Festival of Legends Directors
Founder / Owner / Lead Organizer: Jeffrey Kass performed for thirteen years with Renaissance Festivals in Michigan and the Carolinas, and he is a secondary education teacher with over twenty years in the classroom (dual-certified English/langauge arts and science, grades 6-12). In 2012, he opened the Festival of Legends: it is the realization of a life-long ambition and the ultimate expression of his love for festivals. He is extremely grateful to everyone – our performers, our artists, our volunteers, and our patrons – who makes this dream a reality. He drinks a lot of coffee….a lot.
Gatekeeper (Admissions): Meg Raphoon works with shows across the multi-subcultural multi-verse ranging from Faeries Festivals to Alternative Fashion Shows and Post-Apocalyptic romps. Currently residing in the City of Detroit, Meg has been an active Rennie, Goth, and Fae for over 20 years and plans to keep it that way until the end of time.
Fairy Foster Mother (Children’s Area Director): Emma Casale has been involved with Festival of Legends since year 3. She has been a children’s bookseller, crafter, vendor, event organizer, teacher and writer. She currently owns a brick and mortar shop called Creative Procrastinations & Whimsical Necessities in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, an extraordinary (and tiny) emporium where she sells a little bit of everything and something for everyone. In 2022, she launched her own annual fall fairy festival: The Shepherdstown Fairy Festival. She loves cats, children, fairy tales, tea parties, books and monsters.
Warden (Grounds and Volunteer Crew Director): Melanie York is a school librarian in Gaston County by day and a thespian by night. She is the volunteer coordinator for this festival. She has also performed at several other festivals, sung with Carolina Voices in Charlotte, and acted in a multitude of plays. She can’t wait for this year’s Festival of Legends!
Hearth Tenders (Participant Hospitality Directors): Eric and Amber are professional pixies who work behind the scenes to help make awesome events happen around the Southeast. Eric is a hand drummer, healer, and taster of boozy concoctions; and Amber is a performer, herbalist, and makes lots of boozy concoctions from odd plants that grow in their yard (you can see recipes on pixiespocket.com). The Pixies love the Festival of Legends family and are happy to help make the performers, vendors, and guests cozy, happy, and well-fed.
Medi-Witch (First Aid): Liz is a pediatric registered nurse specializing in magical and non-magical maladies alike. She is certified in advanced life saving techniques for humans, dragons, and all manner of fey. She has performed at Renaissance festivals across the Southeast and has great love and respect for the magic that Festival of Legends brings to everyone.
Medi-Witch (First Aid): Theresa, better known as our resident palm reader Madam Tess, has been with the Festival of Legends since its second year. She began her medical training in the Navy as a corpsman, and is currently a retired RN now teaching nursing in Virginia.
Herald (and Behind-the-Scenes Moral Support): Shelly has been volunteering since the first Festival of Legends back in 2012, and is now serving as a director helping with coordinating and recruiting volunteers as well as with social media. During the event, you can often find her performing as one of The Dragon Riders. In her free time, she also works as a volunteer with CLAWS, a local wildlife rescue, and Saving Grace, a rescue that primarily helps dogs.
The Cryptid (Senior Advisor and Assistant Director): Dave Olsher was birthed at the start of time from The Cosmic Egg itself. Since the beginning, Dave has been a source of wisdom, support, and mirth, and has been an indispensable contributor to the success of the event since its inception. When he is not helping steer The Festival of Legends, Dave vanishes into The Ether – his movements and motives unknown and unknowable – until it is time for our beloved annual event to spring to life yet again.
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