Tag: RFL 2022

Your pocket guide to the RFL Xmas Expo 2022 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

The RFL Xmas Expo 2022

The annual RFL Christmas Expo opens its gates on Friday, December 2nd, 2022, and will run through until Sunday December 11th in support of The American Cancer Society and RFL of SL.

This year the Expo takes on a tales and fables theme entitled The Magic of Holiday Stories, and in keeping with this, with 11 of the 12 regions presented as “Chapters” in a storybook, with each telling its own story to visitors and landscaped by a guest designer. Rounding out the dozen is the Linden Lights of Hope region by Linden Lab, highlighting Linden Homes. Thus, the full dozen region comprise:

Notes to the above list:

  • Links provide SLurls to the regions.
  • Chapters 1 through 6 are the main shopping regions.
  • Chapter 7 and 8 are the Breedables / Pets regions and auctions areas.
  • Chapter 9 is the Expo Market.

As with past years, the event enfolds Fashion & Accessories, Home & Garden, Animations, Breedables and Pets, together with entertainment, auctions, hunts, special events, and more. All to help raise money for the American Cancer Society’s Childhood Cancer initiatives, where they will be used in support, research and palliative efforts to help children with cancer.

The best way to get all the information on the event is via the official website. Here you can find a complete on-line shopping directory for direct SLurls to stores; the full schedule of entertainment for the entire event; the Breedable Faire and Auctions; a breakdown of all major events (outside of entertainment) with SLurls for teleporting; the event sponsors and more. The following highlights some of these activities and the special events for the Expo.

RFL Xmas Expo 2022: Photos with Santa

Auctions and Raffles

Breedable Auctions

Linden Special Auctions

  • One of a Kind Auction Package: TWO 12 month Premium Plus Subscriptions (one for the winner and one to gift to
    a friend,) and a Homestead Region with no monthly maintenance fees for 12 months.
  • Linden Holiday single item auctions:
    • 1 x 12-month Premium Plus Subscription.
    • 1 x 3-month Premium Plus Subscription.
    • 1 x 1-hour hang-out / photos with Patch Linden.
  • Linden Holiday auction package: 1 x 12-month Premium Plus Subscription; 1   x  free Name Change; 1 x 1-hour hang-out / photos with Patch Linden;  2 x limited edition Patch Linden Bear (1 to keep and one giftable). 
  • Linden auctions landing point.
RFL Xmas Expo 2022: 3 of the Linden Lab auctions

Raffles

  • TWO L$50,000+ Shopping Spree Raffles: to be drawn on Sunday, December 11th. Tickets L$100 or L$200 for three. Also available at kiosks throughout the Expo.
  • Linden Holiday Raffles a  set of individual raffles:
    • 1 x 3-month Premium Plus Subscription.
    • 1 x 12-month Premium Subscription.
    • 1 x 3-month Premium Subscription.
    • 1 x free Name Change 
  • Raffles landing point.

There are also daily Jolly Holly Raffles.

All proceeds from the auctions and raffles go to RFL of SL / The American Cancer Society.

Special Events

Lights of Hope landing point: once again Second Life’s premier builders are joining the SL Christmas Expo to present the 5th Annual Lights of Hope Home Decoration Contest, and this year, the region has been been playfully designed based on The Nutcracker story by SkyeRyder Varriale, of Varriale Designs. 

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. You can even purchase some of the homes and / or  decorations from the American Cancer Society Christmas Expo vendors some of the builders have placed in front of their homes. 

Linden Lights of Hope landing point: an adjunct of the Lights of Hope events, featuring Linden Premium Homes decorated by Lindens and Moles. 

Build a Snowman Contest: get rolling those prims and build your snowman (build dates: December through 6th, inclusive). Plots are L$50 each (100% of all donations go directly to the American Cancer Society). original and unique snowman designs are encouraged, if prefab snowmen are used, they must include unique elements added to them.  The best builds will be decided upon by popular vote, which will be open between December 7th and 10th, 2022, with the winners announced on December 11th.

RFL Xmas Expo 2022: Build a Snowman Contest

Photos with Santa: Santa and the Elves are at the Expo – see the schedule of their appearances and visit the Photos With Santa area and snap your holiday picture. 100% of the donations go to the  American Cancer Society.

Santa’s Sleigh Ride Tour: join Santa in his sleigh at Tour Ride 1 or Tour Ride 2, for a reindeer powered flight around the Expo regions (optional donations can be made via the kiosks alongside the tour start points).

The 7th Annual Stocking Stuffer Hunt: find the Christmas Stockings hung in participating Expo merchants shops. Pay L$25 (all donations to RFL of SL / The American Cancer Society) and claim a copy of its contents. And take note – there may be more than one stocking in a store!

Don’t forget – full details of all activities and events at the Expo can be found in the SL Christmas Expo website.

RFL Xmas Expo 2022: Linden Lights of Hope

SLurls and Links

All regions rated Moderate.

RFL Sci-Fi Expo 2022 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
2022 RFL Sci-Fi Expo

The 2022 Second Life Sci-Fi Expo launched on Friday, October 14th, 2022, and will remain in orbit through until Sunday, October 23rd, in aid of The American Cancer Society and the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC) campaign.

Active across four regions located alongside the American Cancer Society Island, this year’s even carries the theme of Voyage Through the Stars. These four regions are arranged as a single structure representing The Nexus, a massive space vessel and “crowning jewel of the United Earth Council fleet as it explores the vast reaches of interstellar space.”

The core of the build appears to be the vessel’s propulsion system, around which the almost spherical ship is constructed. Level with the mid-point in this vertical core is a broad deck ring running around the the circumference of the ship, which serves as the shopping precinct and home to the main event locations.

2022 RFL Sci-Fi Expo

The latter form a set of four smaller domes, comprising the the main landing point and information centre; the Raffle and Silent Auction, the ACS information hub and Memory Crystal garden, and the entertainment dome. All of the domes are connected via the shopping precinct, while the landing point dome has a set of teleport portals that can deliver visitors directly to any of the other three domes or to the main ACS island.

As with previous years, the expo presents a broad range of science-fiction related merchandise and daily entertainment and activities. The website sees a change in approach this year, with some information coming in the form of re-directs to Facebook pages, however, for ease of reference, here are the core links:

2022 RFL Sci-Fi Expo

The website is perhaps a little light on specifics in places – a list of SLurls on the home page would be nice, as would actual details on the Quest – I can tell you it is called The Captain, the Governor and the Greslock, but little else other than you can join this in-world via the Quest vendors and point you to the list of prizes on Facebook, per above. Similarly, while events in the calendar can be clicked on for more details, a SLurl to the entertainment dome is sadly absent. But that said, the best way to appreciate the Expo is to pay it a visit, and I encourage all sci-fi fans do so!

About Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s premier event to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. But it’s more than just the name of a walk – it describes the amazing progress we’re making together to defeat this disease. Since 1993, four million walkers have raised more than US $280 million through Making Strides. Learn More.

2022 RFL Sci-Fi Expo

SLurls and Information

The 2022 SL Renaissance Festival for Making Strides

Posted on by Inara Pey
via SL Renaissance Festival

The 2022 SL Renaissance Festival is currently open to visitors through until the end of Sunday, October 2nd, 2022. Coordinated by the American Cancer Society, the Festival is in support of Making Strides Against Breast Cancer (MSABC), an RFL of SL signature event aimed at raising awareness of the risks of breast cancer and funds to support research into, and treatment of, the disease.

Taking place across multiple regions adjoining the core American Cancer Society’s SL base of operations, the festival carries the theme The Silk Road and presents a range of merchants, activities and entertainments linked to the medieval / renaissance periods, for visitors to peruse, participate in and enjoy.

Please refer to the official SL Renaissance Festival website for:

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer SL Renaissance Festival 2022: entertainment area

The event tournaments include rounds of jousting, archery, mounted archery, and mêlée, all of which are open to anyone who’d like to try their hand at any of them. In particular, and for those who wish to try their hand at jousting there is the added attraction of jousting against staff from Linden Lab and Moles from the Linden Department of Public Works.

Advanced Tickets to joust in this special event, which will be held between 12:00 noon and 14:00 SLT on Thursday, September 29th, cost L$1,000 (proceeds to RFL of SL / Making Strides) and are available via kiosks within the Welcome Regions and at the Joust Arena. Advanced Ticket holders will have priority Joust time, but if time permits, the Joust will be opened to those watching the event, on payment of a L$1,000 donation to Making Strides. Experience in jousting is not required, and mounts and lances are supplied.

If jousting isn’t your thing, then perhaps ensuring the more rambunctious Lindens and Moles are held to account might be, because as the event website notes:

The Lindens & Moles have escaped the hordes who chased them down the Silk Road and have arrived safely at the SL Renaissance Festival.  However, they had a few, shall we say, “incidents” along the way whilst visiting the village taverns and partaking in  local merriment. Some, more so than others it appears. Reports of table dancing, chandelier swinging and loud singing in the streets in the wee hours have reached the Festival Queen. They must be held accountable for their loud and rambunctious behaviour, and have been ordered to the pillory.

By Royal Decree, Second Life Residents are to be the judges as to who spend time in the pillories by voting for the Linden / Mole team they feel should be held to account by making a donation to the kiosk representing that team (all donations to MSABC).

Voting will close at 13:00 SLT on Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, and it is understood those accused will be skulking around the voting kiosks in an attempt to proclaim their innocence and encourage the voting for rival teams to face time in the stocks! Don’t be fooled and vote with your conscience – the pillories will be locked after the final tally has been taken, and the winning – err, losing – team will face the rotten vegetables provided for the purposes of pelting, and (good-natured!) jeering.

If all this sounds like fun, then why not also become a medieval fashion model and walk “Ye Olde Catwalk” in the RenFest Fashion Show? Model your favourite look in any or all of the these categories (L$100 donation to MSABC required for each costume entry): Medieval Royalty; Medieval Dinky; Viking; Pirate. The show will take place at 10:00 SLT on Sunday, October 2nd, and if you wish to participate, sign-up here.

And of course there is the Renaissance Raffle and the special Linden Silent Auction, the latter with some very special prizes, including:

  • Premium Memberships:
    • Bid for one year Premium Membership or Premium Plus Membership (if you are already Premium or Premium Plus, you can bid for a free 12-month renewal).
    • Both bring you all the benefits of Premium / Premium Plus and if you’re feeling generous – the prizes can be gifted!
  • Change your last name for free, using the list of available Last Names available at the time.
  • A one-hour photoshoot with Patch Linden and a chance to chat.
aking Strides Against Breast Cancer SL Renaissance Festival 2022: Linden silent Auction and Jousting entry kiosk

Bid for your Linden Prize here! Note that the auction closes at 13:00 SLT on Sunday, October 2nd, 2022.

All of which adds up to a lot to see and do! So why not follow in the footsteps of Marco Polo et al, and tread the route of The Silk Road? Who knows what marvels you might purchase along the way, the tales of triumph you might later regale your friend with – or a trophies and rewards you might obtain?!

URLs and SLurls

All of the RenFest regions are rated Moderate.

2022 RFL Renaissance Festival and Sci-Fi Expo dates and details

Posted on by Inara Pey
via SL Renaissance Festival

The dates and initial details of the Relay for Life 2022 Renaissance Festival and Sci-Fi Expo, both of which take place in Second Life, have each been made available over the course of the last month, as have initial registration details, etc.

Both the Renaissance Festival are focused on raising funds as a part of the Relay for Life Making Strides Against Breast Cancer campaign, and the dates for both events are as follows:

  • Renaissance Festival: Friday September 23th through to Sunday, October 2nd, 2022, inclusive.
  • Sci-Fi Expo: Friday, October 14th through to Sunday, October 23rd, 2022, inclusive.

Renaissance Festival

The Renaissance Festival offers something for everyone interested in the medieval / renaissance period. It will take place across multiple regions – or kingdoms, presenting a wide range of activities, including: shopping, role-play, auctions, tournaments and entertainment.

The theme for this year’s event is The Silk Road, and t following registration opportunities are now open:

  • Special Events Sponsorship – show your support by sponsoring the event via one of these special packages.
  • Merchants – a range of packages with assorted options. All fees are a 100% donation to the American Cancer Society.
  • Role-play packages – designed for  Medieval / Renaissance / Norse & Similar Genre Roleplay Regions & Guilds & Alliances & Groups who wish to have a presences at the SL Renaissance Festival. Packages are prices at LS $2,500 each.
via SL Sci-Fi Expo

Sci-Fi Expo

With the theme of Voyage to the Stars, the 2022 Sci-Fi Expo promises to carry visitors aboard The Nexus, a mobile space station and one of the crowning jewels of the United Earth Council fleet, as it continues its journey of exploring the vast uncharted reaches of interstellar space.

Applications are now open for the following:

  • Exhibitors – with packages ranging from L$1,500 to L$50,000. Please read the FAQ below the package descriptions when applying. Applications available through until October 10th.
  • Events and Perfromers – DJs, singer, dance troupes, and entertainer as invited to apply for a performance slot at the epxo – with applications open through until October 10th.
  • Bloggers – applications are open through until October 1st, and the application page also outlines requirements bloggers are asked to meet.

About Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer is the American Cancer Society’s premier event to raise awareness and funds to fight breast cancer. But it’s more than just the name of a walk – it describes the amazing progress we’re making together to defeat this disease. Since 1993, 4 million walkers have raised more than US $280 million through Making Strides. In 2007 alone, nearly 500,000 walkers across the country collected more than US $50 million to help fight breast cancer. Learn more here.

Further Links

2022 Sci-Fi Con in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
via the RFL Sci-Fi Con 2022

The 2022 Second Life Sci-Fi Con departed spacedock on Wednesday, May 18th, 2022, and will remain in orbit through until Sunday, May 29th, 2022 in aid of The American Cancer Society.

Now in its 14th year, the Sci-Fi Con is taking place across 9 regions (including the main hub, and carries the theme of Brave New Future.

The Sci-Fi Con is … the largest gathering of science fiction fans, role-players, creators, merchants, and entertainers in Second Life! The Con covers sci-fi and all its sub-genres like horror, steampunk, post-apocalypse, cyberpunk, superheroes, and even a little fantasy thrown in for good measure. We all come together in peaceful unity to celebrate the things we love, the possibilities of the future, and most importantly, to support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Second Life’s quest to achieve a world without cancer.

– from the Sci-Fi Con’s website

2022 RFL Sci-Fi Con: Main Hub

For this year, each of the eight shopping regions for the convention carries its own theme (the Hub region also feature the main event stage):

All of the regions can be reached via the teleport kiosks at the main hub, or by walking between them, with most following a broadly similar layout with their landing point / info area towards the centre, and the merchant and group stores set out around it within an environment intended to reflect the region theme.

The best place to find out about planned events running throughout the convention – DJ sessions, movies, quizzes and more – is via the Event Calendar (all times SLT).

2022 RFL Sci-Fi Con (“There’s no place, I can be / Since I’ve found Serenity. / And you can’t take the sky from me.”)

This year’s convention includes the Stargate Hunt: stargates are hidden in plain sight throughout the convention regions. Touching them when found will give you a number. Get all six numbers, and use them to dial a secret gate address at the main stargate dial home device (DHD) to travel to a secret location where you can claim your prize.

Those who wish can also purchase convention T-shirts both in-world at the convention, and out-world as well, or pick up a convention bag.

So, prepare your away team / landing party, set phasers on fun and head over to the Sci-Fi Convention.

SLurl and Information

RelayStock 2022 and Bid a Linden Bald in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
RelayStock 2022: main stage

RelayStock runs to Second Life from Friday, May 13th through Sunday, May 15th inclusive, once again bringing  a weekend of Peace Love and Hope and great music as the 2022 to help raise funds for Relay For Life of Second Life and the world-wide work of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Paying homage to the summer of 1969 and all that was Woodstock, RelayStock is hosted by the RFL team of SL Relay Rockers and brings together Relay teams from all across across Second Life for a celebration of the Relay season. Teams raise their banners above makeshift tents and old VW campers as they gather for the three days of music and fun – and we’re all invited!

Entertainment Schedule

All times SLT – check the official event page for any late updates):

Friday, May 13th Saturday, May 14th Sunday, May 15th

15:00 – Biology Club
16:30 – DJ Scottland
18:00 – Quartz:  LIVE
19:00 – DJ Corruptor Annamemnon

10:30 – DJ Melina Firehawk
12:00 Noon – DJ Stormy Dench
13:00 – Keeba & Tiny Maniacs: LIVE
14:00 – DJ Cynthia Farshore
15:30 – DJ Marius
17:00 – DJ Myst.Xi
18:30 – DJ Dulcinea

10:00 – DJ Primi
11:30 – DJ Caesey
13:00 – Max Kleene: LIVE
14::00 – Todd Rutth: LIVE
15:00 – DJ Kayla
17::00 – DJ Trader Whiplash

Bid Lindens (and Moles!) Bald

2022 marks the 6th year that the Lindens have joined in the fun at RelayStock through Bid a Linden Bald (BALB), a further way of raising funds by bidding to see a team of Lindens and Moles go bald (in-world!) for a month.

This year, BALB opens the the start of RelayStock and runs through until May 19th, when the losing team will face the scissors! 2022 see a total of five mixed teams of Lindens and Moles participating, and bidders again determine who lose their hair by making donations (aka “bidding”)  to the kiosk(s) of the team (or teams!) they don’t want to see in-world with depilated domes.

RelayStock 2022: Bid a Linden Bald

The five teams from the Lab / LDPW participating this year comprise:

  • Team 1: Oberwolf, Grumpity, Izzy, Oatmeal, KB, Hobbes, TJ, Itsa Mole.
  • Team 2: Signal, Kreide, Mister Mole, Madori, Chipper, Obi, Cosmic, Simon
  • Team 3: Patch, Vanessa, Kady, CyndiB, Star Mole, Theresa, Whitney, Cammy
  • Team 4: Derrick, Sequoia, Jbo, Milli Mole, Frosty, Wendi, Kit
  • Team 5: Maximus Mole, Anna Mole, Vix, Volo, Spots, Dottie, Tommy

Last year the Linden and Mole teams combined to raise L$840,639, or US $3,361, raising the event’s all-time total to more than L$3.5 million.

RelayStock Linden Bears and Relay Rock Cows

This year, as well as making donations to the BALB team kiosks, people can also participate BALB by purchasing a Limited Edition RelayStock Linden Bear pack. Offered at L$250, each pack contains a pair of bears: one free standing and the other huggable. To obtain a pack, simply pay the vendor alongside the kiosk for the Linden / Mole BALB team you wish to support, and accept your bears!

Also available this year are the Relay Rocker Collectable Hero Cows. Offered at L$50 there are 6 to collect, or for L$150, you can get all 6 + a special bonus Hero Cow. Find their vendors (show below) on the hay bales a short walk along the track from the BALB area.

RelayStock 22: Relay Rocker Collectable Cows

So, let the spirit of the Age of Aquarius enter your life this weekend, don your kaftan (and galoshes!), put flowers in your hair and head on over to RelayStock for great music, great dancing, great fun – all in a good cause!

Event Links