicks or bug spray), one-on-ones with your inner self in spaces that entice you to relax and leave the stressful world of work and worry behind. Yeah. Oooohhhhmmmm! You know, like you might do with speaker Deepak Chopra and others like him. We missed the Tibetan monks this year, but they are generally there once a year near the beginning of the season. Keep the website handy if you are interested in their programs for 2023-2024.
Lily Dale has been around since 1879, then known as the Cassadaga Lake Free Association. It served as a camp/meeting place for Spiritualists and “Freethinkers.” These were the folk who believed “beliefs should not be formed on the basis of authority, tradition, revelation or dogma and that beliefs should instead be reached by other methods such as logic, reason, and empirical observation.” (Wikipedia). In 1903, it became The City of Light, and then in 1906, Lily Dale Assembly, whose stated purpose was to further the science, philosophy, and religion of Spiritualism. Known nationally and internationally, there is an interesting HBO documentary about it called No One Dies in Lily Dale. To add to its charm, most of the hamlet was listed on the National Register of Historic Places last year.
Aside from the peacefulness, the pet cemetery where you can bring a photo of your pet and it will be placed in a glassed case, the museums, shops, the gatherings twice a day around the ancient Inspiration Tree stump (the remains of which are encased in concrete), silent visits alone in the 10-acre Leolyn Woods old growth forest, or the personal visits with mediums, visitors will find a peaceful respite from the outside world. Lily Dale mediums are registered with both the Assembly and the Medium’s League. Each is tested and vetted to ensure the highest quality mediumship. Approximately 50 mediums are all located on the grounds, and each handles their own schedule and pricing. Find them online at www.lilydaleassembly.org/find-a-medium.
Before you begin thinking that Lily Dale is all seriousness and quiet introspection, please do take note that it is also a place for fun. On Thursday, August 10th from 6:00-9:00pm, visitors can take part in their annual Fun Fest. This festival includes vendor shopping, mini readings, basket raffles, 50/50 drawings and an invitation to grab some photos at the photo booth. If you come just for the Fair you can request a 2-hour shopping pass at the gate. Grab a snack or cuppa at Sacred Grounds Coffee or Lucy’s and check out the bookstore and gift shop. Find more information at www.lilydaleassembly.org or call 716-595-2273.