The Wade Fest Reunion - A Fantastic Success!

The Wade Fest Reunion was a wonderful success! Collectors from all over the USA and beyond gathered together for the first time in three years, and they were certainly not about to miss the opportunity to celebrate their passion for Wade and the new Minikins.

The event began on Friday evening with the Meet & Greet and Ice Cream Social, and it went down a blast! For the first time in the Fest's 23 year history, collectors were also able to enjoy a preview sale.

Everyone who had booked and purchased the Wade Fest weekend package was given exclusive access to the first-ever Friday evening pre-sale, and they certainly made the most of the opportunity. The evening was manic throughout, with collectors eagerly grabbing the chance to purchase Wade and Minikins before the main event on Saturday.

The evening was a great success, and collectors were soon raving about the experience on social media, with posts appearing across all the Wade and Minikin groups.

Saturday – The Main Event

Saturday began with an earlier-than-usual start. At 8am, collectors began arriving full of enthusiasm, ready to start the search for pieces to add to their collections.

The room was busy throughout the day, and the new Wade and Minikin trading cards were exchanging hands as collectors tried to match three cards to win a prize.

It didn't take long for collectors to organise themselves, grabbing tables and planning their strategy to find three matching cards that were needed to claim one of the fantastic prizes.

The new scratch cards, which came with each weekend package, were also exchanging hands, with winning cards being swapped and traded amongst the collectors.

Sales were swift and manic as collectors grabbed the rarer items, not wanting to miss out. The Bran Draw was another great hit, with collectors swarming around the tub, desperately trying to pull a winning ticket from the sawdust that buried the tickets just waiting to be discovered.

The Lucky Dip was also brisk, with collectors digging deep and enthusiastically trying to pull the lower numbers from the bucket — only to be deflated when a high number appeared in front of them!

The Wheel of Fortune was another big hit, with collectors lining up to take their turn. Prizes were swiftly won, and the lucky winners soon scurried away proudly clutching their winnings.

The dealers around the hall reported great sales throughout the day, with some even saying it had been their best show ever.

Saturday Evening – The Banquet & Games

Saturday evening brought the collectors together once again for the final event of the show — the Banquet and Games Evening.

The collectors gathered frantically outside the banquet room, eager to get inside and find a good seat so they could enjoy the evening's entertainment.

First up was the Wade Quiz. The collectors fell silent as they waited for the questions, with some looking decidedly perplexed as each one was read out!

The English Bingo was another game that the guests were eagerly awaiting. The calls of line and house soon rang out, and the prizes were quickly squirrelled away by the lucky winners.

Next came the auction for a very special piece generously donated by Jenny Wright for the collectors to bid on. It certainly did not disappoint, selling for an amazing $560.

The winning bid came from a newcomer to the event, Sarah, who proudly posed with her newly acquired rarity.

The evening ended with a standing ovation, and the guests finally headed off, I am sure completely exhausted after such a hectic and action-packed weekend.

And of course, Amy and Amanda couldn't leave without posing for a photograph, proudly displaying their Gingie Bear tattoos!

Thank You!

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for the event. It simply could not have happened without you all.

Special thanks must go to Amber Price, Angela Goodsell, Valerie Moody and Dee LeBlanc for all their help in organising the show.

We would also like to extend our thanks to the Penn Harris Hotel staff, who were absolutely amazing and had everything in hand throughout the weekend.

Thank you all for helping to make the Wade Fest Reunion such a memorable event.