Mid america Fenton Gala 2024

This is such a great hotel for the Gala!  

All rooms are two room suites with a king size bed or two double beds and the sofa folds out for another bed.  There is a Hot Breakfast from 6:30am to 9:30am every weekday, 6:30am to 10:30am on weekends.  And to top it off, a free “Manager’s Reception” Cocktail Party every evening from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.   Please note: This is a non-smoking hotel.   Parking is free.

Reservations at the Embassy Suites are now available at the Gala rate of $139/night plus taxes.

Includes:

• Hot Breakfast Buffet
• Evening "Manager's Reception" Cocktail Party

Call for reservations on a weekday:  816-891-7788.

Be sure to tell them you are with “Fenton Glass Gala" to get the Gala Rate

This rate is good through August 21, 2024

If you require a Wi-Fi connection in your room, you will be charged a daily fee.  If you are a Hilton Honors member, your connection is free.  You can join Hilton Honors and earn points towards future stays at all participating properties for FREE.  

If you need to cancel your hotel room reservation, please email our Gala Committee member who coordinates with the hotel, Connie Duncan, so that we won’t lose a Gala Rate blocked room.  

Kansas City has a new airport terminal!  

The airport is in the same location, but the free hotel  shuttle service procedure is different.   Once you arrive and have collected your baggage, call the hotel on your cell phone at 816-891-7788.   They will send the shuttle.     Follow the signs for hotel shuttles and go to the green columns 3E-H and wait for pick-up.

You are encouraged to sell Fenton Glass from your room.  We plan lots of time for “shopping the rooms.”  As in years past, we have given those collectors who return each year the room they had the previous year.  We also know some collectors like to be in rooms next to each other.  Double and king size beds also come into play.  We would like to keep all sellers on one floor and the rooms they have had, but it is getting harder each year.  We would like to avoid putting anyone in the corner rooms or semi corner rooms if at all possible due to not having "window" visibility.  Moving more sellers up to third floor may be the answer to this problem.  We will have signage in place to alert attendees that there is two floors of glass for sale.  If you like, you can request a corner room.  Some desire these because they are a bit larger.  Room assignments are not on a first come first serve basis.  We will do our best to make everyone happy.

1.  Make your hotel reservation.
2. Contact Connie Duncan directly for room assignment details.
3. The hotel has tables available for $25.00 (plus tax) each for length of stay.  Please bring your own table covers and/or skirting unless you would prefer the hotel to furnish white tablecloths.  The tables are 30 inches wide by 72 inches long.  Let Connie know when you contact her.
4. When doing your registration online, there is an item for selling glass out of your room.  Your can also reserve any tables needed.  Please note:  If you do your registration online and request to sell glass out of your room, you MUST contact Connie for room assignment details.  Doing this online only alerts us that you have the desire to sell glass.  It does not assign your room.

 A Message from Carol Rigsby ~

The big display is always a hard act to follow when every year just seems to get bigger and better. Amanda Herman and I are teaming up together to present “Changing Seasons with Fenton.” 

Most of you have known Amanda for many years. In recent times, (since my arrival on the scene), I have known her as the familiar face of our raffles, our sign-in stations, our Charitable Contribution Coordinator, and the lady that drives a hard bargain at our auctions!

Until now - my role has been much more behind the scenes. We may not have personally been introduced. However, you probably know my face if you have ever been to the Hospitality Room in the past few years… no, I’m not “that lady that ate all of your favorite cookies!” But I have loved helping Jackie prepare and serve all the wonderful foods that we enjoy. 

After returning from Ann Fenton’s Collectible Bash it is easy to feel all of the love that we share for our glass collections and our Fenton Friends! Just like the Gala, people travel from far away to join in these meetings and share in the excitement and passion. 

I am reaching out for your help to make this year’s Big Display at the Gala something equally special. Something that people will talk about and enjoy being a part of, something collectors will look at with awe and inspiration. So let me share our vision. 

We are asking for a few members to commit to bringing something really exceptional with them from their own private collections. We’re asking you to display your piece, that might add interest to the Big Display, at the FFOGKC Gala in Kansas City, September 12th -14th. We are looking for special pieces of Fenton that represent a seasonal color or holiday decoration or exudes a traditional feeling of Summertime or Springtime, Winter or Fall.  

What we are hoping to accomplish is a grouping of Winter that might perhaps include some pieces of Violets in the Snow, a special piece or two of cobalt Canaan Valley, a few Christmas limited edition pieces, or pieces that are hard to find or maybe not often seen. Valentines Day could include a stunning piece of iridized red glass, or a fun nappy bowl with a ruby crest. If someone has the Valentine’s Day Holiday Parade pieces with the box – this would be fun. Who might be willing to display their Four Seasons vases? 

The Springtime selections will be hard to choose from with ruffled baskets and Easter, ducklings and violet colored glass. St. Patrick’s Day, anyone? Someone has offered their Irish Treasures collection for display! Bobbie has offered to display a lamp in this area – yes, please & thank you! A special person has offered to display their Chinese Yellow September Morn Nymph. I’m sure we could make room for a Lilac – September Morn specimen to display.  But there are Mother’s Day vases and weddings with bridesmaid dolls, and this list goes on and on.

Summer – will also be fun, with the Fourth of July! Here we can display your prettiest of Red, Whites and Blues! Sunflower vases, seashores and vacation places will all display nicely in this season to remember. These are sometimes called the “Dog-Days” of Summer – but I think we could also find a few Patriotic Cats – anyone?

Fall conjures up colors of persimmon, and rich Dave Fetty pieces in all shapes and styles. We would welcome a few special pieces for this display! The thought of the beautifully sand carved, Kelsey Murphy, piece - “Fall’s Gift to Spring” vase immediately comes to my mind. Leaves and pumpkins bring other special collections into consideration. Ghosts and goblins and decorated pieces are all quite popular and would add to the display. The Vasa Murrhina – Autumn Orange from 1965-1967 would also make a nice addition.  Is anyone interested in putting their piece on display?

We will be keeping you updated as our vision comes into focus, and we receive commitments for special pieces to display. If you would like to have a piece of your collection on display at this year’s Fenton Finders of Greater Kansas City – Gala – Big Display, please contact me and/or Amanda Herman with your offering(s). We will do our best to include your special piece in the extravaganza! Until we visit again enjoy the sparkle in you day and the color of your glass.  

Your Fenton Friend,

Carol Rigsby