Erik Swenson returns this year to open the fair with his popular Global Healing Circle. Note that attendees must arrive between 8:30 and 8:50 a.m. to participate in this event. This year’s keynote speaker is author and coach Marcus Kasunich, speaking on Conscious Relationships. Kasunich and author Peig Myota will be signing their books after their presentations. Fair founder Jill Borsos’ workshop Be a Practical Mystic is another of the 13 free presentations offered at the fair. Kelly Kolodzinski of Renew Holistic Wellness will present Beyond the Self-Exam: 10 Breast Health and Wellness Tips Your Doctor Won’t Tell You. Artists, psychics and readers will have a more open, quieter area in the LaVerna Commons. This year the fair welcomes energy workers and a clothing vendor to this area of exhibitors.

Mayor Tom Barrett’s office has once again proclaimed April 18 as Dare to Be Aware Day in Milwaukee, honoring the fair’s contributions to the wellness of the city. “If you want to know what’s happening in southeast Wisconsin when it comes to natural wellness, the Dare Fair is where you’ll find it all,” says Patricia Clason of the Center for Creative Learning, the personal and professional development firm that organizes the fair. Natural Awakenings Milwaukee is a major sponsor of the fair.