BransonZFest

Now that February is here, I want to update everyone on the upcoming Branson Z Fest. (For those not "in the know" check out the event web site www.bransonzfest.com for the all of the details.) A Z Club of TX caravan is planned. Make sure you don't miss out.

Last year the Heart of America Z Car club met up with members from the Gateway Z Club in Springfield for a back roads drive in to the event. Due to the perfect alignment of the weather, the people, the cars and the path chosen that drive has become a thing of local Z legend. After some careful thought we have decided to add the drive into this years official calendar of events. On Saturday AM anyone that is interested in experiencing the drive first hand will gather for a 45 minute cruise into Springfield. Once we arrive at the designated meeting place we will join up with the H.A.Z.C.C. and Gateway Z Clubs. Shortly there after the entire group will make the journey through some of the best back roads that the Ozarks have to offer. The actual event times and route of the drive will be posted once Brad Eldridge has the plans finalized. If this year is just half as good as last year, you will still want to make the drive a second time.

The second event that is about to be added to the official schedule is one that I am sure will also be a crowd favorite.

Two words: GO CARTS.

How does a couple hours of Go cart racing sound? Well.. How does a couple hours of go cart racing on a two plus story tall go cart track sound?!?! The track that we are scheduled to use is known as "Wild Woody". It is a wood framed track that actually rises two stories into the air! Want to know more? Check out the pictures on the event web site or visit www.BransonTracks.com for additional details.

Anyone planning on coming in on Friday will be glad to know that we have negotiated half price rides all day Friday and Saturday for anyone with a Branson Z Fest ID! (The ID's will be made for the event attendees by the talented Christie Woodward of the HAZCC). Make sure that you pick up your ID at the hotel, then head over to the Wild Woody for a little pre-event practice. You will be able to purchase ride tickets for yourself and anyone in your registered party for 1/2 of the normal purchase price. You will be required to show your event ID to receive this discount, so make sure that to make your reservations EARLY.

Most registrations for organized events like this one tend to come in within the last four or five weeks of the deadline. Keeping in mind that we are giving away ONE FREE PACKAGE for every fifteen paid reservations, I have some exciting news to report.

We have already gone past our first fifteen reservations.

This means that at least one couple is going to be stay at the hotel Saturday night, have dinner and drinks, enjoy a go cart ride (for one person) and then walk away paying NOTHING for the entire package cost. Why don't you join in on the fun?

The event web site (www.BransonZFest.com is designed to be a one stop place for anyone interested in learning more about the event. But it also contains one special area that we need your help with to make successful. We have created a public forum that you can use to post your comments on subjects ranging from club caravans to actual event planning ideas. Take a few minutes to drop by and post your ideas and comments for public review.

One final note: If you are part of a business or are part of a Z club that would like to be added to the event T-SHIRTS, please email me ASAP. (Michael@BransonZFest.com) We are in the final steps of the design process and if you are interested in getting your club or business name added we need to know very soon. We hope to have the shirts printed before the middle of March. Of course there are some requirements to have your business ($$) or club (event attendees) added to the list. But with quality people like McCarthy Nissan, MidWest Z, Victoria British and Toyo Tires already involved you can guarantee yourself that it will be a quality product. (Thanks to the talented Dee Lange with the Gateway Z Club.)

Thanks again for your interest in the event!

Michael Pinckard
Michael@BransonZFest.com
Heart of America Z Car Club

BransonZFest

The bizarre weather around the mid-west serves as a nasty reminder that we are all still within the cold icy grasp of the winter season. I personally think this would be a good time for everyone to take a break and think about joys of spring.

You do remember spring don't you?

The sun shining warmly on your face.
The faint sounds of chirping baby birds lofting gently through the spring air.
The colorful spring flowers showing off their vivid plumage as they glisten in the morning dew.
Nissan and Datsun Z's (and their owners) gathering together in Branson for their annual reunion.

Could life get any better?

It is time for another update on the upcoming Branson Z Fest. My last posting was at the first of the month and some items have come into better focus over the past two weeks. I hope everyone else will be as excited as I am about the changes and advancements.

Event Schedule:
The official event schedule will be posted on the web site within the next week. The leadership from each of the Z clubs planning to be in attendance has already agreed to the format. We are now awaiting word from our southern Missouri contact about the official meeting place for the Springfield to Branson CruiZe. Once that has been confirmed the schedule will be made available for review.

Go Carts:
We have been able to negotiate some additional benefits in regards to the go-carts. Not only will you be able to purchase half price rides for anyone in your packaged group, those tickets will be good for the rest of the summer at each of their four track locations! Remember to show your BZF ID card and buy your tickets during the two days of the event. Your ability to buy the 1/2-price tickets expires when the BZF ends. On the other hand, the tickets you purchase during the BZF can be used later on in the year. Stock up on those 1.2-price tickets and come back to ride the carts next fall. I'm sure you will want to revisit the FOUR STORY tall go cart track for another ride.

Dinner Meal:
Here is one of the most significant changes in the event line up. We have relocated to a local restaurant for dinner. We made this choice because of two reasons. The first of which is that we will probably exceed the maximum number of people that can be seated comfortably at the hotel restaurant. The second reason even simpler:

WE WANT TO EAT AT A BUFFET.

We have chosen to relocate the meal to "Sharon's Home Cannery Restaurant" located on HWY 76. Each person that is covered within your reserved package will be able to delight themselves on a diverse menu of home ¡§good ole country home cookin¡¨. (I have spoken directly with Sharon and she has promised to even include some Cat Fish for you southerners out there. ) They are used to handling groups of hundreds of people and experience a very high return rate. That means that we can expect the quality of food to be very good and for us to feel right at home. From what I understand quite a few of the local celebrities hang out there. With a little luck we might even see a few of them.

T-Shirts:

The design process is coming to a close and the shirts are about to be sent to the printers to be produced. Make sure you plan on picking up a couple of the $10 shirts. They are expected to sell quickly, so you had better grab yours during the registration sessions. Once they are gone, they will be just another part of the lore that will become Branson Z Fest '04.

Of course there are other items also in development. Like the fact that we are only a few reservations away from meeting our requirements to give away a SECOND COMPLETE two person Branson Z Fest package. Don't forget that we have a Z32 Jim Wolfe Technology POP charger to give away (amongst other items). I would also like to talk about how our total registered user count is still growing on a daily basis. But I guess that stuff will need to wait until the next update.

Thanks for your interest in this event. I will be posting another update in a few weeks. Until then please visit the web site for the answers to your most pressing questions.

Michael Pinckard
Michael@BransonZFest.com
www.BransonZFest.com
Heart of America Z Car Club Directors Board Member
Branson Z Fest Event Coordinator