Mark your calendar for the annual Doll & Bear Show — the only one in Palm Beach County — on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Luke’s Catholic Church in Palm Springs. This show, which hosts several dozen vendors from all over the region and state, is in its 15th year. Bears and dolls are just the tip of the toy iceberg. There are collectable toys, miniatures, doll clothing and accessories, and toy-related collectables.
Not only can you see museum-quality toys, dolls and bears for sale, but the box lunches are always popular. The legendary chicken salad, egg salad and tuna salad sandwiches are lovingly made by members of the Sunshine and Gold Coast Doll and Study Clubs of South Florida. Special indoor and outdoor luncheon areas are provided, and fresh baked goods may also be purchased.
Girl Scouts are encouraged to attend to work on their Doll Badge. If you are in uniform, entry fees are waived. Children under 12 are free; all others enter with a $3 donation. Free parking, hourly raffles and a doll hospital is on site at the St. Luke’s parish hall (2892 S. Congress Ave., Palm Springs).
Historically, profits made from this event fund local charities in Palm Beach County, including Christmas Angel (a school uniform program for Title I schools in Palm Beach County), several local county women’s shelters, classroom supply and backpack programs, local libraries for community education presentations and local Girl Scout programs.
The Sunshine and Gold Coast Doll Study Clubs are nonprofit and promote the history, conservation, preservation and study of doll and doll-related materials through local clubs and with support of the national entity, the United Federation of Doll Clubs, which is headquartered in Kansas City. The national headquarters curates one of the largest and most comprehensive collection of dolls in the world at its doll museum, which is open to the public. Learn more at www.ufdc.org.
