A Garden Party with Princesses

On Saturday I had the opportunity to go to a tea party with my daughter and sister-in-law at the Botanical Gardens. It was a princess tea party - complete with “real” princesses. It sounds strange, but it was a great thing to see.

Here, in Anchorage, there’s a local non-profit cosplay group called “The Princesses of Alaska”. They dress up, primarily in Disney princess outfits, and go to various events. (I was delightfully surprised to meet Princess Peach from Super Mario at the garden party!)

I love how this group gives back to the community. They coordinate free events for people to attend, such as book readings at the library or the garden party we went to. However, they do so much more than that. They also take time to visit the hospitals and bring smiles to children’s faces in an otherwise somber atmosphere.

While I am more of a super hero woman myself, I won’t deny the popularity of these events. The garden party we were at was so full that we eventually left the building and went for a stroll through the botanical gardens. When we were leaving, we even ran into Snow White giving a bird watching tour!

This group is my motivation for the week. Despite being grown women, they spend their own money maintaining their costumes, and a countless amount of time getting ready and attending events that they are not paid for - all to bring smiles to children’s faces. To me, that’s certainly motivation enough to do something kind this week.

For more information about The Princesses of Alaska group, click here to visit their Facebook page.