Festival Life.
Like Waldorf schools around the world, the Waldorf School of Tampa Bay community celebrates the cycles of the year through a rich and vibrant festival life. Celebrating these festivals helps us to connect with the natural cycle of the Earth and establish a yearly rhythm for our children. Through these festivals, the school cultivates community among children, teachers, parents and friends.
Festivals help us to nourish our souls through the sharing of stories, food, songs and activities linked to the seasons and expressed with beauty and reverence. In addition to the community-wide festivals listed here, teachers celebrate other festivals in the classroom, including those connected to different cultures being studied.
Michaelmas.
This Fall festival, based on the story of St. George and the Dragon, is celebrated with a pageant, songs, and games of courage and strength, as wears the color red to represent the courage we gather to ‘fight our own inner dragons’.
Lantern Walk.
One November evening in a nearby nature preserve, children and families reverently carry glowing luminaries to light the dark path together, and celebrate our inner light illuminating the outer darkness of the approaching winter.
Spiral Garden.
In this solemn and beautiful ceremony of light, children follow a spiral path of evergreens to reach the center candle. Each child lights their own candle from a single flame, reminding us during this time of Advent, the power allowing our inner light to shine.
Holiday Faire.
This enriching Holiday season experience for the community includes handmade crafts, children’s activities, music and delicious baked goods, with the highlight being “The Elves Shoppe,” where children can purchase handcrafted gifts for their loved ones.
Candlemas.
In February, we celebrate the return of the Light with a bonfire and homemade candle dipping. Our most casual festival of the year, it is a beautiful afternoon of simplicity and friendship for our community.
May Faire.
The arrival of Spring is celebrated by donning white clothes and handmade flower crowns, as we enjoy song and dance around the decorated Maypole on our beautifully decorated campus. This festival also marks our Grandparents and Special Friends Day.
“Waldorf is such that it unlocks the romance and beauty and mystery of the world in such a way, children can't help but fall in love with it.”
— Marjorie Spock, Environmentalist, educator, author and poet