Sponsors

We have seven sponsorship levels designed to suit your business’ advertising budget. Many sponsorship levels have a selection of options. The benefits of each level are listed. See something you are interested in? Call us for a complete information packet. Choose from the following:

YELLOW BRICK ROAD SPONSOR

Overall Festival Sponsor

Our Yellow Brick Road is the highest level available in our sponsorship partnerships. This is considered an overall festival sponsorship. A combination of cash and in-kind contributions may be combined to achieve this sponsorship honor.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will Receive The Following Benefits:

Signage at the Festival
Recognition in the Official Festival Event Guide which is viewed by thousands of festival attendees.
Featured in several press releases
The right to distribute materials related to your business at the festival
Ten (10) Complimentary tickets to Festival events of your choice
Autographed, framed Oz Festival poster signed by all attending Munchkins and Celebrities.
Commemorative Medal
Advertisement on Festival Website for One (1) Year
Personalized plaque
Link to your website from Festival Website for One (1) Year
Your business will be further honored by an announcement made at the Festival Grand Finale thanking you for your support

DOROTHY GALE SPONSOR

Emerald City Gala

The Friday Evening Gala will be a catered event, which will kick off the Festival weekend. Sponsor fees will cover partial costs of this event, with the remainder of the proceeds coming from ticket sales. Sponsorship partially covers: Advertising and promotion, food and beverage, venue rental, decorations and entertainment including audio visual aids to create an ambience of old-fashioned Hollywood greats such as Judy Garland.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will Receive The Following Benefits:

Signage to indicate that the Friday Night Gala is being presented by your business.
Your business name will be included in all advertising and publicity for this event
Recognition in the Official Festival Event Guide, which is used by thousands of Festival attendees to guide them through their weekend in Oz.
Your business featured in any press releases related to this event
The right to distribute samples of your product and/or literature related to your business at this event
Eight (8) complimentary tickets to this event
Your business will receive an autographed, framed Oz Festival Poster signed by all attending Munchkins and Celebrities€
Sponsor will receive a commemorative medal
Your business will receive an ad on the official Festival website.

EMERALD CITY SPONSOR

Breakfast with the Munchkins

The Breakfast with the Munchkins is one of the most popular events of the festival. Munchkins are our Celebrity guests attend along with the Official Oz Festival Characters. The characters include Glinda, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, the Wizard, the Wicked Witch of the West, the Lion, and of course Dorothy. The event takes place Sunday morning, September 18. A full course breakfast buffet is served. Each child attending receives a special gift. Sponsorship covers: Site fees, breakfast for the guests, decorations, ticket printing, gifts for each child, and advertising.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will

Receive the Following Benefits:

Your business will be featured in all advertising and publicity for this event
Signage will be in place identifying your business at this event
Recognition of your business in the Official Festival Event Guide which is used by thousands of Festival attendees to guide them through their weekend in Oz.
Your business featured in all press releases related to this event
The right to distribute samples of your product and/or literature related to your business at this event
Your business will receive four (4) complimentary tickets to this event.
Your business will receive a framed and autographed Oz Festival Poster signed by all attending Munchkins and Celebrities, and a commemorative medal
Your business will receive an ad on the official Wizard of Oz Festival website, sponsored by Lakeshore Festival & Events, Inc., for a period of one year

MUNCHKINLAND SPONSOR OPTIONS

Munchkin Lodging Facility

What an honor it is to have the original Munchkins staying at your facility for this internationally known event! Ten (10) rooms are needed each night from September 11th when the Munchkins arrive until they depart on September 17th. Sponsorship covers: Room fees, staff services and miscellaneous expenses. This sponsorship will be listed on our website as the Official Munchkin Hotel.

Special Guest/Celebrity Lodging Facility

At least eight (8) rooms for four nights each must be secured for the Oz festival to house these special guests. The rooms are needed from arrival on September 11th through departure on September 17th. Sponsorship covers: Room fees, staff services and miscellaneous expenses. This sponsorship will be listed on our website as the Official Celebrity Hotel.

Costumed Character Lodging Facility

How would you like to host the official Oz Costumed Characters at your facility for this internationally known event! This includes Dorothy and her three best friends. A few witches (a good one and a wicked one) and a wizard. Eight (8) rooms are needed each night from Friday September 14 until they check out on September 16th. Three of the rooms should have two full beds; one room on the ground floor for handicapped access. Sponsorship covers: Room fees, staff services and miscellaneous expenses. This sponsorship will be listed on our web site as the Official Costumed Character Hotel.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will

Receive the Following Benefits:

Your business name will be featured in all relative advertising and publicity
Recognition of your business in the Official Festival Event Guide. This Event Guide is used by thousands of Festival attendees to guide them through their weekend in Oz.
Your sponsorship featured in all related press releases
The right to distribute samples of your product and/or literature related to your business at the information booth, which is visited by thousands during the Festival
Your business will receive a framed autographed Oz Festival Poster signed by all attending Munchkins and Celebrities, and a commemorative medal.
Your business will receive an ad on the official website of the Wizard of Oz Festival, sponsored by Lakeshore Festival & Events Inc., for a period of one year

RUBY SLIPPER SPONSOR OPTIONS

Celebrity Shuttle Service

Transportation for celebrities is needed to and from the Chicago airports. Celebrities arrive at the airport from locations all over the U.S. It takes a coordinated effort to plan the pick up and departure of the celebrities. Sponsorship covers: Bus or limo fees, and tips.

Entertainment

This provides continuous entertainment at The Porter County Expo Center throughout the Festival weekend.

Shuttle Service

This entails transportation to and from the major events for our Oz visitors from four high visibility areas in the community. Sponsorship covers: Cost of bus driver’s hourly fee, mileage and gas, for the 2-days of the Festival.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will

Receive the Following Benefits:

Signage will be in place identifying your business, magnetic signage acceptable
Recognition of your business in the Festival Event Guide.
Your business featured in all press releases related to your event
The right to distribute samples of your product and/or literature related to your business at the information booth visited by thousands during the Festival
Your business will receive a framed autographed Oz Festival Poster signed by all attending Munchkins and Celebrities
Your business will receive a commemorative medal
Your business will be listed on our website prior to, during and at least ninety (90) days following the festival. The Lakeshore Festival & Events, Inc., website is the official website of the Wizard of Oz Festival.

RAINBOW SPONSOR OPTIONS

Autograph Parties

Two autograph sessions will be offered, one Saturday, September 15th, and one Sunday, September 16th. All Celebrities are in attendance. Sponsorship covers: Site fee, decorations, signage, and advertising.

Festival Poster & Postcard

The 2008 Oz Festival Poster will be displayed for at least 30 days prior to the festival in participating retailer’s windows, the Porter County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, other tourism offices, in addition to many other places. Not only is the annual Festival Poster a highly visible way of advertising your business, it has also proven to be a coveted, collectible souvenir sought after by many collectors year after year. Sponsorship covers: Design, typesetting, layout, printing, color separations, materials, delivery and distribution. Some posters and postcards will be sold as a fund raising project.

Munchkin/Celebrity Sponsor
How would you like the honor of sponsoring your own Munchkin or Celebrity during the Oz festival? Your chosen Munchkin or Celebrity will wear a sash with your business name.

You have your choice of:

Munchkins and Munchkins by Marriage:

Elizabeth Cottonaro: Elizabeth is a Munchkin by marriage. She appears at our Festival in the memory of her husband Tommy Cottonaro a Munchkin Villager.

Margaret Pellegrini: Margaret is an actual actor from the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Margaret wore several Munchkin hats, or shall we say flowerpots. She was a Sleepy Head emerging from the nest and as well as one of the Flowerpot Lady Villagers. You can see Margaret peeking from the shrubbery, in a famous scene with Dorothy and Glinda in Munchkinland. Margaret appears during Festival weekend in a recreated Flowerpot Lady Villager costume. She is also a wellspring of knowledge, pertaining to any and every aspect of what occurred during the filming of the movie.

Mary Ellen St. Aubin: Mary Ellen, Munchkin by Marriage, has been given the honorary title of first lady of Chesterton. She and her husband Parnell St. Aubin were the first Munchkins to attend the Chesterton Wizard of Oz Festival Parnell St. Aubin was an actual Munchkin Soldier in the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. Mary Ellen continues to attend in his memory. Parnell and Mary Ellen owned the well-known Midget Club in Chicago, IL. Mary Ellen has also been featured in the PBS documentary I Married a Munchkin.

Karl Slover: Karl is an actual actor from the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. He appeared as the 1st Trumpeter as well as a Sleepy Head emerging from the nest. Karl appears during Festival weekend in a recreated 1st Trumpeter costume. When celebrities visited the set, Karl was often called upon to entertain with his songs.

Donna Stewart-Hardway: Donna was one of the few child actors used in Munchkinland. She was also the youngest cast member of the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. She has her own website devoted to the wonder of Oz. Get to know more about her by visiting www.kansasoz.com.

Jerry and Elizabeth Maren: Jerry is an actual actor from the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. You will remember the well-known scene in which, the singing, shuffling and dancing Lollipop Guild presented Dorothy with a large lollipop. That's Jerry in the middle, presenting the lollipop. His wife Elizabeth is a Munchkin by Marriage. She has appeared in productions such as The Dreamer of Oz as well as the show Seinfeld, with her husband Jerry.

Clarence and Myrna Swensen: Clarence is an actual actor from the acclaimed 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. He was one of the Munchkin soldiers. He appears during Festival weekend in a recreated soldier costume. His wife Myrna, Munchkin by Marriage, was scheduled to be in the film, but unfortunately was prevented by a bout of appendicitis. She came from a well-known show business family as well as her father portrayed Buster Brown. Once you meet Clarence and Myrna, you know what southern hospitality is all about.

Celebrities:

John Fricke: John Fricke is an award winning author and entertainer, who has been awarded two Emmys. He has written several books on Oz and Judy Garland and is considered an expert on both in the Oz community. He is a Midwest native, who now resides in New York City. John is the living meaning of the word charisma and can be counted upon to make every one of his fans feel that they are the center of his universe. You cannot meet John, without becoming his friend.

Caren Marsh-Doll: You cannot see Caren in the acclaimed 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz because she was actually Miss Judy Garland’s stand in. Read more about Caren’s Hollywood adventures in her autobiography, Dancing Through Oz.

Michael Roche: Michael is an award-winning sculptor from the Midwest. For the 50th anniversary of the movie, he sculpted collectible pieces for all of the main Oz characters. In addition to his art, Michael is a firefighter. After 9/11 he designed a limited addition piece, in honor or the 343 firefighters lost in New York.

Michael Siewert: Michael has one of the largest Judy Garland costume collectors in the word and is also a renowned expert on Miss Garland. Remember Judy wearing the mink in the What Becomes a Legend Most commercials? That mink coat is part of Michael’s collection.

Tim Wolak: Tim is a Midwest native who compiles the artwork for our festival. One of Tim’s other well-known accomplishments is producing a full sized inhabited Munchkinland, which can be admired at Munchkinland Market Days during Festival weekend. Tim’s Oz fame is growing; he recently produced a full sized set of Oz characters for a permanent Oz museum in Kansas.

AUNTIE EM SPONSOR OPTIONS

Judy Oz Exchange

The Judy Oz Exchange is one of the Festival’s main events. It is attended by thousands of Festival attendees and is an evening event. This Celebrity Auction will be Saturday evening, September 15th and features Wizard of Oz collectibles. Tables are sold to vendors and the public is invited. All celebrities are in attendance. An exciting new addition to this year’s Judy Oz Exchange will be the Oz Hat Parade, Exhibit and Competition. Sponsorship covers: Site fee, sound system, auctioneer, decorations and signage, and advertising.

Lunch With the Costumed Characters

This annual popular event will be held on Saturday afternoon, September 15th at 12:00. Children will have the opportunity to get photographs with the Official Oz Festival Characters, Dorothy, Scarecrow, Lion, Tin Man, and the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard and Glinda. Sponsorship covers: Lunch for the children, ticket printing, site fee, and advertising.

Wrap Party

This event is held each year by the committee to thank the celebrities and volunteers. This is the only event where the Munchkins and other Celebrities have the time to spend with each other. The Wrap Party takes place Sunday evening, September 16th at 6:30 p.m. Sponsorship covers: Site fee, buffet food, share of publicity, and miscellaneous expenses.

As a Sponsor, Your Business Will

Receive the Following Benefits:

Signage featuring your business name will be in place at the event
Recognition of your business in the Festival Event Guide.
Your business featured in all press releases related to your event
Your business will receive an Oz Festival Poster, and a commemorative medal
Your business will be listed on our website, the official website of the Wizard of Oz Festival, sponsored by Lakeshore Festival & Events, Inc., before, during and for sixty (60) days following the Festival.