2012 Folktoberfest Information

It's a FAMILY REUNION!!! Y'all come!

October 12-14, Doherty Hotel in Clare MI/dohertyhotel.com/800-525-4115

(Tell them you're with the Wee Forest Folk Mouse event OR Folktoberfest.)

TYPES OF REGISTRATION

NONATTENDEES: You need not attend Folktoberfest to purchase Event Pieces, the Helper's Piece, the Participation Piece, or the Charity Piece. If Attendee Pieces are left over after the event, non-attendees who made purchases will be offered those remaining pieces.

FTF GUESTS:

Full Registration: Purchase $600 worth of FTF 2012 Event Pieces and your registration fee will be waived. Early registration will earn you raffle tickets: 50 if postmarked by August 31, 25 if postmarked by September 15 and 10 if postmarked by September 30. (Raffle tickets at the event will cost $2 each or 6 for $10). If you're traveling with someone, you may combine your purchases to cover the registration fee ($1200 covers two full registrations, $1800 covers three people, etc.).

Your registration fee entitles you to participate in all FTF challenges and events including raffles and auctions, win prizes and surprises, and enjoy Doherty hospitality (dinner Friday evening, three meals and snacks on Saturday, and brunch on Sunday).

Attending-Only Registration: If you plan to attend but will not be purchasing pieces, the registration fee is $225 on or before September 15 and $250 after September 15. This fee covers all food, participation in all events, and all prizes.

Saturday-Only Registration: If you would like to attend Saturday only, registration is $150, which will be waived if you purchase at least $300 of FTF Event Pieces. This fee entitles you to meals on Saturday and all activities, prizes, etc.

Friday-Only Registration: If you'd like to be here for the Swap 'n' Sell but not the rest of the event, you can have dinner with us on Friday and attend the evening session for $60. Purchase of $125 worth of event pieces will make Friday Registration free.

Meals-Only Registration: If you're not planning to participate in the event or purchase mice but would like to join us for all meals and snacks, we just ask that you cover the cost of the food--$115 for all three days.

The EVENT PIECES listed below count toward registration fees:

When Do We EAT?--$350

Let's PLAY!--$350

We're RELATED?--$350

Uncle Elvis--$95

FTF or BUST! Pedal Plane--$180

It's Been a Long Day (Jumbo Pillow, lavender Iris)--$135

Willy's Unique Sculpture (Grandma's Picture Book)--$295

OTHER FTF PIECES

CHARITY PIECE:

Here Comes Granny! (purple motorcycle)--$165 plus $50 donation to one of the following 503 (c ) nonprofit organizations:

1. Monterey Bay Aquarium (www.montereybayaquarium.ogr/incredibly progressive, multipurposed aquarium (education, conservation, rescue, research); this is the place the other world-class aquariums are mining for ideas);

2. Pawz 4 Life Animal Rescue (no kill, all breed rescue for dogs and cats in Saginaw MI);

3. American Red Cross of Clare and Isabella Counties, MI (relief agency, baby pantry, soup kitchen);

4. Humane Animal Treatment Society (Colton Fund for Special Needs Dogs and Russ Heron Fund for Special Needs Cats/Isabella County MI animal shelter run by animal foster organization); or

5. Make-a-Wish Foundation of Michigan (www.wishmich.org; organization grants "wishes" of children with life-threatening medical conditions).

You may write separate checks (for the tax deduction), one to FTF for $165 and the other to your choice of the above nonprofits. Otherwise, $50 will be donated in your name to the nonprofit of our choice.

NOTE: some organizations are good about sending individual receipts; others are not.

PARTICIPATION AND HELPER'S PIECES:

This year's Participation Piece will be the Dahlia Jumbo Pillow piece and the Helper's Piece will be Calla Lily. Attendees will have opportunities to earn credits toward the Participation Piece and some will win it as a result of their participation. Helpers receive the Helper Piece as a gift; it is available for sale to others who would like to purchase it.

LIMITED CHARITY PIECE:

Here Comes Granny! will be painted in a limited version of just 12 pieces on a white motorcycle for the charity auctions. Charities will be specified for each piece offered so as to "spread the wealth" among as many worthy causes as possible. You must attend to bid on and purchase this piece and may only win or purchase one.

ACCESSORY PIECE:

The Robin Family Accessory Piece will be sold at the event during Registration to Attendees only.

2012 WFFCC CLUB PIECE: Although not a Folktoberfest piece, you can order the Club Piece (girl hula hooper—see photo at end of order form) at the same time you place this order.

EVENT PIECES:

When Do We EAT?? The piece shown above is pretty close to the final version you will receive except that all three mice will have an appropriate flower family "crest" on their clothes: a dahlia, a lily or an iris.

Let's PLAY! In the final version of this piece the hula hoops will be painted, one red and one purple. There will be just one tennis racket and one golf club. Note the iris on Dad's sweater, the dahlia on the little girl's overalls, and the lily on the boy's overalls.

This one is called We're RELATED? because the cousins looks so strange to one another: Free-Spirit Sara, Smarty Sam, Gangsta G, Pastoral Phil and Dreamer Dolly. The drawing in the frame says Family Tree.

Uncle Elvis is kind of a strange relative. He dresses like his namesake and carries a Tip Jar wherever goes. In fact, Uncle Elvis is ready for Halloween every day of the year. He's a member of the Calla Lily Clan, as shown by the flower on his white jumpsuit. The FTF or BUST! Pedal Plane will have colored stripes on the tail: purple, pink and gold to match the colors of the family clan flowers.

EVENT PIECE, HELPER'S PIECE AND PARTICPATION PIECE:

It's Been a Long Day depicts the triplets: Iris, Dahlia and Lily. Iris is the Event Piece. Dahlia is the Participation Piece and Lily is the Helper's Piece.

CHARITY PIECE: Here Comes Granny! is the Charity Piece available to anyone.

Willy's Unique Piece: Grandma's Picture Book

WFFCC 2012 Club Piece:

Obviously, the final version will have a tail! This is the prototype for this year's Club Piece. What shall we name her?

ACCESSORY PIECE: Robin Family is the Attendee Piece. This piece will be sold at the event during Registration on Friday for $60. If you plan to purchase one, you can reserve it now.

SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THOSE PLANNING TO ATTEND FOLKTOBERFEST

There are many activities that would benefit from some advance preparation. Consequently, we need to give you some specifics now so that you (and your "family") can get started. If this is your first event and you're not sure how to create a family, DO NOT worry. We'll send you a list of your family members as soon as the registration forms begin rolling in. We try to make sure no one ever feels left out at FTF! Remember...once you arrive, you're in the FTF family.

Note that we will probably send additional information about activities as the final schedule develops. Here's some information to get you started.

SOME THINGS TO BRING:

1. We will be creating a Folktoberfest Family Tree. Please bring several paper/cloth/synthetic tree leaves approximately 3 inches wide by 3-4 inches long for the tree. Print your name on one of those leaves using a pen that shows up clearly against the leaf background. Bring some blank ones as well. Feel free to create leaves for WFF friends you know are in the FTF family but who can't or won't be attending this year. We might also use FaceBook and the WFFCC BB as a way to get former attendees to send leaves for our tree. This is meant to be the entire FTF Family, not just those who can attend this year.

2. We also need a baby photo of you, modified to make you look a bit like a baby mouse. You need not be a PhotoShop expert here. Just draw on some ears, whiskers and a tail and you'll be all set. This photo should be no larger than 3 inches wide by 3 inches tall.

3. One of the Family Reunion events will be a White Elephant Gift Exchange. Please...no antique Steiff mice or Waterford crystal vases. Icky gifts. Icky icky gifts. Not disgusting, just icky. Cheesy would be OK.

4. Bring mailing labels for your raffle tickets to save yourself a lot of writing.

5. Bring a simple sign no larger than an inch square that contains your name and the name of the city/town/mouse hole in which you live.

SOME THINGS TO PREPARE THAT COUNT TOWARD YOUR PARTICIPATION POINTS:

1. Family Portraits. These "portraits" may take any form but the "people" should be mouse people and one of the mouse people should be you.

2. Create up to three pages for Lorraine's Scrapbook using photos or ideas from this or other FTF events. We'll use 12 inch by 12 inch pages, which seems to be a very popular paper size.

3. Create one or more mouse crafts (limit 5) for display. These could be anything: embroidery, painting, sculpting, hooked rugs, duct tape figures—you get the idea. Color outside the box and make the sun blue, if that's the way you want it.

4. If you'd like to do a display or table centerpiece, that would be great. However, we won't be decorating tables. Centerpieces will be used as decorations on the head table, gift table, serving tables, etc. Please do not use expensive mice in your table centerpiece; we cannot guarantee their safety. Displays will be placed together on their own table and, as such, will be somewhat more secure.

5. Create a "family" from past and current WFF pieces you believe belong together. Create a scrapbook or photo album, lay out the family tree, shoot a video, develop an oral history—whatever it takes to bring this WFF "Family" to life for the rest of us. These family documents will be placed on display.

6. Prepare for the Family Talent Show. As soon as you have a group together, please e-mail Nancy with list of group members, description of your talent, length of time it will take to present, and technical assistance you will need (microphone, CD player, etc.). Naturally, you need not stick with the traditional definitions of "talent." We've come to expect—and celebrate—the very wacky things you can and will do for mice.