Raggedy Ann & Andy Friendship Gathering

Dates: 06/01/2012 - 06/02/2012
Times: 8:00 AM-5:00 PM


Johnny Gruelle created the Raggedy Ann stories and the Raggedy Ann doll. For more than 20 years Arcola has celebrated his achievement because of his birth in the small East Central Illinois Town.

His granddaughter, Joni Gruelle Wannamaker, and Tom, her husband, opened the Raggedy Ann Museum and managed it for many years. They closed it in 2010. Tom and Joni still live in Arcola. During that time and for more than 20 years, the town has celebrated the connection to the Raggedy Ann story.

For a time an annual festival combined the street vendor-music-parade experience with meetings and exchanges of the collectors, fans, and experts on the doll's history and story.

Since 2010 the focus has been exclusively on the gathering of the friends of Raggedy Ann. The friends have an opportunity to renew acquaintances, to hear the history of the dolls, to exchange the different iterations of the doll, and to catch up on the history and lore. Many come to complete their collections. Some come to start their collections. All have an opportunity to dine together and share in the social experience of common interests.

Dinner is held at one of the local restaurants--often the Country Club. It's a good time.

Several things may be included in the weekend:

• Cemetery Trek to the Arcola Cemetery showing the Gruelle family lot.
• Dinner. Arrangements will be made according to preferences of the organizers.
• Gathering to socialize and to exchange dolls at a designated location--sometimes the Community Center
• June 3, 2011 the Raggedy Ann Friends English High Tea, has been cancelled this year, due to schedule conflict and illness

Respond to Susie Patridge 217.234.2045, or patridge@consolidated.net

Arcola,IL

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