Students ran from dragons, were saved by trees, and played music on Friday, September 30, at Housatonic Valley Waldorf School's annual Michaelmas festival.

The annual Michaelmas festival honors St Michael, a mythical dragon-slayer who bears a mighty iron sword. St Michael's legend, according to the school, symbolizes the autumnal resurgence of human strength, willpower, and striving to overcome the inner dragons of laziness, greed, doubt, fear of the future, and forgetfulness.

Students, faculty, and parents gathered outside the school for the event.

The festival included a traditional role-playing relay game, which had eighth grade students wear different colors to show they were either trees, angels, or dragons in the game. Other grade levels, one by one, took their turn trying to run from one end of the field to the other to collect gemstones and run back to the start line.

The younger grades could run to a tree for safety, ask for assistance from angels, but if they were tagged by an eighth grade dragon they were given a task to accomplish as punishment - like jumping jacks or push-ups.

After two second grade girls were tagged by a dragon they ran up to teacher Leslie Lew. One said, "We got tagged, and our task is to give you a hug." Ms Lew and the girls smiled as they completed their task.

Each year the fifth grade teacher at the school runs the Michaelmas festival. This year Ken Friedman oversaw the event, announcing celebrations and sharing instructions for students.

As the sixth grade students were lined up to test their skills against the eighth graders in the role-playing game, Mr Friedman looked at the group and said, "Are you ready sixth graders? Because this is getting a little tough."

As each older grade level played the game, more dragons were added to the field. The seventh grade had the most number of dragons to go against.

Later during the festival a number of songs were shared, both by students then by the faculty. Students also walked around the field playing music for a traditional instrument walk.

Finally, a traditional play was shared for the gathered community members by the students. Different grade levels in the school portrayed different parts, like gnomes, St Michael, and a dragon.

"The dragon is coming! The dragon is coming!" students chanted as the third grade students worked under a large-scale costume to bring the dragon to life.