Location for the next 4 pony fairs!!!

Vegas can be very affordable and there are always good deals. I can't think of a better spot. There are so much to do there I don't know where to start. It is a Disneyland for adults (but people bring their kids too and it's a huge family destination). Even if it's in the desert all the casinos and many walkways are cooled down. There wasn't too much to do in PRovidence but Vegas is compeltely fun and safe.

Right now Alaska Airlines in running a promo where you can get 20,000 free miles, which would cover most/all of the flight costs!!!! I used AK Air miles to cover most of the Providence trip or otherwise I couldn't have gone. PM me if you need more info on the promotion.
 
I think if the fair was settling down permanently, they should do San Diego on the same weekend the SDCC is running. The hotels already have special rates for the SDCC, I'll bet it wouldn't be that hard to convince them to extend the rates to another convention--what do they care if people are there for the SDCC, the Pony Fair, or anything else? (The downside would be that it would be harder to find hotels. Of course, the Pony Fair could always be the weekend BEFORE or AFTER the SDCC, which would give people the option of attending the fair and staying extra days to do the SDCC.)

The pony collectors and spouses who collect multiple items could swing by the SDCC and pick up the exclusive pony. There's a ton to do for non-collecting spouses and for kids and the city is, well, much nicer than Vegas IMO. (Yes, I've been to both cities.) I don't know about flights from other places, but from Spokane it's cheaper to fly to San Diego than Vegas.
 
LadyM said:
I think if the fair was settling down permanently, they should do San Diego on the same weekend the SDCC is running. The hotels already have special rates for the SDCC, I'll bet it wouldn't be that hard to convince them to extend the rates to another convention--what do they care if people are there for the SDCC, the Pony Fair, or anything else? (The downside would be that it would be harder to find hotels. Of course, the Pony Fair could always be the weekend BEFORE or AFTER the SDCC, which would give people the option of attending the fair and staying extra days to do the SDCC.)

The pony collectors and spouses who collect multiple items could swing by the SDCC and pick up the exclusive pony. There's a ton to do for non-collecting spouses and for kids and the city is, well, much nicer than Vegas IMO. (Yes, I've been to both cities.) I don't know about flights from other places, but from Spokane it's cheaper to fly to San Diego than Vegas.
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The thing about having both the same weekend wouldn't be good because how can a person get to the fair and SDCC. I mean sometimes those events DO take you the full weekend to see it all and do it all in the hours it is open.
 
Hey guys! An informative post will be coming soon. Probably tomorrow or Thursday. I'm still in Vegas. Currently waiting in line at the DMV. I'm exhausted, I have a headache, my feet still hurt and I still have a 3 hour drive home ahead of me. I really just want to be home.

So, an official post will be coming soon. I was going to let them know at the Arena as well, but all of the arguing got the post locked.
 
Gummypony said:
The thing about having both the same weekend wouldn't be good because how can a person get to the fair and SDCC. I mean sometimes those events DO take you the full weekend to see it all and do it all in the hours it is open.
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That's true, good point . . . I still think it would be cool if the fair were the weekend before / after, though. Double the Con, double the fun, mwahahaha! :twisted:
 
Yes!! Jewel's meets are awesome! I haven't been able to get to the National ONCE! ever! but I've been able to console myself at The MidAtlantic Pony Meet, in Baltimore, not like it's a consolation or anything, it's a total blast.

It's like having a heart attack except all day long. And except if that felt really really good.

In the two years I've gone I've come back hundreds of dollars happily poorer. There's tons to do and to buy.
 
I love that Jewel has hers every year... if for some reason I can't get to Vegas the week of the Fair, I know I have an awesome alternative!.. and who says I couldn't do both! I don't

~Stef
 
PhyllieBean said:
Hey guys! An informative post will be coming soon. Probably tomorrow or Thursday. I'm still in Vegas. Currently waiting in line at the DMV. I'm exhausted, I have a headache, my feet still hurt and I still have a 3 hour drive home ahead of me. I really just want to be home.

So, an official post will be coming soon. I was going to let them know at the Arena as well, but all of the arguing got the post locked.
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Aww *pony hugs* We actually had to stop and just passed out in the car at a rest stop for a couple hours. That 19 hour drive was just killer, muscles cramping, head aches, we killed a racoon goin 70MPH....horrifying!! There were fur chunks stuck under the car:cry: I was watching some MLP episodes on my lap top and thought we blew a tire but no...that was the skull cracking *shivers* poor thing...

I knew people would be upset, you can't please everyone. I probable won't drive out there to do the big vending more than one year, but we're planning to get married and do a honeymoon cruise in hawaii next summer, so a 2 day lay over in Vegas? Yeah baby! I wouldn't miss a fair for the world:)

And yanno, once people calm down, you start to realize how nice it really is to know you'll be there 4 years in a row. That gives people all the time they need to plan and save for a least one of those:) The fair staff works so hard and does so much for us...they don't need to put on a fair every year, but the do. I understand people are upset but if you want to go so bad and all you can do is complain about the money, then you're not going for the right reasons. I'm sorry. Yeah, I love making money while I'm there, who doesn't:p but seeing everyone and becoming better friends with ones I already know is priceless to me and that's why I go.

I just wanted to say anothe BIG THANK YOU to the fair staff for putting on one of the best fairs yet!
 
here is another two cents from me. making it uhhhhh......like half a million dollars if you count all my other two centses, but hey, uh, whos counting?

I think having a national pony meet is great.

People who can't make it to vegas maybe ought to consider pooling their resources from now til then towards holding a fair in a location that is doable for them. It will grow.

'member there isn't actually only 1 pony convention. There is one that has become quite large, because they've had practice at it and lots of word of mouth to support it, but the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

It's about time this happened, because moving locations every year may be a bit unrealistic in the longterm. And seriously, if they (this pony meet) want to remain as influential as they've become, Vegas is a good choice. Its either that, or make it like New York or Dallas or something, and their gonna pick what works best for them.

If you live near a major city, any major city, and there isn't a fair near you, that could be an opportunity.
 
BlushingBlue put it wonderfully. A lot of you have a serious misimpression of what Vegas is like. First, it's super, super cheap, all the big gambling cities in Nevada have very nice budget options for hotels and activities because they're trying to draw people in to gamble. Also, there are tons of deals as far as airfare is concerned, you've just got to watch for them. I would bet that just about anyone who lives near a major airport could get round trip airfare for under $200 if they watch for deals, and I'd say under $100 if gas prices hadn't jumped so much in recent months. There's tons of stuff to do for all ages, they've been working really hard the last 10-15 years to become a whole family vacation destination as opposed to just the gambling, bars, and strippers.

Most of my family doesn't gamble at all and they love Vegas. It's a great place, really, and given how much they work to be a gambling hotspot, they're soooo much cheaper than most of the places people keep suggesting. It's an amazingly good choice. I don't know the East well enough to say if there's an equivalent city out there, but as far as cost and amenities go, I really don't think they could have made a better, more balanced choice than Vegas, at least in the western half of the country.
 
Vegas isnt a bad idea, I'll go one year because I ahve a friend who will let me stay for free, and I've never been there, Id be taking a week vacation and ponies are just the excuse to do so!!!!
 
Ahrian said:
Atlanta has conventions all the time. I don't know about Vegas being cheaper for conventions but I still think it sucks that the Fair isn't going to be rotated through the states for at least 4 years.

And if our only choices are going to be Vegas or Rhode Island I won't ever attend another Fair. Both are just too far away, especially when some of us have small children to care for.

Good for you that can save up and go, but like Sevenbelles said, my child comes first. Can't afford to save for a trip like this, let alone would I want to take a small child to Vegas.
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agreed. being in the real South sucks, Tenneesee was just too far for my budget at the time, and then RI was just really out of the question....I may be able to make it to Vegas one year, but not 4. I dont have kids, but Ive got dogs and no one to take them while were gone. I can understand not wanting to spend as much as they did in RI on the fair, but surely theres other cheap places to hold conventions. places more central to the US :(
 
I just poked around Southwest's site and checked flights for as far out as reservations would allow (Oct. 30), leaving on a Thursday and returning on a Monday. You can get tickets for as cheap as $156 now. Plus, they don't have fuel surcharges or 1st and 2nd bag fees, along with many others. It's not so bad, considering that even with rising fuel costs, it was cheaper for us to drive the 10 hours to RI this year than it was to fly.
 
I think we get free flights from Southwest occasionally since my dad travels so often for business, but I have to ask... those of you quoting these super-low rates, where are you coming FROM in order to fly there? It makes a big difference whether you're flying from California or, for example, Maryland. I think that's where the disagreements are coming from.
 
I am still not very excited about the location, but my fiance it super stoked! He wants the fair to be now because it means a trip to Vegas for him. lol. So hopefully, I'll be meeting a lot of you in person next year! :)
 
I just checked summertime rates on yahoo travel and to get from Chicago (a major hub) to Las Vegas is over $350. Rates go up in the summer. So, whoever's getting these super-low rates... WHEN are you putting in for hypothetical dates?

Add to that the fact that most airlines are switching to making you pay to check any lugguage. I can see a hotel itself in Vegas being cheap. They are everywhere and they need to compete with each other. But what about things like food and transportation around the city? (Anyone live in Vegas who can help out with this?)

I do have the vague desire to go to vegas, just to see what's it's about and if it's anything like atlantic city (minus the ocean). But it still seems like it'll be too expensive for what amounts to a weekend trip.

Rose
 
You have to look under the mileage programs. Each airline has one. Under it, they have promotions for certain destinations. There are so many airlines and time, that it's just a matter of perseverance to find that good deal. Liek I said before I know where you can get a free trip right now (and have applied for it myself) but you should PM me for the info so that I can get some more free miles for the referrals ;-). I think VEgas would be the cheapest place to have this thing (so long as you're careful about gambling).

Food and transportation is so not a problem in vegas. There are walkways and shuttles. There are so many food places competing that it's just a matter of choice. You can get free drinks and comps if you sit at the gambling tables too. You can get free rooms and stuff through comps.

I do think people have a skewed vision of Vegas. Vegas nowadays is truly spectacular!!! I kid you not when I call it a Disneyland, except grander.
 
I think

I am going on hypothetical dates in my head based on years past experience both traveling to Vegas and when I was a travel agent. I will be traveling from Indianapolis or perhaps Midway (Chicago--which I only choose if is more than $80 cheaper or so)--and expect to get tickets for under $250 round trip. I will be very shocked if this is not possible.

Unfortunately you can only look so far out on Southwest and looking at summer dates now is not a reasonable comparison.
 
My husband is already talking about how we should go next year and I know he was bored most of the day this year. I'm not sure next year is feasible because I know I'm going to lose my job at the end of this year (contract is ending) and I'm not sure what my employment future looks like. I also know that we're looking at buying a condo/house when our lease is up next summer and starting to look at having kids. I think going to Vegas next year is less feasible than he thinks it is.

None-the-less, at least if I know where it's going to be, I can start a small fund and save far in advance so that I'll be able to go the year after or maybe the 3rd year, depending on how things go. You never know, though. I could get a job that pays twice my current rate when I finish up my degree and have no problem getting up the money to go next year and still to all the other important life stuff I want to do.

In short, my current thought is that I'm glad to know so far ahead where it will be, and a year is still a long way away, so there's plenty of time to plan and see things through. One never does know what the future holds.
 
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