Winter Celebration and Talent Show - Sat Dec 14 at 2pm ST

[Kiralynn]

Join us for the Winter Celebration at Windy Acres Ranch!



The pre-show festivities will start with a mounted holiday parade,
beginning at the Prancing Pony at 2pm. Ride to the ranch in style!

The main event will be held at 9 Chestnut Street, Raglan, Bree-land homesteads
on Saturday, December 14th at 2:30pm /servertime (Eastern US)

We will have a talent show, audience participation games and holiday music by Breakfast Club and Les Chantefables!
The first-place prize for the talent show is 1,600 Turbine points and 25 gold.
Second place has a prize of 20 gold and the third place winner receives 10 gold, plus a holiday mug or sparkler.
The audience votes for the winners. Invite your friends and kin-mates!
There will also be sparklers, holiday mugs and other goodies given away as door prizes.



Wear your best winter outfit. Bring fireworks. Ale and pipe-weed will be provided.

[Dellphinia]

Oh, this sounds like so much fun! I'm curious how long each act will have to perform in the talent show.

[Kiralynn]

We usually give 3 minutes, but if there aren't a ton of sign-ups, we can afford to give each person more time. Groups can join in, as long as they decide who gets the 1,600 TP code. (They can actually call Turbine to divide up the points, but I don't want to be responsible for that.) The acts can be anything - music, stand-up comedy, poetry recital, magic show, etc. Anything family-friendly that entertains the audience is perfect. In past talent shows, there's really no telling what will win. The most memorable wins for me were freestyle music, humorous poetry, and a circus act.

[Dellphinia]

Excellent - and sign me up! My husband wanted to do an act with me, but alas, he has to work that afternoon. I'll have to get Fraps on here and record it for him. =D

[Kiralynn]

I'd love to come up with an outfit that Banders can wear for the parade if they want to match each other. A group of matching riders would certainly help guests know who to follow, plus it just looks cool. :) Does anyone have ideas of cool things to wear?

[Bellcari]

Please tell me there will be much holiday music to add to the cheer...

Sounds wonderful. Can't wait.

[Kiralynn]

The prizes have been updated. Hooray!

I'm still looking for bands to perform holiday music after the talent show during the winter party.

Please contact me if you can sell me fireworks. I'd like to stock a chest. Thanks!

I hope to see you at the mounted parade!

[Keli]

I'm still waiting for a decision from Breakfast Club, Kira. Sometimes, Dallofin needs a poke with a sharp stick!

[Aldekim]

I happen to be hoarding a couple hundred various fireworks and they are yours for the asking Kiralynn. Shall I just mail them to you?

[Calycanthus]

Do you have ale and pipeweed already in stock? If you need some, I have a cook who could make supplies.

[Kiralynn]

Thank you very much everyone for helping with music and supplies.

I have a bit of pipeweed and ale, though not as much as I'd like. Donations are happily accepted. It's no big deal, though. I can buy some at the vendors around Middle Earth if necessary. Hopefully the winter festival will begin before the party so that I can buy some holiday-themed snacks and drinks.

Please do send fireworks if you have some to spare, as I cannot buy/make these myself. Thank you!

I'm also happy to buy any unwanted sparklers, yule mugs, and snowmen that you have lying around.

[Sonca]

I have a couple of alts I need to level up in the farming and cooking crafts. I'll get them making pipe weed and various drinks for you. No charge.

[Keli]

Yule Festival begins Dec 18th

[Kiralynn]

Interested in the talent contest but not sure where to begin? Here’s a guide to help you get started!

How Do I Perform?
That is entirely up to you. There are many different popular types of performance, including stand-up comedy, short skit, music, poem recital, magic show, and group dance. We’ve even had a winner perform a circus act!

How Long Does It Need To Be?
Between one and three minutes works best. Be careful that you don’t run over the allotted time. Try to have additional material ready in case you’re given extra time.

Does It Need To Be Complicated?
Not at all! People have won talent shows just by telling great Lord of the Rings themed jokes.

What Makes An Act Stand Out?
Plan your act in advance. Wear an outfit that goes with your act. Carry appropriate cosmetic items. If you’re not playing music, make sure to use emotes so that you aren’t just standing still on stage the entire time. You can replace the default text of emotes by typing after them, for example: “/wave greets everyone in the audience.” Stand near the front edge of the stage so that everyone can see and hear you. Bow or otherwise thank the audience before you leave the stage.

What Should I Avoid?
Be ready to start the moment you step up onto the stage -- don’t make the audience wait. If you are going to speak much text, use LotroPad or another method to cut/paste your text into the chat window. This will allow you to check spelling and grammar ahead of time and keep the performance flowing smoothly. If you make a mistake, don’t freak out, it happens to the best of us. Try to recover gracefully and continue your act. Don’t use adult language or material, since this is a family-friendly show.

What About The Music Bug?
It’s true that the music bug may prevent some people from hearing the music that you play. A song with lyrics is still enjoyable to people in the audience who aren’t hearing the sound.

What About The /Say Bug?
Consider using both /say and /regional to announce your text. The Lyrical and LotroPad plugins can make this much easier, but any method of cutting and pasting text will do. (In my experience, most people in the audience will be able to hear you if you only use /say.)

How Do I Sign Up?
Send a /tell to Kiralynn any time after 1:30pm on the day of the event. She will announce the list of people signed up before the event begins. If you don’t see your name on the list, send her another /tell. If more than one person will be part of the act, let her know who should receive any prizes.

How Will I Know When To Perform?
Kiralynn will call each contestant up onto the stage, one at a time. If you would like to perform earlier or later in the line-up, let her know when you sign up. You can’t choose a specific position, but she can bump you up or down a bit on the list. (If several people ask to go first or last, they will be grouped at the beginning or end, respectively.)

[Lhinnthel]

Kira, I have quite a bit of pipeweed in my chest at 2 high street in Raglan. It should be open to kin so you are welcome to it! Nothing of very high quality but should offer a pleasant smoke to folks!