Tag: RFL 2020

RFL 2023: it’s the Weekend to Relay in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Relay for Life of Second Life, Relay Weekend, June 10-11th, 2023

Saturday, June 10th and Sunday June 11th mark the annual Relay for Life of Second Life Relay Weekend, raising money for the American Cancer Society and their projects to help and support cancer sufferers and their families and caregivers the world over. With American Cancer Society (ACS) regions forming the anchor-point for the event, 35 regions have been combined to provide the weekend’s track, which all Second Life residents are invited to walk for a part of the weekend and show support for those who have been stricken by cancer and / or remember those in their own families / circles of friends who have been lost to the disease/ are living within its shadow.

The theme for this year is Hope Floats, and this is reflected in the multiple camps and places to visit which line the RFL walk as it loops through the regions. The event officially opens at 10:00 SLT on the morning of Saturday, June 10th, with the opening ceremony taking place on the ACS2 and ACS 3 regions. Immediately following this is the first of a continuous series of laps around the walk, which will continue through until the closing ceremony at 10:00 SLT on the morning of Sunday, June 11th.

This first lap of the track is reserved for those dealing with cancer or who have survived its impact on their health, together with their family members and caregivers. However, residents as a whole are encouraged to line the track and show their support for them as they make their way around it.  After it comes the Parade of Teams: those groups active within Second Life who are active in both supporting ACS through organising and running their own fund-raising events, and who help to make this weekend the  Relay Weekend the event it is.

Relay for Life of Second Life, Relay Weekend, June 10-11th, 2023 – learn about ACS Hope Lodges

After the Parade of teams, from 14:00 SLT onwards on June 10th, through until 09:00 SLT on June 11th, there will be a series of hourly themed walks around the track, open to anyone to join for as long as they choose. As always, participants are invited to join in with the theme, all of which are listed below (all times SLT).

Saturday, June 10th
 Sunday, June 11th
11:00
Survivor/Caregiver Lap		 00:00
Space Walk among the Stars
Kirk or Spock? Baltar or Six? Ground Control or Major Tom? Go sci-fi!
12:30
Parade of Teams		 01:00
Mount Up and Ride
Ye-haw! – but why stop with riding horses?
14:00
Purple Power Hour
The Name sez it all!		 02:00
Your Pets Want Out
Bring your pet for a walk.
15:00
Under the Sea
Are you mermaid? Merman? Grouper or Penguin? Seas creatures unite!		 03:00
Small But Mighty
Dinkies and Tinies unite!
16:00
Unicorns, Fairies, Fantasy+
Come as your favourite fantasy character or dressed for your favourite genre		 04:00
Wild Wild West
NOW is the time for horses, big hats and cowpokes!
17:00
Over the Rainbow & Into the Clouds
Clouds, rainbows, pride		 05:00
Skate into the Morning
Make like Marty Mcfly or don those rollerskates and roll!
18:00
Ride the Wave, Dude
Surf’s up and beach parties are the order of the hour!		 06:00
Fight Back Hour
ACS, Relay, or Team shirts
19:00
Relay Sock Hop
Poodle skirts, vinyl, diners		 07:00
PJs, Coffee, and Curlers
For the all-nighters: wear your coffee and drink your PJs (!)
20:00
Light It Up
Torches, candles, neon lights, etc.		 08:00
Making Strides
Pink, Strides (breast cancer) awareness
21:00
Luminaria Ceremony
~ Remember ~		 09:00
Floating to the Finish Line
Carry (ride?) balloons around the track
22:00
Fly Your Kite
– or that of your team, if you’re a team member!		 10:00
Closing Ceremony
23:00
Relay Snow Storm
Dress up warm or get those Xmas Hols glad rags out!		 11:00
Dancing in the Streets
make like Martha and the Vandellas or Mick and David and dance around the track!

Luminaria Ceremony and Lanterns

At 21:00 SLT on Saturday, June 11th, the track will be in darkness and silence, with all those in the Relay Regions are asked not to engage in open text or voice chat but to walk the track in silence or stand to one side, as the names of those to be remembered are read.

It is a time for each of us to reflect on how this disease has touched us personally.  And it is a time for us to look inside ourselves with quiet reflection and find hope.  Because no matter what our experience has been with cancer, we all share the hope that we will one day live in a world where our children, and their children, will never have to hear the words “you have cancer”.

– Relay for Life of Second Life event web page

Along the sides of the relay track are the Luminaria lanterns that can be used to commemorate and / or honour someone you know who has succumbed to or survived cancer. Lanterns can be lit for a minimum donation of L$50 (all proceeds to Relay for Life of Second Life). Donations can can be made by clicking  a lantern and then either selecting a set amount or typing in an amount of your choice. You can also optionally enter whether you are lighting the lantern in memory or in honour of someone, and also add their name and / or a message.

Relay for Life of Second Life, Relay Weekend, June 10-11th, 2023

So, get ready to join the fun and help raise money for a very worthy cause!

SLurl Details

  • American Cancer Society (American Cancer Society, rated General)
  • ACS2 (opening / Closing ceremony, rated General)
  • ACs3 (opening / Closing ceremony, rated General)

Fantasy Faire 2023: previewing the LitFest and FilmFest

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Stump Theatre , Fungalmire – home of the Fantasy Faire 2023 LitFest and FilmFest

Fantasy Faire 2023 is now open, and with it comes the Fantasy Faire Literary Festival (LitFest), now in its ninth year, and the Fantasy Faire Film Festival (FilmFest), returning for its third year at the Faire.

The LitFest

Centred on the Stump Theatre in Fungalmire the LitFest is a special place where the magic of the spoken word will weave tales of wonder, relate stories of great adventure and daring; where talks by authors, discussions, creative writing sessions and performances will all take place. In addition, literary hawks and writers will be encouraged to join daily LitFest tours of the Fairelands and afterwards compose pieces related to their travels.

This year, our theme is anthropomorphic fiction – that is, fiction in which animals displaying decidedly human traits form an important part of the narrative. Think of the likes of Aesop’s Fables or legends out of Africa and the orient, or the retelling of Hamlet through the likes of The Lion King, to evergreen favourites like The Wind in the Willows, Winnie the Pooh and Charlotte’s Web.

Guest Of Honour

Anne Louise Avery

The LitFest 2023 Guest of Honour is Anne Louise Avery, author of Reynard the Fox, the beautiful novel that draws upon medieval sources. Anne also creates Twitter vignettes that tell stories of a world where animal and humans live together.

Born in London to bohemian parents – her mother was a novelist and her father a journalist who worked with Ian Fleming and Graham Greene in Naval intelligence during the War – Avery received a First Class degree in art history at the School of African Studies (SOAS), University of London, one of the world’s leading institutions for the study of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. She then held a fellowship at Brown, and studied Japanese at the International Christian University (ICU) in Tokyo, before becoming an art historian and writer.

In 2020, she published Reynaud the Fox, which takes William Caxton’s bestselling 1481 English translation of the Middle Dutch tale of a subversive, dashing, anarchic, aristocratic, witty fox from medieval East Flanders and weaves a new interpretation of the story, complete with innovative language and characterisation and themes of protest, resistance and duplicity fronted by a personable, anti-heroic fox making his way in a dangerous and cruel world.

Sunday, April 23rd
 11:00 – An interview with Anne Louise Avery

LitFest Fairelands  Tours

The popular Fantasy Faire LitFest Tours will once again be taking place, leaving daily from the LitFest home base in the Drifts of Anamnesis to explore the Fairelands and seeking the stories they have to tell as well as their special secret places and details. Stories can also be submitted for publication on the Fantasy Faire website, provided they are submitted within two days of each tour.

The Tours depart daily from Fungalmire, and at the time of writing, the tour schedule is as follows (all times SLT):

Fri. April 21
 17:00 – Safe Haven Sat. April 22 13:00- Spirits Crossing
17:00 – Fairelands Junction
Sun. April 23 13:00 – Sialdor
17:00 – Frostweald		 Mon. April 24 17:00 – Dingir
Tue. April 25 13:00 –Giraphoria and Sambeaubee
17:00 – Sipala		 Wed. April 26 13:00 – Nysaris
Thur. April 27 13:00 – Giggenwhirl
17:00 – Fungalmire		 Fri. April 28 13:00 – Khumbala
Sat. April 29 17:00 – Winding Valley Sun. April 30 17:00 – Isles of Aquarius
Mon. May 1st 17:00 – Flambois Tue. May 2 13:00 – Syzstrum Synod
17:00 – Glimmering Meadows
Wed. May 3 17:00 – WooHoo! Bay Thur. May 4 13:00 – Nova Nadiya
17:00 – The Shimmering Fen
Fri. May 5 17:00 – Opera

The FilmFest

The Film Festival is returning for its third year at Fantasy Faire. Events will include: talks, discussions and retrospectives of the works of different machinimatographers, three film premieres, including the premiere of the third episode of the ongoing series, Harland Quinn and the Omega Hex. And don’t worry if you missed Episodes 1 or 2 – these will also be shown.

The Film Competition

2023 will see the second edition of the Fantasy Faire Film Festival Competition, complete with awarding of the Wafflies!

Open to all, the competition is based in the Fairelands, and comprises three categories, with the winner in each will receive a golden Wafflie statue.

Category 1 – 5-minute  fiction   Tell a narrative story, set in the Fairelands
Category 2 – 5-minutes factual This could be a documentary, a tour of a region, a special Faireland event and – if the creator is willing – perhaps a short interview.
Category 3 – 10-minute Livestream
 Either edit a ten minute sequence from the livestream, or give a timeframe of 10 minutes from the longer livestream.

The LitFest and FilmFest Calendar

The calendar blow lists all of the LitFest and FilmFest events – click on any link for more details.

LitFest and Film Festival Highlights

All times below SLT.

Weekdays April 21-May 5
 06:30 LitFest The Milkwood Dash – a chance for you to spend 15 minutes writing your own prose or poetry based on a writer’s prompt, and then share what you have created with your fellow authors.
Friday April 21 11:00 FilmFest Chantal Harvey and Saffia Widdershins explain what will be happening at the FilmFest
Sunday, April 23
 11:00 LitFest An interview with Anne Louise Avery at the Stump Theatre, Fungalmire.
Tuesday, April 25 11:00 FilmFest An interview with Pryda: discussing her machinima work, some of which – the Future Shock series – has been featured in this blog.
Wednesday, April 26 11:00 FilmFest An interview with machinima maker Teal.
Friday, April 28 10:00 FilmFest An interview with Macguyver Mode, followed by the premiere of his new film.
Saturday, April 29 11:00 FilmFest An interview with machinima maker Chantal Harvey.
Saturday, May 6 14:00 FilmFest The Wafflies Awards
Saturday, May 6 17:00 LitFest The Mythos of the Fairelands- Zander Greene and Aoife Lorefield are in conversation about the Mythos the underlies the Fairelands.

Additional Links

RFL Christmas Expo 2020 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Christmas Expo

The annual RFL Christmas Expo opened its gates on December 4th, 2020, and will run through until December 13th in support of The American Cancer Society and RFL of SL.

Located on fourteen regions (including the Linden Homes preview region (to the north of The American Cancer Society region) and the Linden Lights of Hope region adjacent to the main Lights of Hope region, this year’s expo once again offers a wide range of shopping opportunities, entertainment and more, all presented around the theme Christmas Memories. As with 2019, all funds raised during the event will go towards supporting The American Cancer Society’s Childhood Cancer initiatives,where they will be used in support, research and palliative efforts to help children with cancer.,

Over 200 merchants from all fields are participating in this year’s event, which includes daily entertainment at the Holly Jolly Café featuring a mix of live performances and DJs. The schedule of entertainment provides a day-by-day breakdown of the 100 hours of live entertainers, DJs and dance performances. which include live performers and DJs, all of which culminates in the Holidays of Hope Gala Ball. However, some of the highlights of the event are listed below.

SL Christmas Expo 2020

Special Events and Activities

This year’s Expo includes a number of special events and activities, including:

The Christmas Expo Holiday Market: Back for its 6th year, this outdoor shopping event features 80 merchants for 2020,all offering a variety of shopping options, and you can take a look at the special items that are available.

This year the Market includes a Kids Holiday Market section in Christmas Morning, the the special kids region, and there is also a home décor market for all your needs, indoor and out.

Holiday Raffles: this year sees the Expo offer two raffles:

  • The Big Holiday Shopping Raffle presents two lucky winner the opportunity to gain a super goodie bag of gift certificates and prizes. Tickets can be purchased through the raffle kiosks at L$100 each or three for L$200. The prize draw will take place at 18:30 SLT on Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at the Holly Jolly Café.
  • The Daily Holiday Shopping Raffle can be found at the Holly Jolly Café, with prizes valued at between L$250 and L$1,000. Tickets are L$50 each or three for L$100, with daily draws at 19:00 SLT at the Holly Jolly Café.

Note that all certificates are transferable, and so make great Christmas Gifts, and all proceeds go directly to the American Cancer Society Childhood Cancer Initiative.

Auctions:

  • The Silent Auction: opening on Saturday December 4th, the prizes this year include gift cards with values between L$500 and L$5,000, a home with a pool, merchant mega gift boxes, a winter gown fatpack, an Animesh fatpack. Bidding runs through until 17:00 SLT on Sunday, December 13th, 2020, with winners announced at the Holly Jolly Café, starting at 17:15 SLT on  Sunday, December 15th.
  • Linden Auction items: The chance to bid on three special Linden prizes:
    • An exclusive Linden Home Package, including a 6 Month Premium Membership; a Private Bellisseria lot with their choice of a Linden Home.
    • The ability to create a New Linden Last Name to be added to the list of choices for new members.
    • To Name a Future Bellisseria Region (3 Available).
  • Breedable Auctions: There will be a number of Breedable auctions throughout the Expo, including a One of a Kind auction.

Lights of Hope: once again Second Life’s premier builders are joining the SL Christmas Expo to present the 3rd Annual Lights of Hope Home Decoration Contest. Each of the builders has decorated the outside of one of their stunning houses in holiday style and brought it to the Expo.  Stroll the Holiday Road neighbourhood at the Expo and vote for your favourites by donation to the American Cancer Society kiosk in front of each home! 100% of all donations go directly to the American Cancer Society.

Also be sure to pop over to the Real Estate Office in the neighbourhood where some of the builders have graciously placed out their entry home for sale in an American Cancer Society Christmas Expo vendor.

The 11th Annual Holidays of Hope Ball: will take place between 13:00 and 18:00 SLT on Sunday, December 13th, focused on the event theme of Christmas Memories. Sponsored by T1Radio, this formal ball is open to all Second Life residents, and will feature live entertainment by FlyQueen, together with the sounds of the season with Madelyn Majestic and Trader Whiplash.

New Linden Homes preview: catch the new Linden Homes theme that in a special preview (read more here).

SL Christmas Expo 2020

As well as the above, the Expo this year includes: a gacha, a snowman building contest, Santa’s sleigh ride, and photos with Santa – which this year includes the chance to pose with the Lab’s Vice President of Product Operations, Patch Linden, on Wednesday, December 9th between 13:00 and 15:00 SLT.

Thus, there is a huge amount to see and do at the Expo, so be sure to check out the official website for more information.

SLurls and Links

All regions rated Moderate.

The 2020 Second Life Sci-Fi Expo

Posted on by Inara Pey
The 2020 Sci-Fi Expo

I am very late in getting to this – I’m not entirely sure how I missed it,and my apologies to the organisers for only getting to it now –  but currently in progress until the end of Wednesday, October 28th, 2020 (SLT), is the 2020 Second Life Sci-Fi Expo in support of RFL of SL and Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC).

Not to be confused with the annual Second Life Sci-Fi  Convention, which this year took place in May, the Sci-Fi Expo has generally been a smaller event (in previous years referred to as the “Mini Expo”), but this year has been taking place across five regions.

All five regions are packed with all things sci-fi, with each of them having a specific theme, a central hub providing an anchor point for explorations. The regions are packed with all things science fiction, with information available on sci-fi goods and services, role-play, communities, and more (including a hunt).

The 2020 Sci-Fi Expo

As it is late on in the event’s run, I’m not going to dwell too much on things – the best way to appreciate what is available is to hop over and immerse yourself; particularly if you are a science fiction fan. What I will do is refer you to the event’s Exhibitor’s List and Shopping Guide.

What I will say is that when exploring the regions, you’ll find a rich mix of merchants, role-play groups and more, together with the major franchises from media sci-fi: Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, etc., whilst those who have done six impossible things before visiting might want to consider breakfast at Milliways: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe.

2020 Sci-Fi Expo

So, whatever your interest in science fiction, be sure to set your phaser on fun and head back to the future with a visit to the SL Sci-Fi Expo in the next 36 hours.

Related Links

The 2020 SL Renaissance Festival for Making Strides

Posted on by Inara Pey
Banner courtesy of the SL Renaissance Festival

The 2020 SL Renaissance Festival is currently open to visitors through until the end of Sunday, October 4th, 2020, with the aim of raising funds for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC). A signature event coordinated by the American Cancer Society, MSABC is aimed at raising awareness of the risks of breast cancer and raising funds to support research into, and treatment of, the disease.

A new event for Second Life, the SL Renaissance Festival is a switch away from past MSABC events in-world. It is taking place across six regions linked to the American Cancer Society island, all of them decorated in a medieval / renaissance theme and presenting a range of merchants, activities and entertainment for visitors to peruse, participate in and enjoy.

SL Renaissance Festival: jousting arena

Please refer to the official SL Renaissance Festival web site for:

The event tournaments include daily rounds of jousting (including jousting with the Lindens on October 1st, 2020), archery, mounted archery, and mêlée, all of which are open to anyone who like to try their hand at any of them – check the official website for more details via the menu at the top of the site.

For those interested in role-play, the Kings Court Academy features a range of period role-play classes, and offers practice grounds for those wanting to try their hand at the various tournament activities, either on their own or via a scheduled class. It is also the starting point for the Conquer Trail, a path people can take on foot or horseback, running or walking, and use slingshots or rotten tomatoes to try to strike targets; when they do so, information about Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and the services it provides is displayed.

SL Renaissance Festival: silent auction area

In addition, the event features:

  • Auctions: the festival features both a One Of A Kind and a Silent Auction, both of which are running through until Sunday, October 4th. You can view the auction items via the catalogues on the SL Renaissance Festival website, and bid on them at the festival’s auction locations:
  • A Gacha market.
  • The Trail of Heroes – breast cancer survivors and caregivers from around Second Life reveal how Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and The American Cancer Society have benefited them in their journey with the disease.
  • The Best in Helm Contest – vote for your favoured swordsman, jouster, or archer in this contest by leaving a token of your esteem (donations to Making Strides). The helmed lord or lady by receiving the most donations will win the favour of the festival lands.
  • The Stag Hunt – find the stag statue in participating shops and claim the goodies inside for only L$25 (all payments go directly to Making Strides). Note that some stores may have more than one stag statue, and statues may also be found in the role  play areas of the Ren Fest I region.
  • The Royal Court Gala – Sunday, October 4th, at 13:00 SLT.
  • Lindens At the Pillory – on  Friday, October 3rd, a number of Lindens who misbehaved during their voyage to the festival will be pilloried between 13:00-15:00 SLT, or until their fines are paid. So come tease them or, if you prefer, pity them and pay for their release (all payments go to Making Strides).
SL Renaissance Festival: information area (Ren Fest I)

All of which adds up to a lot to see and do! To help visitors get in the mood of the event, the landing points in the main merchant areas include a range of period costumes and accessories on sale for between L$1 and L$175 – all funds raised again going directly to Making Strides.

URLs and SLurls

2020 SL Christmas Expo: of memories and merchants

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Christmas Expo

The 2020 SL Christmas Expo in support of the American Cancer Society, will take place between Friday, December 4th and Sunday, December 13th, 2020, inclusive. The theme for this year is that of Christmas Memories, with the organisers noting:

Christmas trees towering over your head while the Lionel train makes is journey around the base. Brightly wrapped gifts spread under the lowest boughs, as the aroma of sugar cookies and gingerbread drift in from the kitchen. Carols playing on the Victrola while the family gathers together to celebrate the holidays.  Christmas Memories of all shapes and sizes spring to mind each year as the holidays approach.

– Nuala Maracas, RFL of SL Christmas Expo co-ordinator

This year, the organisers plan to have:

  • 150+ merchants.
  • Breedables and one-of-a-kind auctions.
  • nearly non-stop musical performances / entertainment via the Holly jolly Café.
  • Gachas and hunts.
  • Christmas trees, ice skating, and a snowman building contest.
  • The 3rd annual Lights of Hope contest, featuring the best builders and teams of Lindens and Moles in a holiday home decorating competition.
  • The closing Live Auction with one of a kind items from Linden Lab and SL’s top creators and the annual Holidays of Hope Ball.
  • The Holidays of Hope Ball.
2019 Christmas Expo

Merchant and Auction Registrations