Pixie Day

Pixie Day is a tradition that takes place in Ottery St. Mary, England, annually on the Saturday nearest Mid-Summer's Day in June. The day commemorates the age old legend of Ottery St. Mary's infamous 'pixies' being banished from the town (where they caused havoc) to the local caves known as 'Pixie's Parlour'. Its current format was created in 1954.

The celebrations begin in the early afternoon when a large fête takes place on the Land of Caanan park. At 6 pm the celebrations focus on Ottery's town square. Hundreds of 'pixies' (made up of local Cubs and Brownies dressed in pixie attire) capture the St. Mary's church bell ringers and drag them from the church to the square, where a reenactment of the pixies' banishment takes place. The evening climaxes back in the Land of Canaan where a huge fireworks display takes place.