Parting the curtains...Wish Night Addition

The story of it all...

The Wish Night Market first made itself known to me as the Witch Night Market, but maybe I misheard. I imagined it on the winter solstice, dark and full of light. I was off by only a few months.

Just after Helene, a friend I met through last year’s Fringe Fest, asked if I wanted to bring some of my magic to an event that LEAF was doing at a local brewery. I said yes without hesitation, despite not knowing what I was going to do. That is when I saw it…a market in the woods. A holiday of wishes. Dark and full of light.

Because I cannot manage to do anything simply, I wrote a tiny zine explaining the festivities, made 100 wish boxes and gathered an abundance of supplies to decorate said boxes. Something bloomed that day and it was not fading any time soon.

I wasn’t going to apply for Fringe Fest this year. Then I was. Then there was a hurricane and I couldn’t meet the deadline. Then the deadline was extended and I still didn’t think that I could. But Wish Night kept shining. In all the pain and chaos and connection that came after the storm, Wish Night began to feel like something I could do. So I pulled together an application and figured it will be what it will be.

Not all that long after, I was asked if I would help with the July Society holiday Soiree. The Wish Night Market made its virtual debut in December, complete with 3 stalls and a word from the oracle. We crafted boxes, cast our wishes and had a grand time.

When I got the word that a proper Wish Night Market would be happening as part of the Asheville Fringe Festival I was ready to get creating.

72 wish boxes, filled with tokens and slips of paper to write down your wishes.
75 scrolls of spells.
75 Quests and Questions wrapped in a Christmas Cracker or handmade origami box.
75 wishes from the night, each in a handmade envelope.
75 tiny fat ladies, holding a message from the Goddess of Wish Night.
2200 origami stars, each with a wish handwritten on the inside.
65 tiny books, hand bound, to explain the magic.
65 slightly bigger books, also hand bound, to help the magic last.
1 new typewriter ribbon.

Now double that, because there were 2 nights and I wanted each experience to be as full as possible. Ok, don’t double the stars. Or the typewriter ribbon. They stayed the same for each night.

I wrote each word. Folded each paper. Cried each tear.
Throw in a few dozen paper cuts, a handful of late nights, and a very messy studio…and you have the bones of the event.

I created the vast majority of The Wish Night Market with the July Society (check us out here…even sign up for a free focus session!). I am so grateful for their support. I could not have made this happen without their enthusiasm, wisdom and presence.

The actual market was more than I could have ever dreamed. I am still blown away that people not only get what I am doing, but are so willing to enter my land of make believe made real. There were tears, gasps and giggles all in good measure. I loved every second of it.

My friends, especially ~ Rob, Lissa, Claire, Maeve, Sherry, Sarah and Heather~ helped me bring this magic to life. Thank you!!
And while I am in the gratitude zone…I want to express my thanks to Ward Caldwell, my venue coordinator as well as my awesome venue, LEAF Global Arts.

A big giant thank you to AVL Fringe Fest for making my wish come true

Thank you to all the people who showed up, cast their wishes and took their play seriously.

I am grateful to you as well and all ways. This space is where I have honed my vision of immersive experiences of make believe made real. I appreciate your presence, encouragement, and all around awesomeness.

An extra spark of gratitude to the paid subscribers of this Substack. Your support has given me the space and courage to create as I do. Thank you! If you are able and would like to become a paid subscriber, there is a button at the bottom of this page/email. I offer secret messages each week and occasional other sparks of wonder.

On this side of the Wish Night Market, I know what I want. I want more. So much more.

With love and fire~
Jo Anna

P.S. I know there was some confusion with how to access the online Wish Night Market. You can use the coupon code “Wishes” to get a free wish and “Spells” to get a free spell. My apologies for not being clearer. You will have to go through the checkout process twice. It is annoying but it was the only way to get it to do what I needed it to do. You can find that here: https://www.joannadane.com/wish-night-market

P.P.S. There are some videos on my IG. https://www.instagram.com/joannadane1/