Alice in Bell Fairgrounds and NatureCon

 

By Gemma Cleanslate

While you are waiting for Naturecon2022 to open take a trip over to the Bellisseria Fairgrounds to see a really sweet installation that Gracie (GracieAustinn Resident) has built. 

 

It will be there until Friday the 19th or Saturday the 20th she said.

There was a really fun party to open it Friday. Many participants came dressed in costume to fit the venue. 

 

The banter and the music by DJ Far added to the enjoyment as he played songs from various holidays in the UK that were not familiar to many but brought smiles and laughter to all at the event.
Take a walk around and see the creatures of the Alice story that most of us remember loving then and still.

Then cross over into the abandoned carnival next door arranged by Tristan Elan. Jump on the rides that are still working though the carnival seems so broken and closed. We tried them!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Bellisseria%20Fairgrounds/170/238/24

Naturecon 2022 is opening the 18th. There was a lovely meet and greet held a while back where those participating gathered to share their planned activities. There will be two regions for the event with many booths and installations celebrating the varied nature locations on the Mainland and Bellisseria.

I went over to regions to see the layout . Placing the regions the Moles placed a mountain with a lighthouse overlooking all. Now the land is ready for the all the groups. Exhibit booths are in place.
There are so many places to explore all over the regions.

Soull Starlight and Yukiko Yeshto are putting in so much time and energy preparing for the week.
There are nature activities planned as well as live performances, parties and so much more. I believe some collaborators plan tours. Families are I invited to participate tours in special activities for them.

While exploring I walked up, up the mountain. On the side of the mountain I stopped in at a lovely Cafe ready with food and drinks for visitors. I found a hang glider near the summit and had an easy time coming down. I think there is rock climbing that I need to find. The train is running and offers a nice ride around the mountain with many stops along the way.

I found Hiroko Nubalo working hard getting the Mount Campion installation in place. She has nature trivia planned as one activity at the Nature Center on site. Her displays are so interesting at the mountain I look forward to it all. Next door I see that Pygar Bu has also started the Bay City contribution. It will be exciting to see the finished installations. Save time for this wonderful event that will last from August 18 through the 31st.

Here is the landmark to save also until then. It will put you right next to the train crossing and the office. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/NC22O/128/67/23

Gemma Cleanslate

 

FrannyDJ's Mardi Gras Parade

by Gemma Cleanslate

The Krewes of New Orleans are getting ready for all the parades that go from now until Fat Tuesday. That day, Mardi Gras, in French will be the last day of celebration before Lent and the biggest parade takes place that day in many cities in the world. New Orleans is the site of the special Mardi Gras in the USA. There is nothing like it . Frannydj brings that parade into Second Life every year. One of her invites says:

“FEBRUARY IS MARDI GRAS MONTH !!!

"Grab your Krewe and head on down to the Mardi where FrannyDJ Dean brings the French Quarter to life.

"Be the star of the parade as you glide gown New Orleans famous Bourbon Street on any of the 103 interactive floats with the best of SL's animations and including props to wear in this spectacular parade.

"Visit the Hot Clubs and restaurants on Bourbon Street. Don't miss the thrilling carnival rides. The party never stops here."

Her floats and decorations on the region are outstanding. This year is the 6th year to see and interact with the ground and the flying floats and there are 103! I put on my new outfit , grabbed my crown , my umbrella and put on all  my beads and hurried over. The first thing I did was get a piece of King Cake, a delicious part of the festivities, and then  danced down Bourbon street to hop on the various floats and become part of the parade.

Next I stopped in a shop get a pink daiquiri and danced my way into some of the clubs lining the street. I found some couples dancing in a few of them but most were just dancing in the street so I joined in there.

Hoodoo Voodoo Man (Karmic Aeon) was standing on the street looking like the real voodoo people you pass in the city.

The side streets behind the parade route are lined with builds that might be found on the streets of New Orleans. Take a short walk through the alley. They are charming and peaceful and some are open to walk in. Stop into the Voodoo shop near the theater for freebies!

The Carnival is open and there are loads of games and rides to enjoy so walk through to other side of the lovely park and have some fun there too.

Parties take place on the steamboat during the days leading up to Mardi Gras which falls this year on February 25. Frannydj was up on the deck getting ready. You have until then to visit , party and check out the fun! Join the Fame Group for more information.  

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Angels%20of%20Desire/55/177/1163

Gemma Cleanslate

Mardi Gras in Second Life

By Gemma Cleanslate

"Laissez les bon temps roulez !"

  

Mardi Gras is fun in Second Life. I took at tour to see what was going on in various sites to celebrate. "Mardi Gras Town" at Townies was the most lively and colorful venue I could find on Monday. There was a band playing fun music and dancers in various costumes made special for the day danced in the streets with confetti falling from the air. Inside the shops you could find any possible costumes and décor for the celebration. 

I stayed for a while to enjoy the sounds and watch the dancers. Lots of the colors of Mardi Gras visible: purple representing justice, green for faith and gold for power.This tradition began at the first Mari Gras.  Rex, the King of Mardi Grass selected the official Mardi Gras colors in 1872 to honor the visiting Russian Grand Duke Alexis Alexis Alexandrovich Romanoff, whose house colors were purple, green and gold. The 1892 Rex Parade theme "Symbolism of Colors" affirmed the colors' meaning. And it continues today.

I moved on to the Santorini Club which has been celebrating for days with great djs playing for numerous parties daily. The club was decorated for the occasion. I took a walk around to gaze at the finery and the view of the City of New Orleans in the distance.  

Where to better experience the Mardi Gras than in New Orleans. I visited the section of New Orleans that is modeled on a real section called St John Bayou. At the corner of Audubon Street There is a stage that was filled with St John residents dancing in Mardi Gras regalia. Down the streets came floats. I watched the parade for a while but then wandered down the streets to look at the structures. All along the street there were buntings hanging from the windows in the purple and gold colors. Looked great.

Another sim I went to but was too early for the party was in Piano Beach at Cay’s at Woodland Lake. I admired the buntings there too and picked up some nice beads to wear. There are replicas of buildings in the French Quarter of New Orleans that I loved when I was there. There were some street musicians and artists waiting for customers.

I stopped off at Bourbon Street in Bluesville Station New Orleans and, wow, they had quite a party going on! The street was littered with confetti and other trash from the parade. I arrived near the end since it had started about two hours earlier, but there were still people dancing and chatting.  Dj Nadzuko was playing the blues.

Tuesday at Creations Park I attended a very lively outdoor party where Josie Atherton was performing live for the benefit of Team Fox, Parkinson Disease Support. There were some great costumes there good music.

 I finished off my day back at St Johns at a great street party with grand outfits and dancing to Cajun music and some blues. It was a festive Mardi Gras in Second Life again. 

Gemma Cleanslate

Cyber Nice Carnival 2016

By Deaflegacy Darkbloom

It is a party that the artist, Moya Patrick, had been throwing once a year for artists and Internet users. It's also a costume party so people can have a chance to get together in costumes. The theme this year is “Media” and people who have been invited are the part of the group, Virtual Ability. I'm a part of the Virtual Ability and as I arrived at the party, it was in full swing.

Cheeky Baby was the DJ, rocking the party on with the tunes. Gentle Heron was there as well, enjoying the party as I can see. Practically everyone were there and when asked if the party was awesome, they said yes. The artist, Moya Patrick, was there, filming the party as it went on. Moya Patrick had built a reproduction of the Place Messenger, where the Cyber Nice Carnival is, and he would ask a group to join with the avatars. This year, it's Virtual Ability, a group for people with disabilities.

As people came out in their costumes, we cannot help but to stand back and admire their costumes. Gentle Heron came as a vulture, and Moya Patrick came in a full-bodied red costume that hid his face with little white wings on his back. One woman decorated the wheels of her wheelchair with British flag emblems.

When Moya Patrick invited members of Virtual Ability to join the party, he did something wonderful. He gave the members a chance to come on out and have fun at the costume party. That's what they did. They came out, in costumes, and with big smiles. From what I can see, they actually ended up having a really good time. So good, when the party ended, some people stayed behind. That should describe how much fun we have had during the party.

When I came to the party, I wasn't expecting much. Sure, I did come in a costume. Sure, I did come happy because I got a chance to wear a costume. Sure, I did come, not sure what's going to happen. But all that were forgotten as I started to dance at the party. It's not just a regular party anymore. It's not just a costume party either. It's a party so amazing that even the lag could not diminish it. As people dance at the party, it would become the unforgettable as Mayo Patrick filmed us dancing. The film would be shown on the big screens during the carnival. But it's not just film that's going on. Photos are being taken at the party and Mayo Patrick does plan on keeping the pictures.

Moya Patrick made something come to life, something out of Second Life, something that thrills people beyond words, something that people would come in costumes and still be who they are. This goes beyond wonder. It even goes beyond the word 'fantastic'. There is simply no possible word to describe the awe of the party itself. It is enough for people to come and dance for two hours, and manage to leave happy. For that, I have Moya Patrick to thank. Here are the links:

The party's website: http://www.carnavalvirtuel.com/.

Moya's website: http://www.moyapatrick.com/

Link to the film:

https://www.facebook.com/100006857927216/videos/vb.100006857927216/1685665885005326/?type=2&theater&notif_t=like

 Addition: We were later sent by Moya a link to a youtube of a film he'd taken of the event.



(Click here if the video fails to play) 

Burn2: The Burning of the Man

By Bixyl Shuftan

Saturday October 24 was the day of the "Burning of The Man" at the Burn2 Art and music festival. In the Burning Man Black Rock sim, the effigy of "The Man" was set up on top of a maze of circus signs, made to look like a wooden structure lit up by neon tubes.

The maze was made of of signs from carnivals and freak shows of old. Though a few were just parodies of them done to poke fun at things.

Underneath "The Man," a couple of the volunteers were presumably making last minute checks to make sure all was set.

The map showing the numbers of people in the surrounding sims. The greatest number were in Looking Glass, the closest to the effigy.

Many of the onlookers in Looking Glass were on this walkway near "The Man."

 Me with a couple friends, watching as sparks of flame appear.

Just sparks at first, but they'd soon grow.

An explosion sends fire and smoke around The Man.

And the first supports of the structure begin to fall off. Unlike The Man in previous years I've seen, the neon tubing stayed lit.

 More pieces began to fall. Once again, a difference from previous Burning of The Man events becomes clear. It's not falling apart from the head down, but all over.

A major piece of the head falls off, though the rest is still atop the burning the structure, refusing to fall.

More parts of the effigy fall as it burns.

Another explosion, but still The Man maintains it's basic shape.

By now, it's clear in real life, The Man would have at least partially collapsed.

 The head of The Man continues to defy gravity, even as most everything else is burned away.

 Finally the structure is completely down.

The head, usually the first big piece to fall off, was among the last this time.

Dawn begins to break as the Burners are invited to head to the wreckage and dance among the flames.

 Looks like one Burner made an ass out of himself.

The burning of The Man didn't go completely as expected. I guess someone like me who's been to several is just used to the structure falling apart from the top down like it would in real life. Still, it was an enjoyable event well worth going to. And there was the Temple Burn which would take place the next day.

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Day at Burn2 "Carnival of Mirrors"

By Gemma Cleanslate

The Burn2 Carnival of Mirrors opened its doors to the press Friday and I was glad to get a preview of it. Burn2 is always a busy Second Life event and very crowded at times. So it is a treat be able to dash around to see all the marvelous builds that creators have been working on for weeks. There will be parties all day at the stages too starting from the opening October 17. 

Since I used to be a ranger I know all the work that goes into the preparation . The sims must be set up with the roads and plots. The Man has to be created to be seen from all sides so the burning will be visible from a distance in case the nearby sims are full as they usually are. The Temple also takes precedence over other plots and burns the day after the Man. 

To really understand this event, it is good to check out the website that will tell you the history of the real Burning Man every year in Nevada USA. http://burningman.org/  It is a huge event drawing visitors from all over the country and the world. Burn2 has a history in Second Life too for the past years involving many Lindens http://burn2.org/burn2-history . “This year’s theme is about mirrors and masks, mazes and merger. It will be a kind of magic show that takes the form of an old-­fashioned carnival. This Carnival of Mirrors asks three essential questions: within our media­-saturated world, where products and people, consumption and communion morph into an endlessly diverting spectacle, who is the trickster, who is being tricked, and how might we discover who we really are? “ Those words were for the creators and their designs. 

 On arrival I was greeted at the entrance and offered my press kit of information. I picked up some nice freebies just outside the tent. Don’t miss them. I took off to view the Man and there he was tall and straight waiting to burn. My next visit was to the Temple which is absolutely gorgeous. It was built by Toady Nakamura and so fits the theme. I checked out the Center Camp where many events and parties take place and it looks very comfortable as usual. There is another stage also where parties will take place .

I ran into Yman Juran riding through. Her CHANGHIGH SISTERS FIRESHOW of Light, Life and Love will be performing Saturday the 17th at 1:00pm slt and again at the same time on saturday the 24th. The show fits the theme so well,Carnival of Mirrors .Try to see it. There are invited and juried artists who have lovely plots and I will write about them during the week.here is the list Juried and Invited Artists: Johannes1977 Resident, Ilianexsi Sojourner, Marianne McCann, Daark Gothly, Kerrryth Tarantal, Caro Fayray, Galatea Gothly, Secret  Rage, emilia Avindar, Attica Bekkers ,Veleda Lorakeet, Alesha Hax, Jce Emoto, Leondra Larsson, iSkye Silverweb, Quinny Placebo...Some familiar names and some new. 

The Playa looks wonderful from all directions. The street signs are topped by jaunty top hats or masks . The Lamplighters will pass along the roads daily to light the lamps and  Skye Silverweb told me “ and something special this year with Lamplighters:  I should mention...on the 25th which is Temple Burn day, the Lamplighters will have a special procession 3 times that day, 1 hour before each burn, and we will feature a Fire Dance in Center Camp for about 10 minutes as part of our processions.  Processions at 5am, 11am and 5pm.” I am glad to hear that . I could never seem to make the lamplighters procession  last year because of the time it was held and it is a favorite of mine. 

A wonderful way to get an overview of the Playa, all six sims, is to hop on the balloon tour that starts not too far from the entrance and is visible . I stopped and looked at the cute circus tent of Coяᴘᴛєᴅᴅʏ Aяᴀωɴ (corpteddy) who is in the burn2 for the first time. Make sure you look around for gifts as you pass through the builds. Many of the artists leave items for you . I picked up a windturbine at corpteddy’s site . The greeters at the gate have a whole back pack of goodies . The BURN2 Carnival of Mirrors opens to the public at 12:00pm SLT  October 17 and will be kicked off by a Lamplighters procession. You have a whole a whole week to visit and enjoy before the Man burns and the next day the temple. The schedule will be found on the website above . Here is the gate.  More to come.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/153/245

 
Gemma Cleanslate

Scenes from the Krewe Bayou Parade in New Toulouse

Last weekend at the New Orleans-themed sim of New Toulouse, the Krewe Bayou "Wild and Wonderful Creatures Parade" took place.

  If the parade looked a bit like Mardi Gras, it wasn't a coincidence. This was the first event of New Toulouse's Carnival season. People of all kinds from furs to tinies to not so ordinary humans, and avatars that defied description took part. The "Oh Lord What is That" marching band was aptly named.

 Nikita Weyman described the paraders in her New Toulouse Blog, "from the very tall Trombone Creature, who set the pace, to the Toad King bringing up the rear. Paraders included tinies, chariot drivers, a kraken on horseback, equestrian butterflies, a tiny Mayor Godenot, a deep-sea diver in an aquarium, a bird-headed man, and Superman; umbrella dancers added to the magic and the color of the event."

The parade went down the streets of early 20th Century New Orleans. Some were carrying hippo balloons. February 15 was supposedly "Hippo Day" in Second Life. There were also some beads being flung around.

Yours truly did his best to keep up with the throng of people. Someone passed to me one of the hippo balloons, and a couple beads were thrown my way.

 The parade ended  at the Town Square.

 And with that, the paraders danced where they were.

There was also a video of the event made, by Natascha Rant.



(Click here if the video fails to load)

Z

Nikita stated later that evening, there was a fireworks show at the river (photo by Liza Veliz), "At nightfall, Taloosters who were not yet too drunk assembled at the city docks to ooh and aah at a spectacular fireworks display shot off from the top tier of the steamboat. There were cheers, funny comments, and admiration for the awesome display. Spectators were witness to a twenty-minute finale ..."

A great time was had by all.

Keep an eye out for Mardi Gras early next month on Tuesday March 4.

Source: www.newtoulouse.org

Bixyl Shuftan