SAVE THE DATE: Oz-Stravaganza® 2026 | June 5-7
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The magic of a cyclone. The mystery of Munchkins, peeking through your fingers at the Wicked Witch of the West, or the curiosity of a talking scarecrow. Whether you came to the World of Oz through the original L. Frank Baum books, the 1939 MGM Movie, The WIZ on Broadway or the big screen, or Wicked at the theater, one thing is for sure…once you get a peek behind the curtain, there is no going back!
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and the ever-expanding OZ Universe have delighted fans in many forms since 1900, and now we welcome you back to the birthplace of Lyman Frank Baum…the man who started it all.
The annual Oz-Stravaganza Festival is the largest and longest running Wizard of Oz themed festival in the world. The magic lives on for a weekend every year in Chittenango, NY (just outside Syracuse).
Join us the weekend of the first Saturday in June (June 6-8, 2025) for a trip down the Yellow Brick Road. There will be new friends to meet, entertainment to amaze, Emerald City shopping at its finest with vendors from near and far, as well as rides, games, a silent auction, and entertainment on the stage. There is also a costume contest, coloring contest, writing contest, special guests from across the OZ universe, and lots of surprises along the way!!
The 2025 festival is going to be the best yet, with a lineup of special guests unlike any other. Join us as we celebrate our theme "Ease on Down the Wicked Road" where we will relive and rediscover the musical sensation The Wiz, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking musical and the 30th anniversary of the book that started the Wicked universe- Wicked The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West!
Whether your slippers are silver or ruby red, take three steps, or click your heels three times and remember…there’s no place like home!
IN THE BEGINNING. . .
In 1978, Librarian Clara Houck set out on a mission to acknowledge the history of the Village of Chittenango as the Birthplace of author L. Frank Baum. Baum would go on to write the American fairy tale- “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” to the delight of children around the world.
Clara organized the very first celebration. Local children dressed up as OZ characters and paraded around the library parking lot on May 15th. Then they went inside, had birthday cake and sang Happy Birthday to L. Frank Baum.
A lot has changed since then. The festival became a multi-day event. Changed names from Oz-Fest to Oz-Stravaganza, and saw crowds increase from a few hundred for the parade to several thousand for the festival. The event is now run by the International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation. A non-profit, 100% volunteer led organization that does it all for the love of Oz.
We are getting ready to celebrate our 48th festival. The longest running and largest Wizard of Oz themed festival in the world is getting ready to dazzle thousands of fans, young and old alike in the birthplace of its creator, Lyman Frank Baum.
This year, whether you are a first time visitor or a well-traveled Ozian, we invite you to join us in the Syracuse suburb of Chittenango, NY. Special guests, live music, costume contests, festival food, rides, games, authors and artists, vendors galore, fireworks, and a museum dedicated to All Things Oz.
Come to Chittenango the first weekend of June. Join us for the whole weekend or just a day. And as for transportation- Syracuse has service by train, bus, and air. Of course…you can always arrive by broomstick, bubble or horse of a different color, if you choose.
No matter how you get here, we’ll be waiting to celebrate the OZ universe with you. Whether you fancy the MGM film or the books, Wicked, the WIZ, OzLand, Emerald City, Return to Oz, Oz: The Great and powerful or any other version of OZ- we have something for everyone. If you are an OZ fan…you definitely belong because after all…there’s no place like home!
All Things Oz Museum & Information
All Things Oz Museum & Baum Monthly Blog
Welcome to our blog written by John Fricke, who is widely regarded as the world's preeminent Wizard of Oz and Judy Garland historian/author.
Click on the button below to start the journey into the Wonderful Land of Oz.
Ways to Support the Museum
The International L. Frank Baum & All Things Oz Historical Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization (EIN 46-3196967). The group is a chartered historical foundation in NY State. We welcome any financial support you can offer, large or small. There are numerous ways you can get involved or donate to the foundation.
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Donations may be tax deductible. We thank you for your generous and on-going support.
Copyright ©2025 Oz-Stravaganza® is part of the THE INTERNATIONAL L. FRANK BAUM AND ALL THINGS OZ HISTORICAL FOUNDATION™. All rights reserved.
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