When the kids ask her if she’s real, she tells them she’s the magic of the season.
Claudia Levin has been Sonoma County’s Pumpkin Fairy Godmother for years. Traveling between county farms and pumpkin patches, she loves every minute of her day. “When I start my day as the Godmother, as I get out of the coach, I tell myself that I am the magic of the season, for every day is a special season,” Levin smiles.
When she left her long-term, full-time corporate job, she found a passion and a calling much greater to pursue. Being able to pursue this more fully is the wish she’s granted to herself.
This whimsical character brings joy to children of all ages, no matter what their circumstance, no matter what their belief system. “I take events from being absolutely wonderful to fantastically enchanting,” Levin says.
After getting out of the coach, she strolls the farm, granting wishes with her magic wand. She shows the children her bright, orange, dazzling magic ring and tells them that it can hear their wishes like a beautiful song and keeps their wishes in her heart all year long. Levin tells the families that their wishes are the seeds of intentions. She helps them understand that they can either wish for something, or for some circumstance in their lives to shift.
Levin asks children and adults what they love to do, and then helps them visualize their dreams. Many people have come back, even when she’s out of costume, and share with her their stories of very positive events after creating their wish. That’s one of her favorite things about her journey.
Levin loves watching the families grow over the years. She sees some children come as toddlers and each year they grow and return to tell her all of the things that they’re doing and learning this year. She loves bringing the whole family together, everyone standing in a circle with their eyes closed and making their wish.
The Pumpkin Fairy Godmother is an original character that Levin created. She has several magical dresses and she’s in the process of creating another one. As she reminds the kids and adults who come to see her, she lives inside a pumpkin most of the year and she takes the pulp of that pumpkin and weaves it into her dresses. The jewels, flowers, pumpkins and gourds found their way to the top of her hat. She reminds the children of all ages that magical people become other magical people and during the winter she becomes the Winter Queen of the Ferries.
Levin works with private farms, non profit groups, fundraisers and schools. Earlier this month she was on a very nice, small cozy farm called Muelrath’s Pumpkin Ranch. Last weekend she was at the Santa Rosa Pumpkin Patch and Francis Ford Coppola’s Harvest Carnival. This weekend she’s be at the mini Maker Fair and Fall Festival at the Wells Fargo Center.
“This is my career. I love my job and this is what I do full time. I’m always learning and shifting and it’s such a joy to do what I do and see how children and adults are so happy when they come to talk to me and get their wish,” Levin says. “Being the Pumpkin Fairy Godmother feels like being Santa with female body at a different part of the year.”