RAGGEDY ANN & ANDY FESTIVAL

Story and Photos by Vivienne Mackie

Annual, in Arcola, east central Illinois, USA
In June 2007 it was the 18th festival.
Saturday 9-6, Sunday 10-4

Here's an unusual festival, celebrating dolls. Yes, dolls! But, it’s a family festival, enjoyed by young and old(er) alike.

Think of a doll you had when growing up. A soft unbreakable doll you could hug, take to bed, and even drag on the floor. A doll you loved and cherished. Chances are your doll was a Raggedy Ann or Andy.

Thousands of folks gather from all over the USA and many parts of the world, most notably from Japan, in this small picturesque Midwestern town in the Prairie State to celebrate an American icon.

Moms, dads, grandparents, sons, daughters, married people, singles---people in all shapes and sizes---wear colorful costumes with red-striped socks, with big red smiles and red triangular noses, topped off with bright red wigs made of yarn.

The legacy of Arcola native, Johnny Gruelle, is celebrated during the Raggedy Ann & Andy Festival, sponsored by the Arcola Chamber of Commerce, 135 N. Oak Street. Tel: 800-336-5456. www.arcolachamber.com

Johnny Gruelle, who created Raggedy Ann and her brother, Andy, and the stories and adventures in which they feature, was born in Arcola in 1880. Raggedy Ann was created in 1915 and stories published from 1918. Raggedy Andy was created in 1920. The red-haired dolls have brightened the lives of children for decades and are now icons of Americana. These rag dolls have stood the test of time, making it through two World Wars, a Cold War, a major economic depression and numerous consumer fads.

With doll collectors and others increasingly drawn to Raggedy Ann, who was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2002, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds since its early years. One focus this year, 2007, was to get people to sign a petition asking that Raggedy Andy also be inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. (By Sunday evening, the media was reporting that there were already over 10,000 signatures on the petition). This year the festival also spotlighted another one of Gruelle’s characters, Camel with the Wrinkled Knees.

Besides entertainment opportunities and hands-on activities for both children and adults, dozens of merchants and food vendors offer their wares, including an eye-popping amount of Raggedy-related merchandise that can be found along the historic brick streets during the festival---this is the largest collection of Raggedy Ann merchandise at one place in the world. Raggedy dolls, paintings, books, cups, plates, jewelry, clothing and quilts are some of the items available.

Families, enthusiasts and collectors flock to the festival to buy Raggedy items and souvenirs, and to enjoy what has become an informal reunion, or “homecoming”, of Raggedy fans who have become close friends through their shared experiences in Arcola. Raggedy collectors, though separated by miles and oceans, bridge the gap to meet and celebrate the wonderful dolls created by Johnny Gruelle.

The festival kicks off on Friday evening with a welcome dinner and both live and silent auctions of licensed Raggedy Ann & Andy products. Many more events and activities follow on Saturday and Sunday.

The festival, with its very pleasant friendly atmosphere, takes place mostly along Main Street, which is blocked off for about 4 blocks, from the railway line east. The small Entertainment Tent faces Main Street from close to the railway line on Oak Street. To the left are the Welcome Center and Adventureland, and down the street on the right are the Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum (next to very clean public restrooms) and the Amish Interpretive Center, so everything of interest is very close.

Main Street is lined on both sides by the various food and arts and crafts booths and stalls, and some of the shops put chairs out on the sidewalk. Otherwise, it’s fine to rest on the curb! Saturday morning starts with a Raggedy Ann & Andy Walk, and then the two-days-long entertainment along Main Street begins. Visit the Raggedy Tent, and the Entertainment Stage featuring musicians, storytellers, dancers, a hacky sack champion, a juggler/unicyclist, and an old-fashioned cracker barrel magic show. I happened on a performance by a local dance school, with really cute little girls in gorgeous costumes. The Raggedy Look-Alike Contest was also great fun, with contestants from many other states, as far away as Utah and Florida. Raggedy Adventureland has many of the activities for children, including mega inflatables, carnival rides, and a kids’ tractor pull.

At the other end of Main Street visitors can also find the offices of Rags Magazine, a quarterly publication dedicated to the Raggedy world, published since 2000 (www.ragsmag.com). Outside this, kids can do sidewalk chalk drawing and the day I was there, some of the chalk creations were wonderful depictions of the dolls.

Head to the curb on Main Street, at 3pm on Saturday, to watch the annual Toyland Parade, the highlight of the festival. The parade has floats, the local school marching band, Miss Arcola and other local ‘royalty’, bicycles, pets, and Raggedy Ann & Andy look-alikes and other Gruelle characters, such as Eddie Elephant and Johnny Mouse. It’s interesting to see just how many people are dressed in Raggedy costumes.

A “must-see” for festival-goers is the Johnny Gruelle Raggedy Ann & Andy Museum, which highlights the history of these characters and their creator.

110 E. Main Street, Arcola, IL 61910
Tel: 217-268-4908
Admission $1, ages 6 and over
Tuesday-Saturday 10-4:30, but between January 1-March 15 by appointment
No photographs allowed inside the actual museum.
www.raggedyann-museum.org

Other “special events” can include a visit to the Amish Interpretive Center and a tour of an Amish farm, perhaps even a meal in an Amish home (but this needs to be reserved in advance). Although not directly relayed to the Raggedy world, the Amish presence in Arcola is very strong and has influenced the character of the town and its life. Gentleness and peace are values the Amish culture holds dear. It is these same values that are strongly emphasized in Gruelle’s characters.

(111 S. Locust Street, Tel: 888-45-AMISH,
Hours: March-November, Mon-Sat 9-5; December-February, by appointment)
Entrance $5 for adults.
www.amishcenter.com

Mark Your Calendars:
--November 9-11, 2007: Japanese Raggedy Ann & Andy Festival at Yokohama World Porters. Contact John Otsuki at john@axcis-inc.com
--August 4, 2007: 9th annual Ohio Raggedy Gathering. Akron, Ohio. Contact Ken and Jannell Crosley at rags4fun@aol.com