Sunflowers on Tap for Club’s Big 136th Show
The 136th March Party is just days away.
The show is set for March 13-15 at the Best Western Plus, 15471 Royalton Rd. Strongsville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Admission and parking are free.
For the third consecutive year the show will host the release of a new “forever” stamp, this one featuring brightly colored sunflowers. A first-day ceremony is set for 11 a.m. Saturday.
The program will include brief presentations from representatives of Prayers From Maria: Sunflowers Fields of Hope, the Ukrainian Museum and Archives in Cleveland, Sarah Schwartz of the Greeting Card Association and the U.S. Postal Service.
Jay Bigalke, editor of Linn’s Stamp News has helped plan the program for the stamp release.
“We are planning another special show aimed to attract both collectors and the general public. The March Party traditionally has been well attended because of the programming we offer, the exhibits on display and the topnotch dealers from across the country. This year should continue that 136-year tradition,” said Rocco Caponi, show co-chairman.
A show highlight includes a 38-dealer bourse with offerings of stamps, postal history and ephemera. In addition to “regulars,” the bourse will find several dealers who do not always participate in the show.
Beyond the stamp release, the club will host the general meeting of the International Machine Cancel Society Friday afternoon. Members will be on hand throughout the show to share their knowledge about the many ways mail has been handled since the advent of mechanical postmarks in the late 19th century.
Presentations, Meetings
Meanwhile, two GP members will deliver presentations on Friday.
Ken Nilsestuen will speak at 2 p.m. on U.S. Newspaper and Periodical Stamps.
At 3 p.m. Dennis Sadowski will present “People and the Posts: Stories Behind the Mail of Early Lorain County History” under the auspices of the Ohio Postal History Society. The presentation is based on his columns published in The Chronicle-Telegram in Elyria about small post offices that have been long closed.
After Saturday’s stamp release, a Postcrossing Meetup will take place at 1 p.m. coordinated by Bigalke who enjoy sending and receiving post cards from around the world will gather to share stories and prepare cards for mailing.
Exhibits
In addition, there will be 170 frames of exhibits for showgoers to enjoy. The March Party participates in the American Philatelic Society World Series of Philately.
Exhibits will be judged by an APS-accredited jury that includes Christopher Dahle, William Fort III, Mike Ley, James Mazepa, Norma Nielson and Dzintars Grinfelds.
The multi-frame Grand Award winner will be eligible to enter the APS Champion of Champions competition, which will take place at the Boston 2026 World Expo, May 23-30.
The single-frame Grand Award winner will be eligible to join the annual Single Frame competition at the Chicagopex show set for Nov. 20-22 in Itasca, Illinois.
Awards will be presented at a banquet the evening of March 14 at the hotel. The Garfield-Perry Players are preparing a skit for the award banquet. Now preparing for their fourth performance, the troupe has become a popular — and hilarious — part of the evening celebration.
Show Cover
Two different show covers focusing on the sunflower theme and designed by GP resident artist Denise Stotts will be available for purchase. Each will feature a pictorial postmark on each of the three days. Covers cost $3 and will be available at the front desk.
Philatelic Antiques Roadshow
Club members will host a “Philatelic Antiques Roadshow” from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday to review stamp holdings visitors may inherited or have had in their possession. The hotel show rate is $114 plus tax per night. Call 440-238-8800 for reservations.