Event award for the Fairywalk 2011.

“If there are fairy doors, there must be fairies.”

As I put the finishing touches on the 5K and 10K walk routes for the fifth annual Washtenaw Wanderers “Fairywalk 2011,” I’ve been informed that there are people out there who are unable to attend this individual sporting event.

This walking tour to see the “urban fairy doors, dragons, and trolls” on buildings in downtown Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan Central Campus is a great way to prepare for the Festifools Parade or even work up an appetite for a downtown dining experience.

Participants will be able to check out the community space at the AnnArbor.com building (301 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor) on Sunday, April 3, as they register and start their walk between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., finishing by 4 p.m.

This event is free, family-friendly and non-competitive. Walkers walk at their own pace on marked and mapped routes with written directions. The event award, a “life-sized” Fairy Door fridge magnet, is $7.

All members of the public are invited to attend, regardless of age or ability. Strollers, walkers, wheelchairs, and scooters are welcome. Dogs and rattlesnakes must be leashed and should remain outside of buildings.

Fairy doors were first discovered by Ann Arbor native Jonathan B. Wright as he was renovating his home. In 2006, these miniature doors began to appear throughout town. The Urban Fairies Operations website discusses the history of the doors and the locations of the ones he’s discovered.

But for those of you seeking to find the fairy doors and are unable to come, here is a list of all the known (to me) fairy doors in downtown Ann Arbor:

1. Selo-Shevel Gallery
2. Crazy Wisdom Book Store and Tea Room
3. Peaceable Kingdom
4. Seyfried Jewelers (actually a “goblin” door)
5. Ann Arbor District Library
6. Adorn Me!
7. Café Verde
8. Red Shoes
9. The Ark
10. Hathaway’s Hideaway
11. Sweetwater’s Cafe
12. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory
13. Google (not public access)
14. The Bead Gallery (two of them, really nice)
15. Adorn Me!
16. Serendipity Hair Salon

For more information on Fairywalk 2011, visit http://www.ava.org/gen3/data/event_details.asp?eventid=89754.

Stefan Szumko is the founder and president of the Washtenaw Wanderers Walking Club a local chapter of the American Volkssport Association. He can be reached at washtenawwanderer@gmail.com.