WELCOME FOLKTOBERFEST GUESTS!

Thank you for making plans to attend Wee Forest Folktoberfest October 21-23 in Clare, Michigan. Here is the information you will need to "prepare" for this year's event, including a general agenda of each day's activities.

This year's event will be held at the Doherty Hotel in Clare, MI. If you are not yet signed up for a room in our block, it's not too late. Just call the hotel and say you are with the WFF mouse group: 989-(800) 525-4115. Rooms rates start at just $79.

If you're flying, I would imagine you have reservations by now. The closest airport to the hotel is Midland/BayCity/Saginaw. You also might consider Lansing, Grand Rapids, or Flint. Some mousers fly into Detroit Metro because the fares will be the most reasonable there; you'll have about a three-hour drive, however.

If you're traveling with family or friends who won't be attending the event, there are things for them to do while you're mousing. Snow Snake Ski and Golf is about five miles north of Clare. They offer a nice golf course AND a new zip line over the golf course and ski hills. For golfers, we're surrounded by courses from easy 9-hole destinations to the championship Pohlcat in Mt. Pleasant, 15 minutes south of Clare. Of course, there's always something happening at Soaring Eagle Casino.

Our weekend in Clare will also be the weekend for the Clare Fall Doughnut Festival(event PDF). Those of you who have been to Clare are already familiar with their internationally famous bakery, Cops and Donuts. Obviously, this festival combines fall activities such as bobbing for apples and duck races with Halloween preparations--all tied together with doughnuts!

This year's Folktoberfest will be primarily a noncompetitive event but you still can earn participation points toward possibly winning a free "Summer Daisy" participation piece. Here are some ways you can plan to participate before you arrive:

• paint your toenails for summer and show them off to us in some pretty sandals during "Summer" in Michigan—two points for color and five points for a design;
• bring an entry you could put in a the county fair—five points if it is mouse-related;
• learn to line dance—five points if you'll show off your skills at the New Year's Eve party on Saturday night;
• bring an original craft for a craft show—five points if it is mouse-related;
• bring a new, unwrapped toy for "Toys for Tots" for Christmas—five points;
• bring carving tools and enter the pumpkin/gourd carving event--three points;
• bring a funny winter hat--three points for the hat, five if it is mouse-related;
• bring a race car mouse and show us what it can do in the parking lot--five points if it is mouse-related;
• practice corn hole toss, hillbilly golf, and other summer "lawn sports;"
• practice your target-shooting skills;
• create a sweater for the "Ugliest Christmas Sweater" parade;
• wrap a mouse-related (unwanted) gift for the White Mouse Holiday Gift Exchange;
• create a costume for the costume parade—five points for participating;
• create a table centerpiece or decoration—five points if it fits the theme;
• create a seasonal mouse display—five points if it fits the theme;
• put together a wardrobe that covers all four seasons—two points if we ask you to model what you're wearing;
• rehearse a song you'd like to sing for us (on stage Saturday night)—ten points if you sing and do not lip-synch;
• write a holiday song you'd like US to sing as a group and be prepared to teach it to us—ten points if we learn it and sing it;
• rehearse Running Bear (including the hand gestures) and be prepared to act out the story with us—five points if you're on stage helping us lead the rest of the crowd;
• make up your own way to participate and convince Rea or Terry you should be given participation points.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, SPECIAL REQUESTS, ETC. PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO EMAIL ME: wffcc@charter.net. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.

FOLKTOBERFEST TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

FRIDAY

Helper's Meeting 10 AM—ROOM B and C

Registration 2-4 PM—back lobby plus C and E

Guests will sign up for the activities they want to participate in during FTF. This is also the time to purchase FTF mice from '11 and previous years, buy raffle tickets, deliver mice and auction forms for WFFs you'd like to place in the live and/or silent auctions (retired WFFs and discontinued colors only), sign up for a Swap 'n' Sell table (no charge), and pick up helper assignments.

Opening Session 5 PM—ROOM A

Mostly this is an informational meeting to be sure everyone understands how we'll be running the activities (and awarding prizes), what events they may enter individually and when, how the schedule will unfold, etc. There will also be introductions for first-time guests, perhaps an icebreaker, and general remarks.

Spring Supper 5-7 PM—ROOM A

Buffet style.

Swap 'n' Sell set up 7-8 PM—ROOM B, C and E

Swap 'n' Sell and Late Registration 8-10 PM—ROOM B, C, and E

This year's Club Piece, WFFCC Snowshoer 2011, will be sold at this time, as will other FTF pieces, misc. clothing items and accessories (YES! You can buy a painter's hat at this time!), WFFCC totebags, and other interesting items.

Please register for a table at Registration. There is no charge for selling/trading at this event but please limit sales to retired WFFs and/or WFFs in discontinued or rare colors. Current, regular line pieces may be swapped but not sold. Other mouse-related items (jewelry, storage units or displays, etc.) are welcome.

If you have items you would like to display (e.g. crafts for "craft show," Toys for Tots, mouse displays, remote-controlled mice), please bring them to the Swap 'n' Sell and display them there for participation points.

SATURDAY

Coffe and Tea Service 8 AM—ROOM A

9 AM Cinco de Mayo Continental Breakfast 9 AM—ROOM A

Silent Auction 9-10 AM—ROOM A

This will be a "closed" and "invisible" auction. Bid the highest amount you are willing to pay for each item. The winning bidder will pay $10 over the next highest bid amount, not the highest amount offered. For example, imagine you are willing to pay up to $300 for a piece but no more. You deposit a bid of $300. When the box is opened, we learn that the person with the second-highest amount bid just $165. The final price you would pay for the item (your winning bid) would be $175, not $300.

Do not overbid! If you bid $5000 to guarantee you will win AND someone else bids $4500 with the same goal in mind, you will end up paying $4510 for a piece you've valued at just $300. It happens...!

Remarks 10-10:30 AM—ROOM A

Silent auction winners will pay for and receive pieces during this session. Winners of the green Freaky Flight Halloween Pedal Pusher charity pieces may still participate in the Live Auction and purchase a second piece, if they so desire.

Live Auction 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM—ROOM B and C

Be sure you have a bidder number before the auction starts.

This primarily will be a charity auction; you will be informed ahead of time which charity will receive the proceeds from sale of each individual piece so that you may bid on the pieces being sold for your favorite charities.

You may purchase ONLY ONE green Halloween Freaky Flight Pedal Car in the Live Auction. This request has been made by the WFF factory to maximize the number of winners. We will not accept checks from third-party bidders. If you are bidding as a proxy for someone else, please make financial transfer arrangements ahead of time so that YOU write the check for the winning bid. If we receive two checks from the same source, the second-highest bidder will be contacted and offered one of the pieces.

Pieces will be delivered and money collected after lunch and before the other activities begin at 1:30 AM.

4^th of July Picnic Lunch 12:15 PM-1:30 PM—ROOM A

Remarks 1-1:30 PM—ROOM A

Activities 1:30-4:30/5 PM—VARIETY OF LOCATIONS (TBA)

The Team Activity will be run at this time. Many individual events also will occur during this time period.

Traditional Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet 6-7:15 PM—ROOM A

7 PM Costume Parade—ROOM A

7:30-9 PM Christmas Party/White Mouse Gift Exchange—ROOM B, C, and E

Ugly Christmas Sweater parade, White Mouse Gift Exchange, Holiday songs and music, other surprises.

9 PM New Year's Eve Party—ROOM B, C and E

SUNDAY

8 AM Coffee and Tea Service—ROOM A

9 AM Morning Session—ROOM A

10:30 AM New Year's Day Buffet Brunch—ROOM A

11:30 AM Final Remarks, Awards, Reveals, etc.—ROOM A