Needless to say, we had a great time. Overall, the festival was very well attended and book sales were awesome. We sold out, which has never happened before.
This particular festival made its home indoors at the Hannibal Inn in Hannibal, Missouri, which is the first time we've attended an indoor festival. It even features Lake Quad, the largest lake in Oz.
The Spirit of Oz: Wizard of OZ Characters Troupe were in full Oz mode and very well received by all in attendance.
There were, of course, numerous other Oz characters wandering about and bringing great joy to the throngs of kids and their families.
In addition, there were loads of people dressed up in various Oz outfits as part of a Guinness Book of World Record's attempt for the most people dressed up in Wizard of Oz costumes.
This particular lady really nailed it with her costume, which was also an entry in the Ozziest Hat contest.
Bob Walls (aka: Puppet Dude) of Stephen's Puppets was there with a traveling Wizard of Oz marionette show. I wasn't able to attend his performance, but I've seen it before and he is always one of the top attractions and most popular part of any Oz festival we have attended. Kids love it, especially since most of them have never seen a marionette show before. And of course, Bob has a warped sense of humor that plays very well with kids and their parents alike.
Vincent Myrand, a very talented artist was there with his very impressive body of work in oil-on-canvas Wizard of Oz material.
Mary Ellen St. Aubin, Munchkin-by-Marriage was there too, but I was unable to get over to see her. A shame too as she is such a sweet person and a wonderful Ambassador of Oz.
There were numerous performances by The Spirit of Oz: Wizard of OZ Characters Troupe, who delighted audiences with songs, dance and recreations of beloved scenes from the Wizard of Oz movie.
If you wanted any kind of Oz memorabilia, Dorothy's Marketplace was the place to be.
Overall, attendance was robust, steady and quite happy to be in the Land of Oz.
While there were a few minor glitches, which usually happens with any festival of any nature, overall, Amanda and I thought it went well.
We want to take this opportunity to thank Jack Bishop for including us in the festival, as we have for the last 5 years. We always enjoy ourselves and look forward to next year's Oz festival.
James & Amanda Wallace