Witches come ‘out of the broom closet’ at Sellwood ‘PaganFaire’

There’s nothing else we’ve seen like this! See why folks from outer East Portland ventured west to attend this fair …

As PaganFaire 2024 is in full swing, the guests in the Oaks Park Dance Pavilion meet vendors at their tables.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Again this year, PaganFaire lasted all day, and was held in the Oaks Amusement Park Dance Pavilion on March 23rd. The room was filled with tables on which 30 vendors offered all kinds of clothing and accessories, crystals, potions, and books.

Welcoming guests, it’s Jamie Okulam, coordinator of the SisterSpirit PaganFaire.

“Welcome to what has become an annual event of our organization, SisterSpirit – a nonprofit women’s spirituality organization,” greeted the SisterSpirit PaganFaire coordinator, Jamie Okulam.

“Doing this is like a gift to the larger community,” Okulam explained. “While we’re women’s organization, here we join with the rest of the community – which is everyone – once a year, and we share a ritual,” she told East Portland News.

Offering raffle tickets to support “Michelle’s Heart” is volunteer Courtney Lau.

“We also have a raffle for our emergency women’s fund, called Michelle’s Heart. It’s named in honor of a trans-woman that was killed in a car accident, who was always anonymously helping people in need.”

In addition to the evening ritual and the vendors, the all-day fair also featured live music and dance entertainment during the day.

May Lynne Graves and Marlo Gonzales – both visiting the fair from Beaverton – model the tiaras they’d just purchased at the Fantasy Creature Store booth.

As we set out to take photos, she requested that we first ask permission of the subjects. “It’s because some of us haven’t ‘come out of the broom closet’ yet,” Okulam said with a kindly smile.

On our way out, Okulam observed, “The most fun part of this, for me, is seeing and interacting with the people – some of them we don’t otherwise see, except here – at our annual gathering.”

Showing one of her special crystals for sale is vendor Jeanne Underwood Jones of A Peazant’s Light, from Turner, Oregon.

To learn more about SisterSpirit, visit their website: CLICK HERE.

> ON OUR FRONT PAGE: Ari Sadie of Dragona Serpentine tells about her services and products.

© 2024 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™

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