Let's Talk BreyerFest...Clearing Up The Confusion Part 3, That Is!

Let's Talk BreyerFest...Clearing Up Confusion, That Is! Part 3

This one is about the Clarion and parking and more, so it will be a wild ride! But first, let me state that the best advice to BreyerFest is to relax and breathe.

The Clarion is a hotel, first and foremost. It is the hotel of BreyerFest and this is also where the Room Sales occur. Is it associated with Breyer? Not really, however they do host events there, like the Artisan's Gallery and the Swap Meet. What happens there? Sales, trades, and meeting of awesome people! But why is it so hugely popular during BreyerFest? How can I get there? Where can I park?! Let's answer these questions and more!

*Where is the Clarion Hotel? Located around 5 miles (4.2 to be exact), this hotel is located right off of Newtown Pike in Lexington Ky. The exact address is 1950 Newtown Pike.

*Is there parking? Yes. There is parking for guests that are staying there and those that will be attending the events at the hotel. However, I always say that parking is limited. Keep in mind that hotel guests come first, so you might be turned away to park elsewhere. The ONLY safe places to park that will not have your car towed is at your hotel or the Kentucky Horse Park. Breyer WILL be using Shuttles during BreyerFest that run from the Kentucky Horse Park to the Clarion hotel and I highly recommend using these as they usually run until 11 PM EDT on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. No one ever recommends walking from hotel to hotel in Kentucky. While it is a safer state, no one can predict anything. The Clarion has stated that they are working on a Parking Solution, but it has not been revealed yet.

*What happens there? Not thinking about the Breyer sponsored stuff since I will go over that shortly, there are Room Sales. Each person in the hotel that wishes to sell or trade their items will open up their rooms and allow guests to come inside and look around at what they have to offer. Think of it as tiny stores inside one big building. Some of the rooms have higher priced items while some are just selling parts of their childhood collections. You can find tack, customs, resins, Stone horses, and so much more in these rooms. If you cannot find it, you just did not look hard enough, LOL!

*What does Breyer sponsor? Breyer sponsors the Artisan's Gallery and the Swap Meet. The Artisan's Gallery runs Thursday evening through Saturday evening and features sales from artists in the hobby. This is a great place to find customs, resins, flat art, and more. Inside the Artisan's Gallery is also where you will be able to see the finalists for the Best Customs Contest as well as the sneak peeks of the BreyerFest models in person. The Swap Meet runs on Thursday and Friday evenings and allows people that have been approved to sell and trade their models. Both of these are open to the public and you can see what everyone has to offer. Be warned, they can get crowded.

*Is there an ATM? Yes, however do not count on it having cash. Many sellers at the Clarion do not accept cards and definitely do not accept checks, so cash is king at the Clarion. Make sure to have your cash ready as the ATM at the Clarion Hotel lobby does not normally have anything in it during the BreyerFest weekend. There are several ATMs in the area though at gas stations and other locations.

*Are there hours? Not necessarily, however some people will have their doors open early in the day and late in the evening. Just remember to be polite and reduce noise if it is late in the evening and only go into the rooms where the doors are open.

*What about those shuttles? Well, as of right now, we only have this small blurb that Breyer has released about them so we do not know everything that there is to know yet: :Due to the Friday and Saturday evening BreyerFest activities held at the Kentucky Horse Park, please take note of the hours for Friday and Saturday evenings at the Clarion Hotel. As well, Breyer will be offering free shuttles to the Clarion from the KHP and our partner hotels on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings from 5 pm to 11:30 pm." - copied from the Breyer website.

So, my best advice is to relax, try not to overthink things (I know, it is hard!), and know that by the time that BreyerFest comes, the information will be completely out there!