Blair Parke
2025-03-08 · 3 min read
Tucked away at the Laguna Beach Library, a magical 1,800-square-foot world of fairy homes, pollinator plants, and butterfly wings has been delighting children and families for a decade — and it just keeps growing.
At Laguna Beach Library, there is a magical world tucked away for everyone to enjoy. With this year marking its 10th anniversary, the Laguna Beach Butterfly and Fairy Garden combines whimsical fun and environmental education in its 1,800-square-foot site.
The location contains more than 30 fairy homes and scenes amid pollinator-friendly plants, shrubs, and trees. Each month offers a new theme for the garden and includes activities that children can participate in — from decorating Christmas ornaments to activities connected to fairies and the environment.
A Garden That Grows With Its Community
"Our focus is finding a way to get kids outside and exploring, continuing that idea of play," said Simone Adams, who, partnered with Kim Shields, leads seven volunteers in maintaining the garden and participating in various events.
Annual activities such as the Earth Day Celebration and the library's End of Summer Reading Program Butterfly and Fairy Festival draw hundreds of guests to the garden, where children can become "honorary fairies."
Letters number in the hundreds each month — kids write to their favorite fairy, then return to find a reply waiting for them.
One extremely popular activity at the location is Fairy Mail. Kids can write letters to a specific fairy at the garden, then return to receive their replies. Letters number in the hundreds each month — a testament to the garden's hold on young imaginations.
The Visionary Behind It
Created from the visionary mind of sculptor and longtime Laguna Beach resident Jessica deStefano, the Fairy Garden continues to inspire children of all ages to believe and dream while caring for the world they live in.
The Laguna Beach Library is located at 363 Glenneyre St. For more information or to view the garden's upcoming events, visit the library on Instagram.
