A Yellow Brick Road to ‘Judy’ Memories

Twenty-eight years after her death, Judy Garland is still big business in her hometown, Grand Rapids, Minn., where a “Judy Jubilee” festival and a new children’s museum debut this month.

The jubilee, June 26 to 29, marks the 75th anniversary of the star’s birth. Highlights include her former husband, producer Sid Luft, and children Lorna and Joe Luft discussing “Judy Garland: The Facts Only”; a collectors’ exchange for Garland and “Wizard of Oz” memorabilia; and children’s activities.

On June 21, a garden based on “Oz” will open on the grounds of the Garland Birthplace Historic House. It will include hundreds of red poppies and, of course, a yellow brick road. The new Judy Garland Children’s Museum, opening June 25, will display the carriage pulled by the Horse of a Different Color in “Oz” and offer children’s activities.

For information on the jubilee, children’s museum and garden, call (800) 664-8539.