BreyerFest Planning: Costs

So we have talked about Tickets, touched a bit on hotels, and dived into the deep end of what there is to do at BreyerFest. This next section is going to talk about costs at the park.

We cannot tell you exactly how much money to bring, even though you totally want to ask. We simply do not know all of your circumstances. So while we do ask that Roadies do not submit posts asking how much to bring, we do our best to try and tell everyone the costs.

As for the Special Run models, the Store models, and the Pop up Show models, we keep the price lists for several years in our files. Starting in 2017 and ending on the current year, you can use these prices to gauge what those costs might be. I do ask Breyer, once their planning begins heavily, if the prices will be raising or staying the same so you will have an idea of prices for the next year. Those models typically run from $55 to $85 for Special Runs, $75 for Store Specials, and $10 to $45 for the Pop Up Shop models.

The other Breyer models in the Breyer Store are priced accordingly on their website as they are normal releases. The Ninja Pit releases (see the Ninja Pit Of Doom Information in the other files) are priced at their normal release prices, so a premier club find will be the same price as when it was released originally.

The other vendors in the Covered Arena at BreyerFest charge their own prices and it varies greatly. If you are looking for bodies, the prices will be lower. If you are looking for Club models or more rare release, the prices will be higher. During the weekend, prices will likely drop some as vendors do not want to take all of their inventory back home. Some vendors will also haggle with prices. But this is a place where we cannot tell you how much to bring to spend as we do not know what you are looking for or what the vendor will charge.

The Clarion and the Artisan's Gallery is another place to spend money. The prices here are another place where we cannot help you sadly. Just like the Covered Arena vendors, it depends on what you are looking for and how much the vendors are charging. The costs will depend on what you are looking for, so keep that in mind.

The Raffle tickets for Breyer costs about $1 per ticket. There are discounts for purchasing multiple tickets. So do keep that in mind when planning on this part of your trip. Usually $5 for six tickets and so on. The Auction models will go for thousands of dollars. The trends of their costs can be found on Identify Your Breyer under the BreyerFest tab.

Food is going to vary completely. There are several restaurants near the park that require you to leave and come back. There are places to eat at the park, ranging from the restaurants of the Kentucky Horse Park to food trucks brought in for the event. But the costs vary completely and depends on what you are looking for to eat or drink. The costs are higher at the park, so please keep that in mind.

As for hotels and car rentals, that is not a place that I can help sadly. Again, this comes down to I live near Lexington and travel back and forth each day during the weekend. However, many of the websites do list their prices and a calculator to estimate how much you are looking at spending.

There are also many side quests that you can do that we are not sure of the costs, such as going on a Bourbon tour or going to Churchill Downs.

In the files, we have a great Adjustable Estimate File that was created just to help you estimate costs because this is a topic that no one can truly help with sadly.

We still will not be allowing these posts to be submitted, but I hope that this breakdown has helped to understand the costs involved at BreyerFest. I, personally, have done BreyerFest with $25 in my pocket and with $2000 in my pocket to test for the group in the early days and I can only say that it all depends on what you want to buy, how much you eat and drink per day, and the costs of the hotels and rentals/uber.  

 

BreyerFest Planning: What To Do Part Two

I bet that you thought that I was done talking about what there is to do at BreyerFest. That would be wrong! Like I have said before, there is literally so much to do during the three days of BreyerFest that it is impossible to do it all in one weekend so you will totally need to come back year after year. So let’s dive right back in to it!

At the Clarion hotel, there is the amazing BreyerFest Swap Meet. Normally held on Friday during BreyerFest, this Swap Meet is held by Breyer and allows people to purchase tables to sell their plastic ponies and plastic pony accessories, even if you do not have a room at the Clarion. In 2020, this was supposed to happen on both Thursday and Friday and it is rumored (has not been fact checked by Breyer) to be happening in 2021 for both days. If you want to sell at the Swap Meet, you do need to be a Three Day Ticket holder (I believe) and it does cost extra. These tables can and do sell out insanely quick and is likely already sold out for 2021 as there was an option to just roll over your entry since 2020 was virtual.

While we are still at the Clarion hotel, let’s talk a bit more about the Artisan’s Gallery. You do need to be a Three Day Ticket holder (I believe) to get a table here in the Artisan’s Gallery as well. It does cost extra in addition to the ticket, but you are in the middle of the action, if you get into this lovely event. Top artists from around the world come to this gallery and set up their sale pieces, including very limited and rare resin model horses, tack, and even historically accurate carriages for your plastic ponies. Even if you do not get in to selling here, it is definitely worth checking out! You might even score a resin that you have been looking to obtain! (Resin model horses are horses that are more fragile than the plastic ponies and can be quite costly, especially if they are sold out or have been painted by a well known artist.)

At the Kentucky Horse Park during BreyerFest, there are also free seminars that are available to all ticket holders. These seminars explain things like showing model horses or even how to organize your collection for insurance purposes. They are usually located in the Visitor’s Center and it is air conditioned.

The Kentucky Horse Park is also something that you will want to explore while you are there for BreyerFest. This unique place offers you a way to see many different breeds of horses and see them perform. You are also able to go up close to them and talk to many knowledgeable employees and volunteers that work at the horse park about all of the horses there. There are three (I believe) museums at the Kentucky Horse Park and each one offers something different. Make sure to meet some of the Champions of the Racetrack as well while you are there!

In the Covered Arena while at BreyerFest, you will find amazing vendors that are there to sell large collections of plastic ponies and their accessories. This is also a great place to find out information about some of the groups that attend BreyerFest as well, include the miniature horses, the Arabians, and Sergeant Reckless, just to name a few! This is also the home to the Breyer Booth as well as the UPS Store. The Breyer Booth here in the Covered Arena is where you will be able see the raffle models for Saturday and Sunday and purchase the tickets starting on Friday of the event. It is also the place where the Silent Auction takes place. The Silent Auction is where you will find the full set of the Surprise models to bid on, custom Breyer models, as well as gift sets from Breyer or the Celebration horse. The UPS Store is where you will be able to ship your models to your house with little to no trouble, however it does cost extra and these costs vary by how much you are shipping so sadly we cannot answer how much it will cost. The Kentucky Horse Park snack bar is also in the Covered Arena along with a small lemonade cart and a pretzel cart. Outside, there are more food options and of course, you can always leave the park to find food as well.

The Covered Arena is also host to the Lounge. While this does cost extra, there is an air conditioned lounge where you can sit in relative comfort to watch the Equine Demonstrations and have light refreshments courtesy of Breyer. In the past, this has cost $35 per day and you were only able to buy one ticket per account (based on the past and could have changed or be changed.).

But we are not done with things to do by any means! Lexington and Kentucky have a rich history in the horse industry as well as the bourbon industry. Some of these attractions do require reservations and certainly do cost extra, but they are well worth it in the long run. Old Friends is located in Georgetown Ky and offers some great tours of retired race horses as well as their back stories. Several large farms offer tours as well, but make sure to call in advance to make sure these places are open and offering tours rather than just showing up. Also, Churchill Downs is not too far away and is a great place to visit. If you have a place that you like to visit while in Ky for BreyerFest, make sure to let us all know.

Again, there is so very much to do during BreyerFest that I literally cannot even place it all in this second post. However, after this one, we will be moving on to the next part of planning. 

 

 

Planning Your BreyerFest Adventure: What To Do!

We talked about Tickets and how they are the first step for planning your BreyerFest adventure. Normally the next step would be looking for a hotel room, however I do not have that experience. I do not need to stay in a hotel during the event, so I have never actually booked a hotel room during BreyerFest. However, there are many, many people in this group that are totally willing to share their experiences.

Do keep in mind that 2021 may be a very different year than we will be used to and no one is exactly sure how it will work with the pandemic and everything. Hotels might not be taking reservations until later in the year in order to see what will happen.

Once you have planned or at least started planning your hotel part of the adventure, the next step is certainly something that I can talk about, and talk about a lot! The next step is to start planning your days. Do you want to get there early? We recommend getting there at least on Thursday before the event as there is much to do at the Clarion before the event. Maybe you want to explore Lexington? There are some amazing things to do and see in the heart of Kentucky. But this is when you will need to start working on just what you want to do during your time in Lexington, Ky.

I always recommend getting there early so you can check out the Clarion hotel and sample what the room sales have to offer. What are room sales? Well, it is just like it sounds. Starting the week of BreyerFest, people who have rooms in the Clarion hotel will starting to sell plastic ponies and plastic pony accessories. Many of these people will take cash or paypal, but normally there are no checks accepted at BreyerFest in any way. There is an ATM in the Clarion hotel, however it is normally out of money so make sure to check the area gas stations and banks. The Artisan’s Gallery is also located in the Clarion hotel and this is where you can see the artistry of the Model Horse. There can be resins or tack or even customs here, however these are exclusive pieces and they definitely deserve the right to be there. The Artisan’s Gallery is also where the Best Customs Finalists will be located. This is a great chance to see the pieces that might win Grand Champion or Reserve Grand Champion of the contest. Complete rules of the Best Customs Contest will be released on Breyer’s website once more next year.

BreyerFest starts on Friday morning at 9 AM EDT once at the event. The line that forms starting on Thursday before the event is not for the faint of heart. You absolutely do not have to stand in this line unless you want to do so. While I stand in this line and recommend it, know that you will be standing outside, sleeping outside, and tents are not allowed. This is also not the line to get into the park. This is actually the line to get into either the Breyer Store at BreyerFest or the Pop Up Shop at the park. This line is lovingly referred to as the Ninja Pit of Doom. There are many treasures that you will find at the Breyer Store at BreyerFest, however they are now released all weekend long rather than just during the first of Friday morning. This line does form all weekend long, but again, it is absolutely up to you if you wish to be in this line.

The General Admission Line as well as the Special Run Line are opposite of the NPOD Line and they are just as important. The Special Run Line is the very first line that will be allowed into the Park first thing in the morning. This Line is only for those that have Special Run times that are first thing in the morning. This is usually 10 AM on Friday and Saturday and 9 AM on Sunday. The General Admission Line and the NPOD Lines are allowed in at the same time. You absolutely need to show your wrist band to get into BreyerFest. Also, if you wish to participate in the NPOD, you do not need to have a Three Day Ticket as a Single Day Ticket will work just fine.

BreyerFest ends technically at 5 PM EDT on Friday and Saturday and at 4 PM EDT on Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, there is the Celebration of Horses Evening Performance that is usually put on by Silvia Zerbini and is something that should not be missed! This performance takes place in the Altech Arena and starts at 6 PM and lasts until 8 PM. After that, the Clarion hotel room sales are open until late into the night. On Saturday, there is also the Live Auction. These one of a kind pieces go for thousands of money and it is a very exciting event!

Other things to plan is the Live Shows. If you are into showing your model horses, then this is exactly what you are looking for! Breakables Live starts on Thursday before BreyerFest at the Clarion hotel. This live show is all for the ceramic horses and the porcelain models. BreyerFest Live is on Friday at the Altech Arena and is the model horse show for those that love Breyers. This show does cost extra and will last from 7 am to around 3 pm and is a fast paced model horse show. The child and youth show is on Saturday at the Altech Arena and is for the younger hobbyists.

Next would be the workshops. Have you always wanted to learn how to paint a plastic pony or maybe you want to learn how to make tack? These workshops do cost extra, but they are very rewarding! The schedule for 2021 is the same as 2020 and will be posted shortly as I do have that information saved.

Of course, there is so much more to start planning, but this is certainly a starting point! All of this information will be in the files on our Facebook Group and can be saved or printed out, if you need to do so. 

 

 

Planning Your BreyerFest Adventure: Tickets!

Let's talk tickets! When planning your BreyerFest adventure for either the first time or the 30th time, you need to know what kind of tickets that you will want to purchase.  Each ticket type comes with it's own pros and cons, but each one allows you to do something different.  

In January, the first tickets that go on sale are the Early Bird Three Day Tickets.  These Adult and Child tickets are offered at a discounted price to those that purchase before April 15th.  They also allow you to be entered into the Raffle for the Early Bird Model, only three are made!   The exact prices for all of the tickets are located in the files as well as what they all come with, but the parking passes (in the case of a Live Event), model horse shows, and works shops are extra.  Being a Collector Club member will give you a $2 discount as well, but you do not need to be a Collector Club member if you do not wish to be (Check out the file on Breyer Clubs to learn more about the Collector Club!).  With Three Day Tickets, Adult and Child, you get a Celebration Model. This model is a traditional sized model and is of the horse that the event celebrates. Three Day Tickets also allow you to attend the Celebration of Horses Evening Performance and enter the Diorama Contest. 

 

After April 15th (or when Breyer says), the tickets go up to full price, which is nearly $100. This is still for the Adult and Child tickets.  The Adult and Child tickets are the ONLY type of ticket that includes the Special Run Ticket. For a virtual event, these two ticket types will allow you the most access on the website, with the Adult ticket being the absolute highest level of access. 

In May, the Single Day Tickets go on sale.  These tickets are normally $17 for presale and $20 at the gate and allow you to get ONE Single Day Stablemate PER ticket.  Unless you have enough tickets for a full set of these stablemates, it will be GAMBLER'S CHOICE (random draw) at the event. During a virtual event, unless you purchase the special four pack of tickets, it will be GAMBLER'S CHOICE as well. There is normally no way to pick and choose your models, although some variance does occur. Single Day Tickets do not have access to the Celebration Of Horses Evening Performance or the Celebration Model nor are you able to enter the Diorama Contest. 

For the year 2020, two other ticket types were created, but it is uncertain if they will remain.  These were the Celebration Ticket, which included the Celebration Model and access to purchase the Limited Edition models, and the Access Ticket, which allowed you to get a Celebration Model, but no access to purchase Limited Edition models. 

Make sure to check out our Facebook group to get all of the information that comes with the tickets!