| Announcing Midwest Geobash
2009! Ladies and Gentlesirs - mark your calendar for the rootinest,
tootinest Geocaching event in the Midwest! Registration is free as
always, onsite camping is available and better than ever. There are
also several
nearby hotels for the Gypsies to stay at.
Volunteers, contact us at info@mwgb.org to learn about our room
block. There are about 80 caches and growing within 10 miles of
the event to enjoy while you participate in event
activities. |
WHEN: |
July 23-26, 2009 |
| WHERE: |
Fulton County Fairgrounds - Wauseon,
Ohio |
| WHO: |
Everyone is invited, we hope to see most of the
1500 or so attendees from 2008 become "repeat
offenders". |
Often imitated, but never duplicated - MWGB has become a must-do
event in the Geocaching world since its inception as a casual
camping gather in 2005 at Harrison Lake State Park in Ohio. In 2009
we're taking the event back "home" with a return to Fulton County
Ohio and a venue only miles from the original event location. In
that spirit 2009's planning mantra is "Back to Basics". Our overall
plan includes a return to a less structured, more casual event
management approach while simultaneously improving our
socialization activities and improving on previous activities,
prizes, etc. If you liked past MWGB events, you will LOVE this one.
Event Schedule
[JFB] = Junior Fair
Building,
[ACB] =
Arts & Crafts Building,
[SA] = Spangler
Arena,
[A51] = Area
51 / Fire Rings,
[HLSP] = Harrison
Lake State Park
Misc Activities
- 20 GPS Unit Giveaway - Thanks to the
support of GpsDude.com , we are able to make this
dream a reality. Come to bash, participate in the activities and be
present to win one of the 20 units we're giving away. And these
aren't just a bagful of yellows - included in the mix are 3 Nuvi
dashboard units and 10 Garmin Legend Cx units! All in the box with
a year warranty.
- Treasure Hunt - On Saturday try your hand at
skerrin' up some really cool swag in our on-venue treasure hunt.
Every trip into the treasure field guarantees a great prize.
- Campsite Decoration Contest - Love to camp?
Want to win some cool stuff? Then deck out your campsite.
Preference is given to thematic campsites (old west / chicken) but
dress your site to impress. Last year's winners won free camping in
2009 and the top site won a GPS Unit!
- Geocoin Poker Challenge - The GCP 2009 will
make a stop at MWGB 2009. Sign up (watch the forums) for one of the
40 seats and try your hand at winning a share of the 120+ coin
grand prize
- Sessions - Saturday's schedule includes many
informational sessions. Topics range from puzzle caching to what
it's like to review caches as a volunteer on
Geocaching.com
Thursday, July 23
- 10:00am - Venue Opens! C'Mon In! Find your
campsite and set up, then join us at 1:30pm at Harrison Lake State
Park for the big party!
- 1:30pm to 6:30pm -
[HLSP]
Flamingo Retirement Beach Party at Harrison Lake State Park! Back
where it all began! Come enjoy the beachfront, swimming, and prizes
all day! At 3pm we'll fire up the grill and everyone can have some
hot dogs on us. If you are coming and care to bring a drink,
bag of chips, or sun-friendly cold dish to pass (we probably won't
have power) that would be great but not
required! Then we'll wrap up at 6:30pm and head back to the
Fairgrounds for the first evening fires where our campfire crew
will wow us with their hospitality. Alcohol is not permitted
at Harrison Lake State Park (their rule... not ours...)
:)
- 7:00pm to 10:00pm -
[A51] Family
Campfires and Social
- 10:00pm -
[A51] Campfires
transform to Area 51. Families still welcome but after 10pm adult
beverages are welcome at Area 51 fires.
Friday, July 24
- 8:00am -
[JFB] Free Coffee
and Donuts Social
- 9:00am to 12:00noon -
[ACB] Mystery
Activity. Come have donuts and then at 9, we'll start the first of
our activities for the day. As a group, we'll learn about our
mission. You can then break up into groups of friends to go out and
complete the mission. This activity will take place on the
fairgrounds and will help acclimate you to the facilities. The
activity goals will be designed to be completed in about 1-1.5
hours, giving you 1.5-2 hours of free time in this block to explore
the grounds in more detail, do some nearby caching, grab lunch,
etc. Be back to the rally point by 11:30 for the activity wrapup
and awards. Remember - must be present to win!
- 12:00noon to 3:00pm -
[ACB] Poker Run. As
a group we'll explain the rules and then you will have 3.5 hours to
complete a 7-stop poker run. The run is designed to take you out
into the local community to see the sights. The run can be
completed in under 1.5 hours, allowing participants who come late
to play and those who start early to easily fit in a couple hours
of local caching on top of completing the poker run. Return to the
rally point [SA] by
3:00pm to return your cards. No late submissions. Partial
submissions accepted (i.e. 5 of 7 cards collected may still be the
winner!)
- 3:00pm to 4:00pm
- [SA]
Afternoon social brought to you by one of our sponsors! Watch
the poker run results be compiled and participate in our
sponsor/vendor meet and greet while you partake in a tasty snack
(while supplies last). At the conclusion of the social and
Poker Run results compilation we will award the prizes for the
poker run.
- 4:00pm to 7:00pm
- [SA] Flea
Market and Geocoin Poker Challenge take place. Stay on after the
social and poker run awards to see all the finest wares in the
caching world and catch the live poker action of the GPC Tour where
one lucky winner will walk away with over 200 coins!
- 4:00pm to 7:00pm
- [SA] Silent
Auction Donation Drop Off Open
- 4:00pm to 10:00pm
- [SA] Set up
and trade coins, pathtags, whatever while the vendors are open and
the poker challenge is running. Remember - no sales are permited
outside of vendor booths.
- 7:00pm to 10:00pm -
[A51] Family
Campfires and Social
- 10:00pm -
[A51] Campfires
transform to Area 51. Families still welcome but after 10pm adult
beverages are welcome at Area 51 fires.
Saturday, July 25
- 8:00am -
[JFB] Free Coffee
and Donuts Social
- 9:00am to 10:00am -
[JFB] SESSION 1.
Come for the donuts, stay for the session. A fellow cacher will be
presenting on an interesting topic. Take this chance while we're
all together to learn a little, ask some questions, and share some
knowledge of your own with the rest of us!
- 10:00am to 11:00am -
[JFB] SESSION 2. A
fellow cacher will be presenting on an interesting topic. Take this
chance while we're all together to learn a little, ask some
questions, and share some knowledge of your own with the rest of
us!
- 12:00pm to 2:00pm
- [SA] Silent
auction is open for bidding! Come see what has been donated. Bid
often, bid high - remember all proceeds go toward event
expenses!
- 11:00am to 3:00pm -
[TBD] Treasure
hunt! Stop by the event store and pick up a ticket to go out
in our treasure hunt field. Every ticket is a winner!
Prizes include Geocoins and Pathtag sets. Some lucky hunters
will find an extra entry into a GPS unit drawing!
- 11:00am to 3:00pm - Grounds-wide scavenger
hunt! Test your wild west law keepin' prowess by seeking out
our "Most Wanted" and completing a scavenger hunt. Correctly
completing the hunt enters you into a drawing for a GPS unit!
- 3:00pm to 4:00pm -
[SA] "Closing
Ceremonies" at Spangler Arena. Come join us for awards,
recognition, a group photo and a giant thank you for
attending. BUT FEAR NOT! MWGB rolls on after the
closing ceremonies. Don't plan on leaving after the closing
ceremonies! The best is yet to come at the night fires!
- 4:00pm to 7:00pm -
[SA] Flea Market is
open with vendors showcasing their wares. Come and do some
shopping. Silent Auction results will be compiled by around
4pm and you can pick up your bargains and pay at this time.
Coin and Pathtag trading in the area during this time too! Trading
area will be open until the wee hours, vendors are encouraged to
close up around 7 or 8 to enjoy the evening with all
attendees.
- 4:00pm to 6:00pm -
[SA] Silent Auction
items pickup. You can pick up and pay for your silent auction
victories at this time.
- 7:00pm to 10:00pm -
[A51] Family
Campfires and Social
- 10:00pm -
[A51] Campfires
transform to Area 51 for the last time of the event. Families still
welcome but after 10pm adult beverages are welcome at Area 51
fires. Come hang out and enjoy the late evening with friends from
all over!
Sunday, July 26
- Git! - We loved having you, but please pack up
and be off the grounds by a "reasonable hour" :) Remember, our
volunteers need to clean up and get home too. If you can help with
the tear down, please assemble near the location of the event store
/ will call in the morning to volunteer with the tear down. ALL
attendees can help by making sure you CITO the grounds all weekend
long!
* As usual, all activities are tentative. Check back
frequently for updates to the schedule.
Event Updates
6/15/2009 - Event Update
TODAY IS THE SWAG CUTOFF
You have officially entered the last minute zone! At least as far
as swag is concerned... Today is THE LAST DAY to get in on our
excellent event swag. Believe me when I say you don't want to miss
out on this ultra cool stuff, especially the trading pins. If you
get nothing else, pick up trader pins - they are excellent fun and
a great way to meet people at the event. A trader pack has 6 pins,
all alike. The full set is 6 pins, all different. Your goal will be
to scour the event looking for other pin traders who you can trade
with to complete your set. It's a lot of fun, and if you stop to
chat a bit with every person you trade with - it's an excellent way
to meet folks. All proceeds from swag sales go to event
expenses.
**COFFEE FREAKS - WE NEED YOUR HELP!**
So... the other day we do a schedule run-through and we all realize
how daunting the Coffee and Donuts social may be each morning.
Donuts are no problem... you pick 'em up and put them out. But
Coffee... how do you make coffee for a crowd like this? We've
explored lots of options, but if you have ideas and/or equipment
(and probably most importantly equipment...) please email us at
info@mwgb.org with your input.
BTW - Friday and Saturday starts off with a free coffee and donuts
social at the Junior Fair Building at 8am! If you can help us avoid
getting up at 4am to put the brew on... that would rock :)
**SCHEDULE ADDITIONS**
Thanks to The Pittsburgh Area Geocaching Association for running an
ammo can activity for the kids on Friday! Supervised kids under 12
are welcome to participate in this FREE activity and help paint one
of 15-20 ammo cans! The cans will then be donated, as decorated, to
the silent auction and can be bid on to take home! Parents - stop
by the vendor area and visit The Pittsburgh Area Geocaching
Association at their table for more ammo cans, Groundspeak
Merchandise, and more!
Keep checking the schedule. As much planning as goes into this,
last minute additions and changes always happen. Stop by
http://mwgb.org and check the schedule frequently leading up to the
event!
GEOCOIN POKER CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION NOW
OPEN
Visit the General Discussion forums at http://mwgb.org to register
for the Geocoin Poker Tour. You could win a 120 geocoin pot and a
200 coin custom poker chip set!
CAMPING RESERVATION CUTOFF & REGISTRATION CUTOFF
We're going to cut off camping reservations and registration about
*July* 15, a month after the swag cutoff. If you miss either of
these cutoffs, don't sweat - we have oodles of camping and "just"
registration is optional. If you need camping still, just show up
and sign into an empty site with an IOU. Pay your IOU at the event
store. Camping is standard rate + $15 for at-the-door booking, so
sign up today and save $15!
REGISTRATION PROGRESS
Registration is free, takes only a moment, and helps us with
planning. 970 people have registered so far and 194 campsites have
been reserved. Register today at http://mwgb.org to put us over the
1000 (or 1500) mark!
6/5/2009 - Event Update
Hi again everyone, this is a quick(er) note to send an important
new notice and a short update. It's coming up fast and we want to
ensure everyone is prepared to have a GREAT time!
**GEOCOIN POKER CHALLENGE TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION NOW OPEN**
Visit the forums at http://mwgb.org to register for the Geocoin
Poker Tour. Check out the thread in General Discussion for details
on the rules of play and buy in requiremnets. Sign up for your
chance to win a 120 geocoin pot and a 200 coin custom poker chip
set! Not to mention - have a great time! Not into poker? No problem
- come to Spangler Arena from 4-7 and you can watch the Poker
action, visit the vendors in the event flea market, and trade
Geocoins and Pathtags! It's fun for all!
REGISTRATION - PLEASE REGISTER
Yeah - standard registration "nag" :) We really want to see
everyone there. It's free, takes only a moment, and helps us with
planning. 854 people have registered so far and 181 campsites have
been reserved. Register today at http://mwgb.org to put us over the
900 (or 1000) mark!
DID YOU PURCHASE YOUR THINGS?
Cutoff for ordering swag for will call is June 15! That's just a
little over a week away! Don't miss out. We make enough swag for
what is ordered plus about 20% - which is not much extra. We expect
to be sold out of non will-call stuff by Friday afternoon. Remember
- event swag is cool and ALL PROCEEDS go to support event
expenses.
SWAG CUTOFF IS JUNE 15, 2009
Just in case you missed it in the previous paragraph ;)
CAMPING CUTOFF
We're going to cut off camping reservations about *July* 15, a
month after the swag cutoff. If you don't get in and still want to
attend, don't worry - we have oodles of camping. Just show up and
sign into an empty site with an IOU. Pay your IOU at the event
store.
DON'T FORGET TO PAY FOR STUFF
Just selecting stuff isn't enough to reserve it for will call, you
need to pay for it too! ;) Don't forget to do this!