Munchkins to attend Judy Garland Festival

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn., June 23 (UPI) -- Two actors who played Munchkins in the classic film "The Wizard of Oz" plan to attend the Judy Garland Festival in Grand Rapids, Minn., organizers said.

Garland, a Grand Rapids native, famously played Dorothy in the iconic 1939 movie.

Munchkins players Margaret Pellegrini and Jerry Maren are to headline this weekend's festivities, which will also feature appearances by actors dressed as the Tin Man and Scarecrow characters, as well as talks given by Garland historian Steve Sanders and collector Michael Siewert.

Pianists Richard Glazier and Lorie Line are slated to perform music from Garland's heyday, while 15 of the entertainer's gowns are to go on display in the Judy Garland Museum.

A free screening of "The Wizard of Oz" has been planned, as well, organizers said.

John Kelsch, executive director of the museum, said in a statement: "There's no place like home. Seventy years ago this year, Judy came home to Minnesota for a triumphant visit."