Is a 2009 Fall Festival in Lebanon, Oregon possible?

LEBANON, OREGON, January 16, 2009...A vision of a 2009 Lebanon Fall Festival will be discussed at a lunch meeting on January 16, Friday, at Peggy’s Alaskan Cabbage Patch B&B at 194 S 2nd St, Lebanon, Oregon.
At this noon meeting, Peggy, will present her vision for bringing more visitors and tourists to Lebanon.
“Would a ‘Fall Festival of Quilting and Textile Arts," in Lebanon in October 2009 be a good idea?” That’s the question Peggy posed in her recent email to potential meeting guests.
A True Fall Festival... More than a quilt show
She continued, “The festival would be much more than a guild quilt show. It would have an Iron Quilt contest, a quilting play on stage by the Lebanon Community Players, and a nationally known quilting speaker.”
“Please come to a short luncheon meeting at noon on Friday, January 16th to discuss this idea. I will provide lunch at my Bed & Breakfast, at 194 S 2nd Street,” she concluded.
Build on the show’s 2008 successes
The ideas to be discussed are based on the huge success of the 2008 Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild show in October 2008.
On October 18-19, 2008, with a bigger, better venue and the big help of marketing dollars from the Lebanon Tourism Committee, the guild's annual quilt show made a giant leap forward. A few numbers show how this 2008 show increased visitors to Lebanon.

• Over 360 attendees... Up from 'bout 100,
• Over 180 quilts... Up from 'bout 120,
• 10 vendors... Up from 2,
• 13 public quilts... Up from none,
• 5 children's quilts... Up from none,
• 2 speakers... Up from none,
• 18 vignettes... Up from none,
• 4 Textile Arts entries... Up from none,
• Food service... Up from none, and all this brought
• Additional business to Lebanon.... It was up significantly.

2009 Fall Festival brings more fun, more visitors, more business
Peggy closed her email with the thought, “A 2009 Lebanon Fall Festival could take us, the Lebanon community, new places.”
“Where we go in 2009 is more fun, more to do, and more visitors.” Then she listed more specifics to outline her vision.

• Iron Quilt Contest,
• Quilt Stage Play by Lebanon’s Community Players,
• National known quilting speaker,
• Up to 500 attendees,
• Up to 15 vendors,
• Up to 4 speakers/ workshops,
• Up to 14 textile art displays,
• Up to 6 textile artists demos,
• Quilt Block Scrabble,
• Quilt car show,
• More public quilts,
• More vignettes & vendors,
• More demos & more classes,
• More marketing & publicity, and
• More helpers, supporters... All equals...
• More Fun, More to Do, More, More, More & More & More.

Peggy believes, “These and your ideas can keep the momentum going and bring more visitors and more business to Lebanon this fall and in years to come.”
If you have suggestion, please RSVP
If you are interested, please come for lunch and talk about how this could happen.
There is one last question in her email, “Whom is a contact person in the Lebanon Community Players to come to this meeting?”
Please RSVP Peggy at 541.451.4910, 541.258.1774 or via her cell 541.409.0740, or email.
She wants your ideas to help Lebanon's Fall Festival become the "Sisters' Quilt Show" of the Santiam Valley.
Peggy is Santiam Scrappers Quilt Guild 2008-2009 president and promotion committee chair.