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! 

Volunteering At BreyerFest

So You Want To Volunteer At BreyerFest?

As a collector or family near the collector in your life, you will definitely hear about the elusive Volunteer model from BreyerFest. But do you know how that you can try to get one of those models? This file will help with the information, but the final decision lies with several head team leaders of volunteers for Breyer. These wonderful women will pick people that can help during their parts of the event and let me tell you, they can use pretty much anyone!

But several hundred people each year turns in their application to Robin Briscoe every year and only around 100 or so are chosen for the event. The numbers might be off here as I am going from memory, so please refer to Robin for the exact numbers. Applications are posted on the website in February with instructions on how to send in your applications and the dates that they are due between. Robin likes them to be in the time frame, neither early or late. Be honest when you are filling out your application as you never know what can get you chosen!

There are many places to volunteer from the BreyerFest Ambassadors and answering questions to helping to organize the Diorama entries to even helping at the Live Shows! Make sure to choose the option that you feel that would suit you the best and explain what real life experiences could help you while volunteering during BreyerFest!

Each BreyerFest, you will be asked to volunteer 8 to 12 hours normally (Again, my information comes from experience with Robin and I defer to her here.). Each shift can be either during the morning or the afternoon, if you are a BreyerFest Ambassador and during the required times at the other spots around the park. When you complete your volunteer shifts, you will receive your Volunteer Model on the Sunday of the event, once the event ends. There is normally a lovely wrap up meeting where you can meet all of your fellow volunteers and receive your lovely pony. Make sure to read the whole application while you are filling it out, there are several places to volunteer and you might be perfect for once place, but not another. Locations include the Hands On Hobby Booth, Diorama Entries, Stablemate Painting, BreyerFest Ambassadors, Swap Meet, and so many more locations!

There are a few things to remember when sending in your application: You MUST be able to attend the Thursday evening meeting before BreyerFest and you MUST be able to attend the Sunday afternoon meeting after BreyerFest ends. These are required (Mostly) in order to get your model. You must be flexible with your hours during the event. If you are showing all day long on Friday, Robin might have a hard time placing you and might not consider your application. Or if you are not going to be available one whole day (Of course, certain circumstances can be discussed, I am sure), that might be a reason that your application will not be considered.

Road To BreyerFest: Better Than Ever

With BreyerFest 2020 behind us, I can hopefully start looking towards BreyerFest 2021. With the release of the dates as the theme, I am beyond excited for this new adventure.  July 16, 17, and 18th of 2021 will bring us Horse of a Different Color.  But there are so many questions that still remain for the coming year.

Will BreyerFest be virtual again? I have no idea. I know exactly what everyone else knows and that is nothing in this regard.  Breyer's first virtual event was not without glitches and complaints.  Complaints to the point that I had even created a Complaint Department in the Facebook group so people had somewhere to complain and that it would be seen.  The glitches were many and some even ended up taking models away from those that had purchased them.  In my studies, the biggest glitch seemed to affect those that used the master list and wanted the surprise model, but of course, I have totally been known to be wrong before.  I absolutely do not work for Breyer so I do not have inside information at all. There was also the fact that the Store Special Models and the Pop Up Shop Models sold out within seconds of being released.  When the break down came out on that, it was truly like getting a unicorn. There were around one thousand models of each Limited Edition model and around a million people were tying to purchase them all. Every two hours, only around 50 of each one was released.  It became a giant free for all, but then the complaints came.  Breyer did their best to accommodate the complaints and offered the Store Specials (Benelli, Cheesecake, and Top Gun) as glossies that would be available in December.  However, despite all of the glitches, Breyer still managed to put on an amazing event.  Their website turned into a place where you could see all of BreyerFest and not be in the heat or standing in line.  The workshops were available all weekend long and could be seen, even though they had glitches as well. At the end of BreyerFest weekend, the president of Reeves, Int mentioned that they are considering adding a virtual component to BreyerFest from now on.

BreyerFest 2021 seems like forever away, however a year can go by rather quickly.  Who knew as 2019 ended that we would be facing a huge crisis that would literally cripple the world? When the world began to shut down, the decision was to either cancel BreyerFest or turn it into something that could be done online.  While many different events decided to cancel and say that they would see you next year, Breyer said hey, let's see if we can do this. And they did. So while we do not know exactly what BreyerFest 2021 will look like just yet, we know that Breyer can do a virtual event, especially now that the first one is under their belt and they know what do expect.

But as much as I want to talk about BreyerFest all day long, I do need to sit back and think about Road To BreyerFest.  After the struggles of 2019, Road To BreyerFest almost did not exist. It was a strange email from Breyer that actually made the decision to keep the group going and to even spread to other social media platforms.  This email was a thank you. Nothing drastic and nothing more than a thank you for what you do, but at the end of what I considered my worst BreyerFest ever, it was a shock. Maybe what I was doing made a difference.  That email made me rethink how I was going about Road To BreyerFest and it made me surge forward with a new train of thought.  I worked closer with Breyer than I have ever in the past during 2020 due to all of the changes and the women that I talked to (Kat, Jaime, and Jocelyn) were amazing! I cannot thank them enough because not only did they put up with my questions, but they put up with the questions from all of the group! During BreyerFest 2020 and the lead up to it, these ladies kept me supplied with the information that they group wanted and I might not have known.  If anything, you can take from this paragraph that Road To BreyerFest is certainly fact checked and that any and all information comes from Breyer! Even our Tips and Tricks file in the Facebook group has tips and tricks straight from these amazing ladies!

There is so much more that I can type, but I am certain that you, dear reader, are tired of me droning on and on. Breyer gave me an amazing shout out during the last day of BreyerFest and I legit cried and told my husband that senpai noticed me. Road To BreyerFest will be here for many more years, I hope, and will continue to provide not only fact checked information from Breyer, but a positive community for you to share your love of plastic ponies and real ponies alike (all horses are ponies). I only hope that you continue to follow me through all of this adventure.  Who knows, maybe one year I might even have a place at BreyerFest for a meet and greet and answering questions!

*I do not work for Breyer, my group is fan based and is information only. While my information is fact checked by Breyer, I do not officially work there.*

BreyerFest 2020 Wrap Up

BreyerFest 2020: The Year of the Glitch

BreyerFest ended rather suddenly on Sunday July 12^th with a lovely last Live video. The selling ended at 4 PM EDT being the last technical time that the store restocked one last time. Auction models were sold, raffle winners posted with the exception of the Glossy Ballynoe Castle RM raffle. But this BreyerFest has had it’s ups and downs!

Friday morning was off to a late start due to a huge unexpected glitch, nothing loaded! It was worked out quickly, but models sold out faster than ever before. When everything was fully back online, it became a race to see who had the fastest computer, the fastest internet, and the fastest refresh finger. People quickly used their Store Trips because they were only able to purchase one item at a time, although there was one and only one time that I was able to grab two at one time and I have no idea how since I was using my phone and my internet had cut out. But tempers were high because beside the Limited Edition problems, the Special Runs had issues as well. The Special Run went from 30 minutes behind to over 2 hours behind. Even I had this glitch on my account. However, after 2 hours, I was rewarded for my patience on this glitch as I must have been near the front of the line and was able to get what I had listed. Complaints flew into the group faster than I could handle them, but for some of the complaints, there was just no answer other than to try Customer Service. I have said it more times this weekend than ever before, I just do not work for Breyer. I run this page, group, and all of the Road To BreyerFest social media as a fan. So on Friday night, I created the Complaint Department Thread and it did see a lot of action over the course of the weekend. Friday night ended with no ideas of when the next restock would be, the Special Runs being placed on hold, but the new Celebration of Horses Evening Performance being streamed at 8 PM EDT and was an absolute delight to watch.

Saturday came early for Road To BreyerFest as I got up early and did a Morning Live. During the Morning Live, it was noticed that Breyer was having another huge glitch. So I messaged Breyer Customer Service and was told to log out and log in again. I think that became a mantra over the next few hours and the next few days. After a rocky start, BreyerFest Limited Editions were restocked and selling extremely fast. Once again, it came down to connection speed, computer speed, and your finger speed. I know that I was unable to get a Grab Bag at all. The Special Run line never fully opened up and what did open up was quickly shut down again. The Special Run line was noticed to be giving multiple choices rather than just the ones that were selected for you and for some reason, it seemed to center on the Slainte Surprise. As I went through the Complaint Department, because trust me they were flying fast once again, I came to the conclusion that the Master List was causing some problems as it was those that had the individual tickets that were not seeing these large glitches. It was also on Saturday morning that the Store Trip restriction was removed. So many people complained that this was causing them to not be able to purchase the models that they were trying to buy. However, soon after that, the complaints came again that this was NOT what they wanted and now the models were being sold too fast and being flipped over on auction websites. Breyer took note and started to crack down on those accounts. The raffle winners were announced over a very buggy Live Feed that ended up being on Friday’s page for the Single Day Ticket page. Then sales stopped at 8 PM EDT.

BreyerFest opened on Sunday morning with only one glitch, but this glitch was another doozy. If you went to purchase something, you were told that you needed to have a valid Special Run ticket. The same advice was given when asked, log out and log back in. That did the trick and many things were back online. The first few Special Run lines went without a hitch, my time included. But I got exactly what I had received on Friday. While I am nowhere near upset over this because who doesn’t want two Oaks and two of the Mares and Foals, many people complained that they were not getting what they had requested. The Preference List had been just that, your Preference, though. Those options were NOT guaranteed and Breyer did state that many, many times. Limited Edition sales were still fast and furious with many complaining that they were not being able to purchase models or that models were being swiped from their cart. Sadly, that does happen with internet sales and there were suggestions to add a timer to the cart. I am certain that Breyer took this into consideration for future events, but once things are going strong, they would have been unable to shut down the site once more to rewrite the code to put this into place. In just one day, Breyer Model Horses received 1.3 MILLION hits on their website! That was absolutely incredible. The Auctions were likely the highlight of the weekend with Auction John. He added some humor and a sense of wonder to this event that I do not know what else could have done. Perhaps we made a new collector? Plus, I want to know exactly what was in that cup of his! His descriptions of the models were filled with wonder and he truly seemed to be enjoying himself. The raffles were next and while they had a glitch, the Sunday Raffle was posted with no issues. However, the Glossy Ballynoe Castle RM was not a part of this and when questioned, Breyer did state that they would email or call the winners and it was not promised that they would be released on the site. Road To BreyerFest received major kudos on the Live Feed with a shout out from Kimber Goodwin and Jaime, expressing their thanks to this group and page. I believe that I screamed and cried at the same time while getting glares from my husband and my tiny human screaming to know what was wrong. The sales ended quickly with one last refresh at 4 PM EDT.

However, after the wrap up, the rumor mills started operating once more. Refunds were being discovered as Breyer started auditing accounts during the Saturday Special Run Glitch. This glitch caused MANY people to be able to purchase more than their allotted amount of Special Runs at one time and people were boasting online that they were able to do this. Repercussions were bound to happen in that case. I am reminded of the 2019 BreyerFest Special Run Line when people were upset that there was only Pepper and one other left and they were leaving the line without a purchase. I want to say that on your tickets, it does state that you are entitled to purchase UP TO TWO Special Run models, but you are NOT guaranteed any models in reality. Breyer has stated this numerous times and in our files, we have this exact statement shared as well. There were other rumors that purchases were disappearing, but a quick search of mine showed that if you tried to check the pages of what you purchased, it would tell you Page Not Found as they were simply not there anymore. The best thing to do in both of these cases is to absolutely check your Account Details page, inspect each purchase, and go from there. Before calling or emailing Breyer, I recommend doing this. As for the Special Run Refunds that are being issued, first check your accounts as this seems to be specific to Saturday and the Slainte Surprise only, but I could always be wrong as I do not work for Breyer at all and am only stating what I have been seeing online.

So, to me, BreyerFest was a crazy weekend. I was not able to see the event other than purchasing models because I was answering questions and doing damage control with the complaints. I am happy that it was virtual as I was able to spend the time at home and in a cool house, however I am just as tired as if I was truly there since I had to literally be available for all time zones. I messaged so many people, received so many messages, approved and answered more questions that I could imagine, and even tested a new feature for Facebook all on the same weekend. BreyerFest will always be a weekend of adventure and new things to explore for me, but what I missed this year was meeting my friends. As someone who has anxiety and does not leave the house often, BreyerFest is my one time a year that I can finally be with “my people” and my friends know that I am always there with a smile and ready make someone else have a great day and I always have the information available. I hope that this weekend, I provided you all with the information that you needed and that you had a great event. Road To BreyerFest is a year round group as we are also a very positive model horse community that loves sharing your experiences, your real horse adventures, and the model horse hobby. There are also some contests and shows that need judged, but they are coming soon as we all recover from this event! The Live Feeds will continue when I am able to now that I have an awesome set up thanks to my husband and we will also be working on getting Zoom meetings and that together soon to have small parties and such. There is much still in the works for this group and I hope that everyone will share it with me! I run this group with the help of two other amazing Admins and one Moderator, but to be fair, these ideas and the whole idea of Road To BreyerFest are my babies. There are no funds earned from this, no income at all, and there is certainly no advertising other than word of mouth so I hope that you will tell your friends about this crazy group that answered questions for you during BreyerFest.

And with that last sentence, this has been my BreyerFest 2020 A Celtic Fling wrap up. It was actually on time this year and not almost a month later. Thank you everyone for being a Roadie and I have that you all have had at least one memory from this year’s BreyerFest that you can smile about!

With all my Love, the Number One Roadie, Rachel Alford.

BreyerFest 2020 Pricing

BreyerFest 2020 Pricing:

Special Runs:

Ash: $65 1700 pieces

Boudicca: $65.00 $1200 Pieces

Brighid and Beltane: $65.00 1800 Pieces

Epona: $60.00 1600 Pieces

Oak: $70.00 1800 Pieces

Thorn: $60.00 1500 Pieces, Split Run Glossy and Matte

Hamish: $55.00 800 Pieces

Lugh: $55.00 1500 Pieces

Slainte Surprise: $85 4500 Pieces

Store Specials:

Benelli: $75 Limit of 1250

Cheesecake: $75 Limit of 1000

W.H. Top Gun: $70 Limit of 1000

Pop Up Shop Models:

Greenman: $30 Limit of 1500

Mackenzie: $18 Limit of 1000

Eire: $10 Limit of 2000

Kelpie: $45 Limit of 750

Best of BreyerFest Stablemate Set: $60 Limit of 1500

BreyerFest Schedule 2020

BreyerFest Schedule For 2020

Friday:

*BreyerFest opens at 9 AM EDT

*Virtual Message from Breyer Headquarters from 9 AM EDT to 11 AM EDT- This will also be an explanation of how to navigate the BreyerFest pages on their website.

*2 PM EDT to 4 PM EDT- Check out the Virtual Artisan’s Gallery

*6PM EDT to 8 PM EDT- The Celebration Of Horses Evening Performance. Available to all Three Day Ticket Holders, show starting at 7 PM EDT.

*Friday will feature The Celebration Horse, Ballynoe Castle RM with his rider/trainer Buck Davidson, the Gypsy Vanner Stallion, Faugh-A-Bellagh (Cheesecake), and racing legend, Winx!

Saturday:

*Welcome Back at 10 AM EDT to 12 PM EDT

*2PM EDT to 4PM EDT Diorama Winners will be announced at 3:30 PM EDT

*6PM EDT to 8 PM EDT Saturday Raffle Winners will be announced as well as the winning bids on the Test Runs

*Saturday Interviews include: Peptoboonsmal, Benelli, the Tempel Lippizans, and Mountain Trailwork by Checkers, the Quarter Horse.

Sunday:

*Welcome Back at 10 AM EDT to 12 PM EDT Remaining Auction Lots will end at 12 PM EDT

*2PM EDT to 4 PM EDT Sunday Raffle Winners will be announced at 3:30 PM EDT

*Sunday will feature Adiah HP, Avatar’s Jazzman, W.H.Top Gun, The Gangster Ponies, and Stingray.

If you miss the Live Segments on each day, there will be on demand viewings of the previous day’s performances the next day.

Entertainer List:

Sylvia Zerbini

Knights of Valor

Bluegrass Ceili Academy Dancers

Freestylers of Piping

Highland Games Athletes

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #17 Program Link Inside

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #17: Yet more recaps for today! This will be likely the last recap before BreyerFest as I do have an errand to run on Thursday. Please, please make sure that you are reading the recaps!

*There will be ABSOLUTELY NO returns for BreyerFest this year. Refunds are the only thing that will be offered this year.

*BreyerFest starts at 9 AM EDT on Friday morning and ends on Sunday at 4 PM EDT

*All times are EDT. Everything will be listed in Eastern Daylight Time.

*BreyerFest technically does not close at night. The likely roll over time is Midnight, but it will be definitely announced when it is released. For now, I will tell you to purchase the models as soon as you can.

*All models need to be purchased before 8 PM EDT on Sunday. I would say to even have your Special Runs purchased by then so that they are shipped out within the week.

*The trips through the store depend on how many tickets that you have. The maximum amount of models that you can purchase in one trip is 8, this is all of the Store Specials and the Fling! Pop Up Shop Models. You might not get all 8 per trip through the store. Browsing, not buying, does not count towards the trip.

*Special Run Models are only available for Adult and Child Three Day Ticket Holders

*Store Specials and Fling! Pop Up Shop Models are available to ALL TICKET HOLDERS

*Raffles are open to ALL TICKET HOLDERS

*Auctions are open to the general public through eBay. The link will be shared when available

*There are absolutely no events that will be taking place in Lexington, Ky

*Curated Grab Bags (NPOD Grab Bags) will be available in the Breyer Store

*The Breyer Store will contain all of the Exclusive Models, except the Special Runs

*Adult Three Day Ticket Holders are the only ones allowed to enter the raffle for the Glossy Ballynoe Castle RM. There will be a place to enter, along with the other raffle models. It ends on Sunday at 1 PM EDT. You can only enter once per ACCOUNT.

*You will receive an Email to notify you, if you won a Raffle

* Guests will NOT be getting an email to notify them their special runs are available. They simply just need to log into their account at the SR time and check their time slot on the web. They will get to see what’s available to them on the web only and if they opt to buy, can move the models to their cart, where they will be held for up to 24 hours. No one is obligated to buy if they don’t like what they are being offered in that particular time slot.

*Content will be available all day and all night long. It is a mix of Pre-recorded and Live content.

*Make sure that you read the other recaps!

*Information will be shared as it is released

*I will be available all weekend long to help out as much as I can.

*Content will be released on several platforms, but each link will be shared here as it becomes available.

*There will be a virtual Vendor Marketplace.

*The Breyer Store will contain all of the Exclusive Releases, the Curated Grab Bag, Spring Releases, Regular Run Items, and more.

*The Celebration Of Horses Evening Performance is for Three Day Ticket Holders ONLY

*The Virtual Workshops are available to all three day ticket holders and will be available to do on your own time.

*Virtual Seminars and Films are available to all ticket holders and are free

*The complete Program is located here: https://www.breyerhorses.com/pages/celtic-fling-breyerfest-2020

BreyerFest Recap #16

Welcome to BreyerFest Week! Ah! I am so excited and I hope that you are as well!

*Today is the ABSOLUTE LAST DAY that you can create a Breyer Website Account and have your tickets placed there, if you bought them as a guest. You need to call Breyer Custoner Service to do this.

* The PROGRAM and the PRICES will be released this week! As soon as they are released, they will be shared here.

*Remember to read the recaps and the files! They explain everything from how the shopping lines will work to how the Special Run Line will work and even what else BreyerFest has to offer.

*The Road To BreyerFest Meet and Greet is virtual and on Thursday July 9th at 5PM EDT to 9PM EDT and is an event here on FB as well as on our Discord Server.

*Remember that there are ABSOLUTELY NO sales or trades here in this group. If you missed buying a ticket and want the models, you will need to purchase them second hand. Road To Breyerfest Sales And Trades is a wonderful place to start.

*Remember to breathe and try to stop overthinking!

*Let's have some fun!

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #16: There are always more odds and ends to go over for this new and wonderful BreyerFest!

*We are all newbies so remember that everyone is nervous and tense. Just remember to breathe and hang in there!

*The Breyer Store is where all of the Exclusive Models will be located. This means that the Store Specials and the Fling! Pop Up Shop models will all be in the same place. This is also the very likely place where the Curated Grab Bags will be located.

*Links and ScreenShots will be shared as soon as things are released!

*I will be going Live on Saturday and Sunday. They might not be long lives, but this will be a great time to see where things are located, if you were not online of Friday.

*You will get models. They might not be the exact models that you wanted, especially the Special Runs, but rest assured that you will absolutely get models.

*Store Specials and Fling! Pop Up Shop models can and do sell out, so make sure to check back. The exact time releases will NOT be released since they will be released to accommodate all time zones.

*The ONLY exact times that we have with the whole event is when it starts, when the raffles end, and when the Special Run Time Slots will be. This is close to what goes on at the real event

*The “lines” work just like they work at the real event. With the Store Specials and the Fling! Pop Up Shop Models, there are 8 of them total to purchase. With EACH ticket, you can purchase up to all 8 of them. If you have one three day ticket, then you can purchase all 8 of the Exclusive Models once on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. If you have one Single Day Ticket, then you can purchase up to all 8 of the Exclusive Models once on the day of your ticket. If you have the 4 pack of the Single Day Tickets, then you are allowed to purchase up to all 8 of the Exclusive Models once per day for all three days of the event. Each time that you check out of the Breyer Store, meaning that you actually purchase the models, is considered one trip through the store. More tickets equal more times through the store.

*You absolutely do not have to purchase any of the Special Run models that were selected for you. However, over in our sale and trade group, there will be a thread set aside for just trading Special Run Models after they are all received by their respective owners.

*Shipping begins on July 13th with the Exclusive Models. This means that the Special Run Models, the Store Specials, the Fling! Pop Up Tent Models, The Celebration Models, and the Single Day Stablemates are all shipped out first. When they are shipped, then the BreyerFest Swag and the Regular Run Items from their website will begin to ship, this includes the Pre-Sale Swag that had issues before.

*You could receive many boxes once things are shipped. They will be boxed and shipped according to whatever works best for them.

*You will only be charged a ONE TIME shipping fee for all weekend. Continental US, this is free all weekend long. For Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada, this means that you pay $10 for shipping for EVERYTHING that you order all weekend long, including Regular Run Items from their website. For Other International, this means that you pay $25 for shipping for EVERYTHING that you order all weekend long, including Regular Run Items from their website.

*BreyerFest technically does not close on Friday and Saturday Nights. To include all time zones, there will be content available all day and all night long.

*Workshops will be available all weekend long.

*Seminars will be available all weekend long

*Everything will have a spot on the Breyer Website. I will share links and screenshots of where things are located throughout the weekend, so rest assured that you will know where everything is located within the first few hours of things being released.

*The Celebration Models and the Single Day Stablemates are technically already in your carts. These will be shipped AUTOMATICALLY to the address on file.

*Help will be available all weekend long. If I do not know the answer, I have sources where I can get the information from Breyer so the answers will still come straight from the source.

*I will be going LIVE on early Saturday morning to explain the processes from Friday.

BreyerFest Recap #15

Roadies, now is the absolute LAST MINUTE to check your tickets, if you are UNSURE of what you purchased. Tickets are LINKED TO THE ACCCOUNT THAT PURCHASED THEM. If you do NOT have a Breyer Account (which is free) and purchased your tickets as a guest, you will ABSOLUTELY NEED to call Breyer's Customer Service as this is NOT something that we can help you with. If someone purchased tickets for you, you will need to either have access to that account or they will need to purchase the models for you. Adult and Child Three Day Tickets ended in MAY so those were not for sale in June and tickets purchased after that did NOT come with a Special Run Ticket. Single Day Tickets do NOT have access to the Special Run Models and neither does the Celebration Ticket.

Times for the Special Run Slots can be found by logging into your account, going to Account Details, and scrolling down to where your purchased the tickets. I find it helpful to go by cost spent. Click on the Order Number and there you will see either a Fri, Sat, or Sun with a time next to it. That is your Special Run Time Slot. Special Runs can ONLY be purchased by Adult and Child Three Day Ticket Holders.

WAREHOUSE GRAB BAGS are for ADULT Three Day Ticket Holders Only and do NOT have a set time for release. Other than they will be available, will have several price points, and will be likely located in the Breyer Store, we do NOT know anything else about them. You will likely be able to purchase other things at the same time, but we do NOT know exact information and will not before July 10th when they are released.

Store Specials (the Portrait Models) and The Fling! Pop Up Shop Models are available to purchase by ALL Ticket holders.

The PRICES will be in the Program and that will be released NEXT WEEK. It will NOT be printed, but will be available as a PDF for you to print off.

Raffles are FREE and limited to one entry per account for each day. They are available to US Residents and Canada (except Quebec) only. You will need to log into your Breyer Account during BREYERFEST and click on the button that will say Raffles. Entries start being taken on Friday July 10th at 9:30 AM EDT and the Saturday Raffle ends on Saturday at 4PM EDT and the Sunday Raffle ends on Sunday at 1 PM EDT. The Glossy Ballynoe Castle RM raffle is available for Adult Three Day Ticket Holders Only.

The Auctions will be on eBay this year so that all participants can have a chance to do so. The link will be provided on THURSDAY July 9th at 5 PM EDT.

Everything will be on the page when you LOG into your Breyer Account with buttons to push. RTB will share the exact links and screenshots of what the page will look like.

Hang in there! Take a deep breath! And make sure to check your accounts, if you are still unsure of your tickets.

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #15: Welcome to BreyerFest Week! You can commence with screaming and jumping around now, but remember to breathe still and don't overthink too much! Today, we will be going over random tidbits about the event.

*BreyerFest starts on Friday, July 10th at 9 AM EDT.

*The Artisan's Gallery opens on Thursdsy July 9th at 5 PM EDT

*Auctions will be released on Thursday July 9th during the Artisan's Gallery

*The Artisan's Gallery is virtual and will have links on the Breyer website so that you can visit the artist's websites or sales pages.

*BreyerFest ends on Sunday July 12th at 4 PM EDT

*Orders placed during BreyerFest will start shipping on July 13th and will end on July 25th. BreyerFest Exclusive models will ship first, followed by the Swag and the other models purchased during the event.

*There is a one time shipping fee for all purchases for those outside of the US. This applies to the regular run items as well.

*The Breyer Store and the Fling! Pop Up Shop are combined.

*You are allowed to purchase one of EACH Store Special and Fling! Pop Up Shop models per tim through the store. There is a total of 8 models that you can purchase during one trip.

*If you have more than one ticket, then you can have more than one trip through the store.

*If you have a Single Day Ticket, you will need to check which day it is for, unless you purchased a 4 pack. This is the only time that you can purchase the Exclusive models.

*The 4 Pack of the Single Day Tickets act just like 3 Single Day Tickets, the fourth is just the model with no benefits.

*Special Run Preference List was sent out June 1st and needed to be returned on June 15th. IF YOU MISSED THIS WINDOW, YOU WILL STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE RANDOMLY SELECTED MODELS. You do not need to purchase the models that were chosen for you, but you cannot change them.

*The Store Specials are Benelli, Cheesecake, and WH Top Gun

*The Fling! Pop Up Shop models are Greenman, Kelpie, Eire, Mackenzie, and the Best of BreyerFest Stablemate Set.

*All Regular Run Items on the Breyer Website can be purchased during BreyerFest and will get the special shipping fees (or no shipping fees if in the Continental US).

*BreyerFest is a mix of Live and Prerecorded videos and it will continue all night long to accommodate all time zones.

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #whatever

BreyerFest 2020 Recap #14

The RAFFLES!

This information has been long awaited since BreyerFest was announced that it was going virtual. It was finally announced and here we will break it down completely for you!

*The Raffles are open to EVERYONE that has a ticket for Saturday and Sunday

*It is FREE to enter

*It is limited to ONE ENTRY PER ACCOUNT

*For Saturday, you MUST enter before Saturday 4PM EDT

*For Sunday, you MUST enter before Sunday 1PM EDT

*Limited to US Residents and Canadian Residents (Except Quebec) only. This had been discussed previously.

*The previously mentioned $20 in free raffle tickets is NOT LONGER AN OPTION! Instead, ALL THREE DAY ADULT TICKETS will be entered into a raffle for up to 10 Glossy Ballynoe Castle RM models.

*Entry period begins on FRIDAY at 9:30 AM EDT for both models, but the Saturday model ends on Saturday at 4PM EDT and the Sunday Model ends on Sunday at 1PM EDT

*Winners will be posted LIVE on each respective day and will be shared on the group.

*Winners will also be notified by email

I hope that this helps everyone to understand the Raffles a bit more and this information will be added to the FAQs as well. I am asking that you do NOT discuss International and why they are not allowed to participate. We know that this is not ideal and it was discussed much earlier in the time frame that BreyerFest went virtual, but the reasons were discussed in depth and sadly, there is again, absolutely nothing that we can do about it. The way that Breyer presented the raffles is incredibly fair.