We're off! The time is nigh and we've pointed our ponies southwest towards Cross Plains!
Hope to see a passel of you'uns under the Texas sky. Until then, safe travels!
All the Howard Days info you need is right here, but there's nothing like experiencing it first hand. Plenty of room, so y'all come!
Howard Days 2025 is now in the home stretch! In one week we'll be gathering at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas, to enjoy The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!
And when we speak of "Howard Fandom", we mean Fans of the myriad of genres Bob Howard wrote in: Sword & Sorcery, adventure, horror, historical, western, boxing, science fantasy, detective, spicy, weird menace & ghosts, humor and poetry. We mean Fans of Conan, Kull, Solomon Kane, El Borak, Bran Mak Morn, Steve Costigan, Dark Agnes, Esau Cairn, James Allison, Cormacs FitzGeoffrey & Mac Art, Kirby O'Donnell, Breckinridge Elkins and dozens more!
We gather at Howard Days every year to enjoy the in-person company of our fellow travelers, as we come together to navigate the words and worlds of Robert E. Howard.
OK, that being said, let's get down to some brass tacks, as the saying goes. Howard Days 2025 "officially" happens Friday, June 13th and Saturday, June 14th; but for early birds, the Museum is open on Thursday the 12th from 2-4. (First look at the new stuff in the Gift Shop is always a treat!) However, folks will be gathering in the Pavilion during the day on Thursday, so as long as you are there, give a hand with setting up tables and chairs in the Pavilion, hey? Thanks!
Folks actually start arriving in Cross Plains on Tuesday and Wednesday in anticipation of the always-goes-too-fast weekend, so if you come early, enjoy yourselves in Cross Plains while helping out the local economy!
On Friday, the festivities begin at the REH Museum. If you would, please sign the guest book under the little canopy set up in the front yard, get a name badge, pick up a schedule and meet and greet with fellow fans - in the House, in the Pavilion (and enjoy the new ceiling fans!) and all around the grounds.
Then, just enjoy your Howard Days! Visit the Museum, attend panels, take a Bus Tour of the surrounding area, get a special postal cancellation stamp souvenir, visit the Cross Plains Review, eat a Hot Dog Lunch, view original Howard typescripts & pulps at the Cross Plains Library, view Howard books and items in the Dealer's Area surrounding the Pavilion - and then enjoy the Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction. And a night-time panel back at the House!
On Saturday there is a Walking Tour of downtown Cross Plains and a guided Grounds Tour around the Museum along with more panels, dealers, the Library is open and the Pavilion remains filled with Howard Fans. New this year: there will be food trucks coming in Saturday afternoon. We always end Howard Days with a direct-from-his-porch open mic reading of Howard's poetry at the Barbara Barrett Memorial Porchlight Poetry.
And this year on Saturday, you can help out the Cross Plains Volunteer Fire Department! Stop by the parking lot at Lowe's Market and enjoy some good lunch-time vittles!
We'll have one more post before saddling our stallions and riding for Texas, then you can follow us along on Facebook. In the meantime, it would be all right if you dropped everything and came to Howard Days! Texas is a really big state and there's room for everyone! Hope to see you soon!
