Category: Events

Bay City New Year 2015 prim drop

Posted on by Inara Pey

Prim Drop PosterThursday, December 31st 2015 will once again see a great Second Life tradition take place, with the Bay City “prim drop” set to mark the start of a new year.

Festivities will be kicking-off a 23:30 SLT at the Bay City Fairgrounds in North Channel. Marianne McCann will be providing the music and fireworks, and food and drink will be provided.

The theme for the event is a wintertime soirée; black tie attire is recommended, and all SL residents are invited to attend.

This will also be the final opportunity in 2015 to donate to Child’s Play Charity,  a US 501c3 non profit organisation offers on-line communities such as Second Life an opportunity to help seriously ill children around the globe during their hospital stays with the purchase of games and gaming equipment. As of December 24th, Bay City had raised L$122,189 for the charity through a series of events, including the annual silent auction and tree lighting concert, a Christmas tree sale, and other events. Hopefully, the Prim Drop will see this figure increase still further!

About Bay City and the Bay City Alliance

Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab® and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest group for Residents of Bay City.

Second Life Home and Garden Expo 2016 announced

Posted on by Inara Pey
A Maven Home featured at the 2014 Home and Garden Expo
A Maven Home featured at the 2014 Home and Garden Expo

The 2016 Second Life Home and Garden Expo  has been announced and will run from 14th February through to 6th March 2016.

Spanning nine regions, the Expo will feature the very best in home and garden design, furnishing and decor, all to help raise money for Relay For Life of Second Life (RFL of SL). In particular, 2016 will see the Expo under new management and featuring a fresh new experience: The Festival of Hope, together with an art exhibition and gachas, as well as the Expo hunt.

Registrations have now opened for interested exhibitors and artists, with the following point of note:

  • Those willing to be exhibitors at the expo are asked to offer two items for sale with 100% of proceeds being donated directly to RFL of SL. These must new items, and offered exclusively to visitors to the Expo for the duration of the event.
  • The art exhibition will be split into 3 groups, with artists in each group exhibiting for a period of one week. During this time, they must offer one item for sale with 100% of proceeds of sales donated directly to RFL of SL.

Gachas are a new opportunity to the Expo this year, and 50% of the proceeds from these will be paid to RFL. One gacha machine is included in all exhibitor packs. A limited number of non-exhibitor gachas will also be available.

Those wishing to apply to be either an exhibitor or artist at the 2016 should complete the application form. Full details of exhibitor pricing is available, and all applicant should ensure they have read the notes on intellectual property and the rules and requirements for the Expo.

Further details on the event can be obtained through the Home and Garden Expo 2016 website,  where blogger registrations will be opening in the near future. In the meantime, press enquiries can be made in-world to Kaerri Rae and /or Reven Rosca.

Seeing out the year with Seanchai Library in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another short  week of story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library, as we move from Christmas to New Year celebrations. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Sunday, December 27th, 18:00: All Good Gifts

A new original story by Caledonia at Magicland Park.

Monday December 28th, 19:00: Science Fiction Adventures

With Gyro Muggins.

Tuesday December 29th 19:00: Epiphany

MiracleTrolley Trollop continues to read from Connie Willis’ miracle and Other Christmas Stories, bringing us Epiphany, the final tale in the book.

A Christian minister has an epiphany about the Second Coming of Christ, which leads him onto a journey of his own.

He is accompanied by an atheist and a retired English teacher; an unlikely trio of wise men who walk snow-covered streets, following their own signs and wonders, and gaining insights into their faith (or lack of it) along the way in a moving tale which discusses faith without ever proselytising.

Wednesday, December 30th 19:00: The Following Shoes Are a Gift from the Pope

In a special 75-minutes session, Caledonia Skytower reads from M.J. McGalliard’s collection of short stories rife with absurd (though not “blasphemous”) humour related to saints, and some of the more circuitous doings of the Catholic Church.

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for October – December is Reach Out and Read, one of the most highly rated literacy charities in the USA which reaches 4.4 million children annually and distributes 1.6 million books.

Additional Links

Flash: Lindens and Moles in Winter Wonderland meet-up?

Posted on by Inara Pey
Winter Wonderland village - Linden and Mole meet-up?
Winter Wonderland village – Linden and Mole meet-up?

There are rumours circulating that members of the Lab and a number of moles will be present at the Winter Wonderland, near the landing area and later at the snowball fight arena.

The rumours appear to originate with Patch Linden, who is reported to have been heard whispering:

Today at around 11am SLT we’re going to be doing a Linden/Mole meet and greet in the Winter Wonderland regions near the landing area.  We’ll probably hang out there for a bit handing out gifts and then we’re going to spend the rest of the afternoon in the snowball arena.

So, if you’re looking for something to do, why not hop over to the Winter Wonderland and see if the rumours are true?

‘Twas the week before Xmas at Seanchai Library in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Christmas is almost upon us, and so it’s a short week at Seanchai Library in the run-up to the holidays – but there is still time for some fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s Second Life home at Bradley University, unless otherwise indicated.

Monday December 21st, 19:00: Escape Clause

Rod SterlingYou’re about to meet a hypochondriac. Witness Mr. Walter Bedeker age forty-four. Afraid of the following: death, disease, other people, germs, draft, and everything else. He has one interest in life and that’s Walter Bedeker. One preoccupation, the life and well-being of Walter Bedeker. One abiding concern about society, that if Walter Bedeker should die how will it survive without him?

So opens the 6th show in the very first series of Rod Sterling’s The Twilight Zone, one of the original three episode ideas used by Sterling to pitch the series concept in 1959.

Already labelled a hypochondriac in that opening narration, we follow the mean-spirited Walter Bedeker as he seeks to make a water-proof contract with the devil himself (appearing in human form under the disarming name of “Ted Cadwallader”) which will allow him to sell his soul in return for health and immortality. With every “t” crossed and “i” dotted, the contract seems perfect for Bedeker, wary of any conniving tricks on the part of Old Nick.

So why is the Devil so accommodating to Bedker’s demands, and why does he, in what appears to be a turn of altruism, offer Bedeker an escape clause, allowing him to choose the time of his death if he tires of being immortal?

Join Gyro Muggins as he once again takes into a journey into The Twilight Zone.

Tuesday December 22nd 19:00: A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Other Stories

Aoife Lorefield reads Dylan Thomas’ timeless classic poem, and other tales of Christmas.

Wednesday, December 23rd 19:00 The Night Before the Night Before Christmas

A Seanchai Holiday Tradition  of stories and poems (some original works) with the Seanchai Staff.

Personal Note

I’d like to wish the staff and volunteers at Seanchai Library every best wish for the season and for a successful 2016. Thank you for your continued work in bringing stories and the spoken word into Second Life in the tradition of the seanchai, and raising awareness of literature as an art in-world. Looking forward to working with you throughout 2016, and to establishing Storytime at the Park with you as well!

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule.

The featured charity for October – December is Reach Out and Read, one of the most highly rated literacy charities in the USA which reaches 4.4 million children annually and distributes 1.6 million books.

Additional Links

Lab vs residents snowball fight 2015

Posted on by Inara Pey
Winter Wonderland 2015-2016
Winter Wonderland 2015-2016 features a much bigger snowball fight area

In blogging about the re-opening of the Lab’s Winter Wonderland on Thursday, December 17th, I asked:

The big question is, however – will there be a residents vs Linden Lab snowball fight this year?

Well, the answer wasn’t long in coming, as a blog post from Xiola on Friday, December 18th, announced that there will indeed be a snowball fight to mark Christmas 2015 in Second Life, as she wrote:

Come one – come all to the Snowball Arena for a friendly ice battle of epic proportions! We’re bringing back the Official Snowball Showdown – where you’re free to pelt your fellow Second Life Residents and Lindens with a bevy of sparkling snowballs!

If you missed last year’s battle – now’s your chance to get some snow slinging fun in an icy free-for-all at Winter Wonderland. Join us on Monday, December 21st between 10 AM SLT and noon SLT.

If you’re looking for the latest in snow-slinging arsenal, be sure to grab your free snow launching weaponry from the vendors around the arena. Premium members can unlock even more powerful artillery.

Mark your calendars, assemble your dream team of friends, and meet us in the snow!

The 2015 snowball fight – which marked a return of the event after a lengthy absence – was a pretty robust and fun affair. This year, with a greatly expanded arena space and the odd monster thrown into the mix, promises to be far more of an occasion.

2015 snowball fight, Winter Wonderland;; Inara Pey, February 2015, on FlickrThe February 2015 snowball fight at Winter Wonderland: Strawberry Singh swings into action, demonstrating her skill with a snowball rifle in a one-handed, from-the-hip snap shot at a moving target! (Flickr)

So, reconnoitre the playing arena, if you are Premium, grab your upgrade badge from a Premium kiosk, and get ready to lock’n’load on Monday, December 21st, from 10:00 SLT.

Related Links