Mermaid Megafest 2018 in Michigan!

[Mitten Mermaid]

Mermaid MegaFest 2018 is a global festival of mermaids and mermen, dedicated to the preservation of our planet’s aquatic ecosystem through public awareness, community education, and social activism.

This Year's Festival will take place in the beautiful coastal town of South Haven Michigan located on the coastline of Lake Michigan, the 25th, 26th, and 27th of May 2018.

On the Agenda so far:
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Tails of the Sea - Exhibition

Freshwater Mermaid Society - Conference

Siren’s Ball - Music & Dance

Pirate Procession - Parade

MerFolk Beach Party - Convocation

Unsalted Navalcade - Boat Flotilla

Luminescence - Laser Light Show

Search for Atlantis - Geocache

Miss Mermaid Pageant
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*Events are subject to change*

[MissLunaBelle]

YES! SOOO EXCITED♡♡♡

[uwmerman]

Sounds like a blast :)

[Keiris]

Sounds fun!

[MermaidShae]

I hope I can make it this sounds awesome! [emoji177][emoji177]


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[Mermaid Kailani]

Omg!!! I might actually be able to go to this❤️❤️❤️


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[MerQueen Nerissa]

Yay!! A mermaid event I can actually come to! Can’t wait!!


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[Derek Broussard]

MermaidSadie, Who would I talk to about possibly hosting a workshop for the megafest?

[Seaspray Mermaid]

I might be able to go!! Depends on event cost after traveling expenses...fins crossed!!

[Mermaid-Avalon]

awesome

[Mitten Mermaid]

Mermaid MegaFest is now accepting applications from vendors for the Pirate Street Faire!
Swashbucklers and land lovers of all ages will converge on the streets of South Haven for the Pirate Street Faire, a pirates paradise located in downtown! Featuring fine arts for sale, street food vendors, sword fighting, live music and of course, lots of mermaids. There will be plenty of piratical happenings for the whole family!
*~This event will be in South Haven during Memorial Day weekend, we expect a very high trafficked event.~*
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Extensive Event Marketing
Mermaid Mega Fest: Digital marketing/social media (MermaidMegaFest.com (https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2FMermaidMegaFest.com%2F&h=ATNzCgfvM1gxiinxu7K-kIVHqiP1FLJwy-wvKiPuZUJTHE1tvMwPOEOLT9mKm3njV6j8nK9yWnSk9QMrldU9 gJJZOBnG5y4Bc3PPnCoAsSMMkEP-xs703nKN1Pfr24MGrJ3ZRULbM4e8LHrMzpNJ3oZn)Facebook, Twitter)
Print, direct mail, newspaper, digital marketing/social media, electronic communications, event sharing, events posting on other relevant websites, newspaper.
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Calendar
Applications Due: Friday, April 27, Fee $75
Check-in and Booth Setup:
Sunday, May 27th, 2018, 8 am-10 am
Pirate Street Faire: Sunday, May 27th 11 am-5 pm
Tear Down: Sunday, May 27th 5 pm-7 pm
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Rules and Criteria
Participants must be 18 and over.
Artisans/crafters should maintain proof in their booth area of all required licenses and inspections pertinent to the sale of their goods. Goods should be labeled according to specified standards (liability insurance, cottage food laws, health department permit.)
It is the sole responsibility of vendors that all Michigan sales tax collected be paid to the Michigan Department of Treasury.
Participation is available on a first-come basis. We reserve the right to decline entry to vendors that are not a good fit for the market, and booth fees will be refunded in this case.
Acceptance of a vendor is determined by the South Haven Center for the Arts and the Mermaid MegaFest committee.
The Pirate Street Faire does not provide guaranteed exclusivity to any exhibitor.
Exhibitor booth size is 10’ x 9’. Most booths are within a covered farmers market pavilion. Some limited spaces are available outside the pavilion for vendor tents.
Photos provided by the exhibitor, or taken by either the South Haven Center for the Arts or MermaidMegaFest may be used for advertising and promotional purposes (news releases, website, facebook, etc.)
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Payment and registration via credit card or paypal at
https://www.southhavenarts.org/pirate-street-faire
Or make check payable to South Haven Center for the Arts.
Send Pirate Street Faire application to:
South Haven Center for the Arts
600 Phoenix Street
South Haven, MI 49090
#MermaidMegaFest (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/mermaidmegafest?source=feed_text) #piratefaire (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/piratefaire?source=feed_text) #southhaven (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/southhaven?source=feed_text)

[Mitten Mermaid]

You can go to the following link with any questions you may have and we will get back to you as soon as possible

https://www.mermaidmegafest.com/contact-us

:)

[Mitten Mermaid]

Hey everyone! Hope all is well :)

A couple of announcements we still have vendors spots available so you can find all the information at this link -----> https://www.southhavenarts.org/pirate-street-faire

Also, we are holding a couple workshops to make your own mermaid tail for the Guinness world record for those that don't have tails. There will be a workshop this upcoming Saturday (April 28th) for kids ages 6-12 (11am-1pm) and an adult workshop for teens and adults from 2-4pm. The cost of these workshops will be $5/person. You can find all additional information on Mermaid Megafests Facebook page. Admission included with Mermaid MegaFest PASS and VIP tickets. (tickets available online www.mermaidmegafest.com/tickets (https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mermaidmegafest.com%2Ftic kets&h=ATPGNlPFXLHXDglD-U63SPEknd_WU3vtgDjulXKL_ldmgmVNiFnHfZlNm5H34RDGaTX iwzmZhwqcJshx9tOjiPXFRBA56oQ1-Kt9vxWGvLj1X9hR-S-Y&s=1) or can be purchased during class at the Center for the Arts)

Additionally, we have added a Beach Cleanup event on Monday the 28th!

We are VERY excited to have everyone in the beautiful West Michigan town!

[Aria the Mermaid]

Counting down the weeks here --

This will be my 1st meetup and I'm excited! Any other mers coming from out of state?

[The Magic Crafter]

Eeeekkk!! Can't wait to see everyone! ♥ Sadie, it is so awesome that you are helping to organize this. Michigan was really overdue for a merfolk celebration. ♥ Cannot wait to see everyone at the gathering! ♥♥♥

[Mitten Mermaid]

Just another quick update for everyone. Megafest is less than two weeks away and we are extremely excited. We are finishing up some last minute things and getting everything in check.

The eco conference on Friday to kick off the festival is now free, however, there is a 100 seat limit and we are very close to that number! So get your free ticket to reserve your spot as soon as possible.

Presentation Summaries:

Bob Tolpa:
Bob will open the conference, welcoming the speakers and the audience. He will provide a brief description of the Great Lakes, the management of the Lakes and some tips on how the audience can become activists or, a better advocate for the Great Lakes.

Tinka Hyde:�Tinka will speak about the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades, over $2.5 billion. Federal and State agencies use the Restoration Initiative’s resources to strategically target the biggest threats to the Great Lakes ecosystem and to accelerate progress toward long term goals. The Initiative is directed by 5-year action plans and Tinka will describe progress to date and the next steps in developing plans for the next 5-year implementation plan Action Plan III.

Rick Hobrla:
Rick Hobrla will provide information on the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes and the Michigan Water Strategy, a 30-year plan to protect, manage, and enhance Michigan’s water resources for current and future generations. He will discuss Michigan’s efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes and will offer advice to participants on how everyone can become a steward of the Great Lakes.

Dr. Brian Klatt:
Dr. Klatt will present on ecological aspects and considerations of watersheds in general and the Great Lakes watershed in particular. He will briefly examine the geographical extent of the watershed and the ecological communities that it includes. He will also consider the ecosystem services that the Great Lakes provide, the threats to the system in the context of a recent United Nations assessment of North American biodiversity, and offer practical advice on what citizens can do to help protect the lakes.

Hannah Fraser (Keynote presentation):
Hannah shares her first-hand experiences of swimming with some of the worlds largest and most dangerous animals of the ocean, and her personal journey of activism to protect and preserve them through inspiring imagery.

Jessica Vander Ark:
Jessica will present on watersheds, stormwater, non-point source pollution, and best management practices. Bringing the perspective of a citizen activist Jessica will also describe how our own personal actions affect the watershed's health.

Shifting Sands: On the Path to Sustainability: An American Public Television documentary that looks at the decades-long effort to create the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore amid the presence of heavy industry at the southern end of Lake Michigan and the collaborative effort to clean up and restore the region.

Brad Carrier:
Brad, as one of the initiators of Mermaid Megafest and the Eco-Action Conference, will thank the speakers and the audience. Brad will offer his perspective on this first conference and a few concluding remarks.


Date/Time: Friday, May 25, 2018 10:00am - 4:00pm

Venue: Lake Michigan College - South Haven Campus
125 Veterans Blvd, South Haven, MI 49090

Thanks to the generosity of the South Haven Speaker Series organization, the conference is free to the public and runs from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Friday, May 25, 2018, at South Haven Campus of Lake Michigan College 125 Veterans Boulevard, South Haven, Michigan.

We are still looking for volunteers so if you are interested in signing up you can e-mail info@freshwatermermaidsociety.com

We have also added The Vicotria Resort a cute little bed and breakfast place to the list of available places to stay!

As always if anyone has any questions they can always ask on this forum as well as contacting us at info@freshwatermermaidsociety.com

Thank you Magic Crafter for the kind words!:)

Aria The Mermaid yes we have LOTS of mermaids coming from all different states and even countries!

[MermaidBrandie]

Will this be happening next year too?

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[Mitten Mermaid]

We hope this will be an annual festival:)

We are now on Instagram and Twitter!

Give our pages a follow so you can stay up to date on what is happening with and at the festival :rotfl:

https://www.instagram.com/mermaidmegafest

https://twitter.com/MMegafest

We also wanted to let everyone know that we are running a special on the Megafest Pass ticket until Wednesday, May 22 at Midnight. The ticket originally was $99 but it is now $49

The ticket includes:

-Sirens Buffet at the Sirens Ball on Saturday night
-World Record Gathering early entry
-Tails of the sea private showing
- The nauti prowls flotilla crew member!

We only have 150 of these tickets so don't delay and get many amazing opportunities as well as these awesome extras! :dance:

Only 4 days away from the Eco-conference and the kick off to this amazing new mermaid festival :D

[Mer_Adella]

What if I just want to do the swim in a tail? Or take pictures of the event?

[Mitten Mermaid]

We are looking into it but depending on staff and such we have no made a decision on that just yet. You are more than welcome to take pictures throughout the event!


To all of our mermaids looking to break the record, here are some more detailed instructions for the big day.

We hope to see you all there!





















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[Mermaid Danielle]

I'm planning on being there Saturday, and possibly early Sunday! I can't wait!