Michaelmas

Festival Details: September 25, 2026

2:15 p.m. Parents Arrive

Please arrive by 2:15 p.m. to allow plenty of time for parking and finding a seat. Parking will be busy, and overflow parking will be available on the soccer field.

Please find a seat in the area between the two Lower School buildings. To reach the seating area, please walk around the 8th-grade classroom rather than between the Lower School buildings.

If you have accessibility needs, someone will be available to help direct you through an available classroom and assist you in finding a place to sit.

2:30 p.m. Michaelmas Pageant Begins

Students in 2nd through 12th grade will bring the story of Michael and the Dragon to life through dramatic scenes, poetry, music, and movement.

Each grade has a special role in the pageant:

• 1st Grade – First graders sit in front and watch the pageant with their 12th-grade buddies.
• 2nd Grade – Gnomes
• 3rd Grade – Meteors and shooting stars
• 4th Grade – Peasants
• 5th Grade – Nobility
• 6th Grade – Angels
• 7th Grade – Poetry
• 8th Grade – Demons, the dragon, and royalty
• High School – Archangels, with Michael portrayed by a 12th-grade student

After the Pageant: Student Dismissal

After the Pageant, 1st–8th grade students will return to their classrooms to change out of their costumes. Students will then be dismissed for parents to pick them up at their classroom doors.

Community Picnic

Following the Pageant, we will gather together as a community for a Michaelmas picnic.

The children have helped prepare special harvest foods to share:

• Fresh-baked Harvest Bread made by the 8th grade
• Fresh-pressed apple cider made by the 3rd grade,  please bring a cup!
• Homemade butter made by the 1st and 2nd grade

Families are invited to bring a picnic meal, blanket, and any dishes or utensils you will need.

Please keep an eye on your children once the Pageant has finished and the picnic begins. All students in 8th grade and below should be in the care of a parent or another designated adult, or signed into aftercare, by approximately 3:10–3:15 p.m.

What is Michaelmas

“In autumn, Great Michael with sword and with shield Passes over meadows and orchards and fields. He’s on his way to battle against darkness and strife— He is the heavenly warrior, protector of life!”

Michaelmas is a seasonal festival celebrated in Waldorf schools around the world as summer gives way to autumn. As the days grow shorter and nature begins to turn inward, we gather together to celebrate the harvest and prepare for the season ahead.

At the heart of Michaelmas is the image of Michael meeting the dragon with courage and strength. The dragon represents the fears and challenges we all face, while Michael reminds us of the courage and inner strength we can find within ourselves.

At Summerfield, we bring this story to the children through songs, stories, movement, seasonal work, and shared experiences. Michaelmas invites us to meet our own challenges with courage, strength, and an open heart.