GRAND RAPIDS — The annual festival organized by the Judy Garland Museum kicked off Thursday, June 8, just weeks after the latest twist in the mystery of who stole the most famous shoes in the world.
The Grand Rapids museum was the site of a 2005 burglary of one of four remaining pairs of Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Judy Garland, the actress who clicked those slippers while wishing for home, spent the first four years of her life in Grand Rapids. The city of less than 12,000 people earned global recognition because of its connection to Garland — and again later when the slippers disappeared.
Janie Heitz became executive director of the museum during the global pandemic, well after the theft. But with an arrest of a Grand Rapids local in the case, media attention flared up again and Heitz got a taste of the story’s enduring interest. Heitz joined the KAXE Morning Show on Wednesday, June 7, talking about the Judy Garland Festival set for June 8-11 and the museum’s recent return to the international spotlight.
“There’s just so many people that have a connection to the ruby slippers in some capacity,” Heitz said. “It is one of the most talked-about conversations at the front desk.”
When the news came out of the suspect, Heitz said she took a call with a reporter while five other media requests stacked up, waiting for her.
“We’ve been, you know, contacted by people from all over the world, really,” she said. “It’s a interesting story and hopefully there’s a solution. People just want to know.”
Festival events scheduled for June 8-11 include live music, guided tours and presentations from Judy Garland experts. A welcome reception was set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Rapids Brewing Co., which occupies the site of the theater Garland’s parents owned. Other events include Judy Bingo at Klockow Brewing, open mic night at the museum, a free outdoor showing of The Wizard of Oz and a performance by Minnesota jazz singer Jennifer Grimm on the same staircase where Garland performed in her childhood home.
Find more information on the events of the 2023 Judy Garland Festival at the museum’s website.
