An enormous 'thank you' to everyone who helped make the second annual Celebrate Samhain such a terrific success! It was a pleasure to greet so many of you – old and new friends alike. Despite the inclimate weather, participants from as near as Peterborough and as far as Rhode Island and California gathered to celebrate, feast, shop, craft, listen, discuss, honor, and share. Together, we collected 255 items of food for the Peterborough Town Hall Food Bank, 4 bags of winter clothing items for the Unitarian Universalist Church's Mitten Tree Project, and raised over $500 for the Granite Tribe of SpiralScouts International. Thank you again for helping to make it happen!

Planning is well underway for this year's Celebrate Samhain ­ scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2008.

We are pleased to confirm that popular recording artists and Pagan festival favs, Scott Helland and Samantha Stephenson – The Gypsy Nomads (as featured in the Winter '08 issue of NewWitch magazine) will be joining us as guest musical artists.

Perennial favorite, esteemed author and Druid Priestess, Ellen Evert Hopman, will be returning as a guest speaker and participant in our popular (and often lively) Pagan Panel Discussion. Ellen has two, much-anticipated releases out this year (including a highly-praised, first novel), and will be available to sign copies of all her books and DVDs.

Renowned intuitive, spiritual counselor, and author, Dr. Kevin Ross Emery, returns by popular demand as special guest speaker. A native of Maine, "Dr. Kevin" amazed attendees two years ago with his remarkable intuitive talents and readings. In keeping with the spirit of Samhain, Dr. Kevin will 'pierce the veil', with a riveting exploration of the phenomenon of ghosts – in a presentation on earth-bound spirits and apparitions.

We invite you to check back for updates as more information is posted.

Celebrate Samhain is an all-ages celebration of the final harvest and ancestors past – filled with magic, music, crafts, and merriment. Be entranced by the bewitching music of a gypsy troupe; browse the wares of mystical vendors; learn something new in a variety of free talks and workshops; make and take home your own magical crafts; enlist a reading by a gifted intuitive; drum, dance, or sit and be enchanted by Druid storytelling; and observe the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain in a traditional, earth-centered ceremony that honors those who have gone on before...

The Event: Saturday, October 25th, 2008 • 10AM-6PM
Unitarian Universalist Church • Main St./Summer St. Peterborough, NH
Celebrate Samhain – a festival commemorating the origins of Halloween – seeks to provide a fun and enlightening experience for the whole community. This year's event helps support New Hampshire chapters of SpiralScouts International, an open and inclusive scouting organization for families of minority faiths and backgrounds. For more information on the program, visit the SpiralScouts website.

Admission: In the spirit of community, a $2 admission fee or a donation of a non-perishable food item or a new winter clothing item (mittens, gloves, scarves, sweaters, etc.) will be collected at the door. Donations will be distributed to local food banks and the Peterborough UU Church's 'Mitten Tree' winter clothing drive.