Yurt Alert

By Hayli Zuccola

There’s something simple, yet magical, about the whimsical and cozy ambiance of a blanket fort—a comforting experience replicated on a larger scale through the use of a towering yurt interiorly decorated by Abby Stalvey of Southern Yurts Glamping & More. Traditionally used by nomads in Mongolia, Siberia, and Turkey, a yurt in its most basic description is a circular, portable tent similar in shape to a circus tent. While yurts have been the primary style of home in Central Asia for thousands of years, according to nationalgeographic.org, in the states, yurts have become a more recent trend and one of the go-to choices for outdoor glamping. Before 2021, Abby Stalvey, who serves as the Vice President of Cal-Tech Testing, Inc., had zero personal experience with glamping or knowledge on assembling a yurt. Nevertheless, when planning her daughter’s wedding, she thought organizing a bridal slumber party under the stars would be an unforgettable experience and, after exhaustive research, realized using a yurt would be the best method.

Her daughter’s bridal party enjoyed festivities the night before the wedding and used the space as a bridal suite the following day, but once the wedding came to a close, Abby wondered how to utilize the yurt for other functions. She tested the waters that October with a tea party and a Friendsgiving celebration, and on October 24, o cially founded Southern Yurts Glamping & More.

“I remember whenever I started launching it on Facebook, I remember the rst time I launched it, my heart was beating so fast,” Abby recalled of her hesitation to blindly start this new venture.

Despite her initial uncertainty, since its establishment, Southern Yurts has been successful, with Abby already having hosted 26 di erent events.

“We’ve had bridal luncheons, bridal showers, birthday parties, friends’ get-togethers. We had like the class of—I think it was 1990—had their local girls’ night in there and we’ve had slumber parties, birthday parties and we’ve moved it to Branford twice for rentals…then we just got back from Fairhope, Alabama,” she said. Underneath the 24-foot-diameter bell tent, Abby, with the assistance of her husband, Mike, treats the area like a chic venue and designs the layout based on the occasion, whether it’s a sit-down dinner, sleepover, a quaint baby shower or bridal party. Under twinkling lights and atop spacious rugs sit several poof ottomans, a love seat, a dining table with seating for up to 12 guests, small tables for drinks and, when used for slumber parties, transforms into a sleepover paradise with room for up to ve queen-sized air mattresses. While the furniture itself is provided by Southern Yurts, guests bring their own party supplies, blankets and event decorations to add the nishing touches. What makes this yurt—and yurts in general—so special is their ability to move to other locations. While Abby has the yurt she fondly refers to as “Big Bertha” fashioned beside a pond, a dock and a re pit for the cool winter months, she o ers various packages to bring the yurt and all of its furnishings to a speci ed location. Currently keeping the business manageable by maintaining a single yurt, Abby rents out the space in four-hour sessions, either the morning session from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or evenings from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. or for an overnight slumber party on-location, with prices adjusted for transporting the yurt elsewhere. With only one yurt available, she recommends that interested guests book their event two-to-four weeks in advance to guarantee their spot and requested date, which would also need to coincide with Southern Yurts’ open season, which spans from October through June. “It’s gone really well and it feeds my…creative side and my need to do something because, you know, we’re empty nesters,” she said.

To learn more about Southern Yurts Glamping & More or to get prices and book your stay, visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/southernyurtsglamping; follow them on Instagram @southern_yurts or email them directly at southernyurts@gmail.com.