By Anne D’Urso-Rose
New Englanders know that outdoor events have a short window of time to be enjoyed in these parts. So in a city like Malden with a vibrant community life, there are often overlapping events. Here’s a reflection on two events that took place on the same afternoon, Sept. 19.
Fairy Houses flourish at Pine Banks Park
There was no housing shortage for fairies on a sunny Saturday afternoon when families from Malden and surrounding communities gathered at Pine Banks Park for the annual Fairy House Festival.
“What I saw was four hours of parents and kids, on their hands and knees, making stuff together in the woods,” said Paul Hammersley, official photographer for the event. “And no one was on their phone.”
Barbara Murphy, former Malden City Councilor and current Police Commissioner, said she started the event in 2015 “to bring children and parents back to nature.” She was inspired by the children’s storybook “Fairy Houses” by Tracy Kane and thought it would be a great idea to start a tradition here in Malden.
Since then, the annual festival has featured a ‘Fairy House Walk’ with pre-built structures created by community groups and individuals, an arts & craft table, face painting, storytime with Malden Public Library staff and a ‘Builders Workshop,’ which is a table that supplies natural materials collected throughout the year from places including the seashore. These materials are used for the spontaneous building of temporary homes for fairies on that day. Families are encouraged to bring their own picnic lunch. There is a contest for the pre-built homes in different categories.
Murphy describes it as her “favorite event of the year” and always dresses as Mother Nature. “I have kids pulling on my skirt and asking, “Can you can come look at this?” Then they explain, in rich detail, what each rock and acorn and leaf represent as they give a tour of their fairy home. “The imagination of these children is just fabulous.”
A steadfast group of supporters and volunteers keep the event running every year. Murphy expresses gratitude for the Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation; the Malden Public Library and its director, Dora St. Martin; former library staffer Cathy Bartlett, who runs the arts and crafts table; and the staff at Pine Banks Park.
Click on the images to see them larger. Scenes from the 2026 Fairy House Festival. All photos by Paul Hammersley.
Latin culture takes center stage on City Hall plaza
The percussive beat and pulsing rhythms of Latin music emanated down Pleasant Street from City Hall plaza during an afternoon of live music and dancing on September 19. The annual Malden Hispanic Heritage Festival, led by the North Shore Hispanic Association (NSHA), was a vibrant celebration of Hispanic culture set amidst a city known for its multicultural identity. That diversity was on full display, not only through the spectrum of Latin cultures being celebrated but the festival attendees, who came out to enjoy the lively dancing and positive vibes.
Iliana Rivera is president of the Salemwood School PTO and a volunteer with NSHA. She says the Hispanic Heritage Festival is “incredibly important” to her. “As a proud Latina with Puerto Rican roots who speaks Spanish fluently, I am deeply connected to my culture.”
Rivera says she feels blessed to live in a community where her culture feels valued. “People here are genuinely open to learning about one another, and hosting this festival at City Hall Plaza provides a vital, safe space for us to unite.”
Somairah Del-Rosario is Rivera’s daughter and a freshman at Malden High School. “This festival is important to me because I get to celebrate all of my cultures. Unlike my mom that has 100% Puerto Rican roots, I am an Afro Latina; I have Puerto Rican, Dominican and African American roots.” She says she sometimes struggles being both – not feeling Latina enough because she’s still learning Spanish, or not feeling black enough.
“These festivals bring all sorts of people together. I don’t think about the color of my skin, the texture of my hair or the lack of Spanish language I know. Here I just dance and have a great time and be happy.”
Rivera notes that the festival is especially important in these times. “With the current political climate and ICE brutally targeting and separating innocent people, many are living in absolute fear of even leaving their homes. That is exactly why this festival is so essential: it spreads the profound love, strength, and resilience of the Hispanic and Latinx community. It sends an unmistakable message that we are here, we belong, and we are not going anywhere.”
In video (above), a few short dance clips from the Malden Hispanic Heritage Festival. Joyful!!
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