June 7, Rosemont, Illinois
By Dee Marie
Photos by Dee Marie, Joshua Armstrong, and Jane Easterly
On June 7, more than 100 attendees came out in full force to enjoy this year’s Pullip and Dal Doll Lovers Event. The theme for the year was The Secret Garden, and event organizer Jane Easterly and her team successfully transformed the venue into what attendees described as a “wonderland of décor and dolls.”
After 14 years at the same venue, PUDDLE 2025 found a new home at the Holiday Inn Chicago O’Hare-Rosemont. The space was an upgrade in many ways while still capturing the intimate, community-focused atmosphere that has made this event a beloved tradition for collectors nationwide.
“PUDDLE feels like a family reunion with great people and dolls of all kinds,” said attendee Ashley Sero, who has attended for over a decade. “While I only see many of the attendees once a year, I consider them friends through our shared love of doll collecting.”
The convention featured vendors selling dolls, clothing, and accessories, alongside floral table decorations created by the volunteer table captains. Aracely Reyes-Kiernan provided the artwork for the name badges, gift bags, website banner, and buttons, and Abby Palma created the art for a mug given to each attendee.
Caleb Reich won the Dress Like Your Doll contest, with Jace Stovall placing second and Danette Parsons placing third.
Miranda Santamaria won Best in Theme in the custom doll contest with her creation Little Dal, Made of Copper, Date Unknown — a Dal doll transformed into a garden statue using painting and weathering techniques.
First-time attendee Elizabeth Marco praised the event’s welcoming atmosphere: “My favorite part was meeting so many wonderful and interesting people, including a Facebook friend who I had chatted with multiple times but we had no idea that we knew each other until parts of our conversation started sounding familiar.”
Beyond shopping and contests, PUDDLE offered workshops, a treasure table, a craft area, and many opportunities to socialize.
The weekend began with informal gatherings on Friday evening, including a group dinner at nearby Mitsuwa Marketplace, and concluded with a Saturday night pajama party for final trading and farewells.
“There aren’t a lot of collectors that we’ve met near my sister and me, and being around others in the hobby was almost profound in a way,” reflected first-time attendee Callie Paar. “Getting to share our love of dolls with others all day was such a unique experience.”
Continuing PUDDLE’s tradition of charitable giving, organizers made donations to Sustain DuPage and the Maui Forest Bird Recovery Project, organizations chosen because they reflect both local community support and the event’s nature-inspired theme.
The PUDDLE 2026 theme is Raining Cats and Dogs, and registration will open in January 2026. Be sure to check back at puddlestyle.com or join the Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/puddlestyle for your chance to secure early bird pricing!
