Friday, May 27, 2022

HOWARD DAYS IS 2 WEEKS AWAY!


That's right! Only two weeks until The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom! Hope you've made plans to be there June 10th & 11th at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas!

We're finalizing the crossing of the "t's" and dotting of the "i's" to make sure that Howard Days 2022 will be the best ever! Project Pride works tirelessly year round towards the preservation of the REH Museum and Robert E. Howard's Legacy. They've got everything ready to go and are anticipating with much pleasure the arrival of Howard fans from all over the world to Howard's town of Cross Plains, Texas.

Here are some bits of information for you to consider as the event gets closer and you get on the road to share in the fine REH Fellowship to be found at Howard Days.

As our theme this year is The REH Influence on Gaming, we hope to be able to accommodate Conan (et al) tabletop gamers as best we can in a limited environment. See the Tentative Schedule under the EVENTS header for a detailed update, but here's the skinny:
  • There will be tabletop gaming at tables in the Museum yard all day both days. 
  • Gaming will be allowed IN the Pavilion after 4 pm on Friday and after 6 pm on Saturday.
  • We will have open and scheduled gaming at the CP Library on both days.
While the Friday night Celebration Banquet is sold out, you can waitlist your name at Projpride@yahoo.com. *Hopefully* there will be some cancellations or no-shows.
But remember that even if you don't have a dinner reservation, you can still show up at the Baptist Church Life Center and hang out, bid on the Silent Auction items and listen to Fred Malmberg's Guest of Honor speech. Howard Fellowship will fill the room!

And speaking of the Silent Auction, it's not too late to send those REH items as donations to Project Pride for a fun night of exciting bidding. 100% of the proceeds goes to Project Pride's maintenance of the REH Museum. Silent Auction, Project Pride, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443. Or you may drop off auction items at the Museum on Thursday or Friday.

And speaking of Thursday, don't forget that the REH Museum (and Gift Shop!) is open from 2 to 4 pm, and the Pavilion is open all day until late night! Gaming on Thursday will be allowed in the Pavilion.
The Cross Plains Senior Center also has a Fish Fry fund raiser from 5 to 7. Don't care for fish? They have chicken, too!

Don't forget that Cash is King at Howard Days. Checkbooks work very well also, as those are the only forms of payment allowed at the Museum Gift Shop (and Auction), There are several ATM's located around Cross Plains for your convenience, so not to worry.

There are still Dealers Tables available for set-up in the yard around the Pavilion. Cost is $25.00 for both days, payable in the Gift Shop (or in advance at Pay Pal: Projpride@yahoo.com. We'd prefer that the bulk of your items offered are either REH or directly related. This IS HOWARD Days!

The Schedule pretty much says it all, but please know that changes may happen, including add-ons, surprises, extemporaneous fun and spontaneous events may pop up. Howard Days is not unlike a Family Reunion, and fellowship and good will are a big part of what is happening, all under the umbrella of honoring Good Ol' Uncle Two-Gun Bob.

Hope to see you in two weeks. Safe travels, y'all.


Sunday, May 22, 2022

Howard Days 2022 Celebration Banquet is SOLD OUT

 The Friday night Celebration Banquet at this year's Howard Days is now SOLD OUT.

For the first time ever, all the seats at the Banquet have been sold three weeks in advance of Howard Days. We are now taking names for the Waitlist, as there are usually some cancellations or no-shows.

You may still come for the Silent Auction, place bids and hang out - and even listen in on the festivities and speech by our Guest of Honor, Fred Malmberg. There just won't be a seat for you at the dinner table.

This is the first time the Howard Days Banquet has sold out this quickly! We're very glad for that, as all proceeds go to Project Pride and their ongoing perpetuation of the Legacy of Robert E. Howard.

So, get your name on the Waitlist  and keep your fingers crossed.

See you soon!

Friday, May 13, 2022

HOWARD DAYS IS 1 MONTH AWAY!

One month to go for The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

We've "finalized" the Howard Days schedule as best we can and you can see it by clicking on the "EVENTS" tab up top. Of course, nothing is truly "final" until HD 2022 actually gets here, but we hope you can plan accordingly with what we're showing here.

Some additional information, reminders and suggestions are what we have for you now.

Please note our previous post where we ask for your help in donating items to the Silent Auction, to register as early as possible for the Banquet, postal cancellation souvenir info and The Whole Wide World showing.

As this year there are number of anniversaries in the World of REH, we note how it's been 40 years since the first Arnold Conan movie, Conan the Barbarian. This previously undetermined panel slot goes to Paul Sammon and his entertaining presentation of his involvement with both of the Arnold movies.

Another added guest is Joel Bylos, the CCO of Funcom, who will give us some up close looks at the World of Conan video games.

There will be REH gaming in the Cross Plains Public Library as well, where table-top and role playing games will be presented on a limited basis by some notables in the REH gaming industry. Information on that will be available in the Pavilion of Friday morning.

We need to remind everyone that when you make a purchase in the Gift Shop or win a bid at the Silent Auction, you must pay in cash or with a check. There are several ATM machines available in Cross Plains. (You can bring your own checkbook!)

2022 finds us at the 90th anniversary of Howard's masterpiece poem, Cimmeria. For the last several years, we've read Cimmeria in multiple languages, stanza by stanza, from Bob Howard's porch. And we will certainly continue this tradition, but this year, the poem will be read completely in each language, rather than stanza by stanza in all the languages. We will interspace each language in between other Howard poetry read in our open mic setting.

We will have more announcements and bits of information in the now few weeks until Howard Days. If you are still on the fence about coming, know that Texas is a big state and there's plenty of room. Also, everything at HD is FREE, except for a seat at the Banquet! And those seats are going fast, so be sure to register right away so you can enjoy great food, a Guest of Honor speech from Fred Malmberg and helping Project Pride with your bids at the Silent Auction!

Hope to see you in a month's time! It will be here before you know it!

Y'all come.


Tuesday, May 3, 2022

Howard Days Happens Next Month!


Howard Days will be happening in a little over five weeks! We hope you can join us at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas on June 10th & 11th for The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom! It will be here before we know it!

Here are several announcements and comments for all attendees

COME FOR DINNER AND A MOVIE!

It has just been announced that on Friday night at dark, the City of Cross Plains will present an open-air showing of the movie THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD at Treadway Park, which is just west of the Howard Museum. This ties in nicely with the Celebration Banquet as a dinner and a movie date! Come and see this award-winning film about Robert E. Howard and Novalyne Price. Details will follow.

GAMING AT HOWARD DAYS!

The final details are still being worked out, but REH gaming will take place at HD 2022. The Cross Plains Public Library will host table-top REH games on Friday and Saturday and there will be CONAN role-playing games in the meeting room at the Methodist Church on Friday. We'll get you the specifics as we get closer to the event.

POSTAL CANCELLATION SOUVENIR

The official Howard Days Postal Cancellation is available only on Friday, June 10th and we've been reminded to inform you that while the Cross Plains Post Office is open from 9 am to 4 pm, they will be closed for lunch from 11:30 to 12:30. Here is the 2022 stamp.



SILENT AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED!

One of the very best events that happens during Howard Days is the Silent Auction of Howard & related items, held in conjunction with the Celebration Banquet on Friday night. 100% of the proceeds from this auction goes to Project Pride and the year-round maintenance of the REH Museum and it can only happen with your generous donations!
So now is the time for you to go through your Howard collection, decide what items: books, paperbacks, magazines, comics, fanzines, artwork - all kinds of Howard and Howard related stuff that we all have - and donate to the Silent Auction.
You can send your donation to REH Silent Auction, c/o Project Pride, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443 or bring your items to the Gift Shop at the House during the day on Friday (or Thursday).
You'll be helping out Project Pride with ensuring the Legacy of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard, plus you'll be making room in your collection for the items you win in the Auction! WIN WIN!

AND SPEAKING OF THE CELEBRATION BANQUET
As we've mentioned before, the only real cost at Howard Days is the $25.00 fee for a seat at the Celebration Banquet. Every other activity is presented for you AT NO COST! As in: FREE!
Your 25 bucks also helps pays for coffee & donuts Friday morning, the Hot Dog Lunch at noon on Friday, all the water & pop in the giant cooler at the Pavilion and also the Saturday BBQ.
As tickets usually go fast for the Banquet, make sure you get your reservation early by sending your $25 per person to the address listed above or you may Pay Pal to Projpride@yahoo.com. Seating is limited to 150 and is always sold out, so make your reservation right away!

More announcements are forthcoming as we get closer to Howard Days.