The 2011 "Fairywalk" Event Award located at Voila!

The 2010 Fairywalk event award - a "life-size" fairy door fridge magnet (from the Ark).

Stefan Szumko | Contributor

This story has been edited to reflect the 2011 event date.

This month marks my wedding anniversary. I mention this because a few weeks after marriage, my wife, Christine, whisked me away to Germany for a “three-year honeymoon” in Germany. She was an officer in the Air Force, so I had to go with her.

Several months later, on a typical gray German day, accompanied by Christine and a few of our friends, I found myself attending my first Volksmarch in the forest above the city of Landstuhl. After walking and talking on the 10-kilometer route, followed by pea soup, bratwursts and beer, I was hooked on organized these walking events.

In spring through fall, at least one Volksmarch a month was offered in our local area, by different clubs. Most trails meandered through village woodlots or the Pfalzerwald - The Palatinate Forest, the largest forested region in Germany. The huge beech and spruce trees were gorgeous, and managed by the lumber industry. The villages were picturesque. But it was the social aspect, even when walking alone, that drew me to the sport known as Volkssporting. I suppose that the post-walk beer helped.

But during a two-year stint in Fairfax, Virginia, despite the huge military population and presence of several Volkssporting Clubs, I failed to participate in any organized walks. Perhaps it was the isolation of the suburban lifestyle we found ourselves in? Perhaps it was the need to visit with family in the area? Perhaps it was a teaching gig and starting on a master’s degree program? Perhaps it was coping with our new-found role as parents? But I just didn’t make the time to attend an event. I really did feel that I was missing a piece of my life.

Moving back to my hometown of Ann Arbor, I felt that the time had come for me to get out and walk once again. So I cashed in the pocket change I had been saving and scraped up enough cash to pay the American Volkssport Association the $50 chartering fee and $50 annual membership fee to start a walking club in Ann Arbor - the Washtenaw Wanderers Volkssporting (Walking) Club in December 2005.

Our first event was in May of 2006 at Gallup Park. Overwhelming was the participation. I had expected maybe 50 people to attend. We had 321 people spontaneously show up to attend the walk! Most clubs in the Mid-America Region of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky consider 50 participants to be a really good number. I am delighted to know that people in this area like to get out and go for a walk!

Now, living in a foreign land, the first thing one notices is the difference in architecture. In Europe, houses are built with stucco-coated cinderblocks with tile or slate roofs. Strip malls look like strip malls. But cities are a blend of new construction and old half-timbered houses. Wood is precious out there, since most forests were long ago converted to fields. Plus, sandstone, the precursor to cinder blocks, is readily accessible.

Back in Ann Arbor, I began to notice the diversity of architecture in our own land. Perhaps it was that I spent time renovating one of the rental apartments in my 155-year old house in Depot Town? Perhaps it was when I noticed a dragon appearing on the top of the steeple of St. Andrew’s Church on Division St. in Ann Arbor? Perhaps it was the dragons on the Museum of Natural History? But more likely, it was the press coverage of the fairy doors that were discovered on buildings in downtown Ann Arbor.

These miniature doors are really neat. With my day campers at the Leslie Science and Nature Center, we used to make fairy houses out of sticks, bark and rocks. But it was great to know that these mythical creatures were apparently moving into our city. I figured that if there were real fairy doors, there must certainly be fairies. I knew that these doors had to be shared with the Volkssporting community.

Researching a potential event award, I ruled out offering actual fairy doors, since not only would this be cost prohibitive - the American Volkssport Association’s rules state that event awards can be no more than $7 to make these souvenirs affordable. Plus I was pretty sure that the fairies did not have a means of mass-producing doors. So I thought of the next best thing - fairy door fridge magnets.

I got permission to photograph the doors and make magnets of them from Jonathan B. Wright, the person who “discovered” these fairy doors, first in his own house and later on buildings in town. He assured me that the fairies would not mind a limited edition of different fairy door fridge magnet each year. He also assured me that a fairy door fridge magnet would allow these mythical creatures to help polish off leftovers. Studies are underway to determine what foods urban fairies prefer most.

So with fairy doors and dragons in mind, a walk route through downtown Ann Arbor began to form. But what other mythological creatures are in the city limits? Then I remembered the corbel sculptures in the arches of the Law Quad. Back in my undergraduate years, we called them, “Trollmen.” So now the walk had a name and tagline: “Fairywalk - See the Urban Fairy Doors, Dragons and Trolls of Ann Arbor.”

Researching these cute little trollmen, I discovered the University of Michigan Architecture, Engineering, and Construction’s site listing the Public Art - Outdoor Campus Sculptures Web site. What a treasure trove of information! I just had to route walkers past the Rampant Unicorn in the courtyard of the Michigan League, the Toothfairy sculpture at the Dental School, even Ferry Field on the Athletic Campus. Plus, out of town walkers would want to see Michigan Stadium. These places are all on the 10-kilometer route - 6.2 miles. It would take me about 2.5 hours or so to complete this walk.

Each year, the route is updated to add new fairy doors and remove those who have moved out or are too shy to be seen. This year, the 5-kilometer route (3.1 miles) is completely revamped, taking walkers to the U-M Central Campus instead of the Old West Side. But all the downtown fairy doors are still on the route. This change was made since we had to eliminate a checkpoint. We are short on volunteers this year. Many of our club members are out of town the weekend of the event. If you’d like to join our club and help out at an event or two throughout the year, annual dues are $10 per household/family unit. We’d love to have you.

We’ve also made an additional change to the event this year. The Fairywalk will start at the offices of AnnArbor.com (301 E. Liberty on the corner of Fifth Ave.). In our previous three events, we started at the Arbor Brewing Co., and we are grateful for their support. But, now, because of AnnArbor.com’s desire to provide a community news space and my being an unpaid professional blogger for them, the club members decided that this might be a great fit for both of our organizations.

So, on Sunday, April 3, 2011 (updated from April 11, 2010) any time between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., come to the offices of AnnArbor.com and register by filling out a start card that has an amateur athletic waiver. The map and route directions will be available only on the day of the event and only to registered participants. Walk at your own pace - alone, with your family, with your friends, with newfound friends. Stop and shop, dine, or just look around. But be sure to finish by 4 p.m., since that’s when we’re closing up shop to head over to the Festifools parade on Main Street.

Feel free to contact me, Stefan Szumko (stef’in sum’ko) at washtenawwanderer@gmail.com or leave a comment or question below. I’ll do my best to answer it in a timely fashion. I’m looking forward to meeting you all.