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.