Scott Karsner met Dave, Robin and Molly Schmidt at Pezylvania in October 2016. From this pez friendship the Maryland Pez Gathering was born. These collectors, Katie Chrzanowski and her boyfriend met about a month later at Scott's house in Arnold, Maryland on November 12, 2016 and had the First Annual Maryland Pez Gathering. Dispensers were made representing the four colors of the Maryland Flag. We celebrated Thanksgiving together and that has been our tradition ever since.
In 2017 we met again met in November for the 2nd Annual Pez Gathering. That year more Pezheads gathered from Maryland and surrounding states, Pezheads traveling from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia to meet. We had another potluck "Thanksgiving" Dinner. Dealers set up tables, we played Pezzy games, had hourly pez door prizes and had T-shirts made. We even had an Air Hockey Tournament with a vintage Pez prize of a Betsy Rose. We sponsored the American Red Cross with our charity silent auctions, both in person and on "Pez Auction" Facebook page. We raised a total of $827!
So far in 2018, the Maryland Pez Gathering has adopted a mascot! Local MD Pezhead, Katie Chrzanowski developed the graphic for us and we had a naming contest on our Facebook Page. The winning name was ZEP, (PEZ spelled backwards) and is a Maryland Blue Crab with a pez candy shaped body.
