By Caroline Gordon 

Dozens of families with daughters covered in facepaint and fairy wings attached to their backs gathered at the Hopedale Parklands to celebrate the sixth annual Hopedale Fairy Walk June 11. 

Tracey Philips, chair of Friends of Historic Hopedale, said she created the walk because she wanted a family-friendly event to bring more people into the Hopedale Parklands. 

She said, “A lot of people in the area don’t know about the big three-mile loop through the woods and all of its beautiful scenery.” 

Philips added, “I saw the Fairy Walk done on a small farm in another state and I thought it would be a great application to bring to the Park lands.” 

Lisa Blaney and her daughter, Maddie Blaney, have attended the fairy walk since the tradition began. 

Blaney said, “It’s a great event that the town puts on. We are really lucky to have it!” 

Jacqueline Morais and her daughter, Nina Morais, attended the fairy walk because it is an opportunity for them to spend quality time together. 

“The fairy walk gives us the chance to do something together. I like the mother-daughter aspect of it,” she said. 

Morais added, “It’s just a lot of fun to have her dress up and be outside.” 

Brianna Zalusky said she attended with her daughter, Maisy Zalusky, and her nieces, Serena and Zoe, as the Fairy Walk is a family tradition. 

She said, “We have a young daughter and we thought it would be fun for her to see it - it’s just really cute!”