All right! NOW we are getting down to it! HOWARD DAYS 2024 will be upon us June 7th & 8th at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas in a few weeks! And while it may be time for most of us to start finalizing our plans to attend, we're here to tell you that there's room for everyone on that weekend. And all of the activities at the Museum can be had for FREE!
The Howard House will be open that Friday and Saturday (and for a while on Thursday) for all visitors. You can tour the House and grounds, relax in the adjacent Pavilion and mingle with REH fans from all over the world. The well-stocked Gift Shop is open as well (CASH only). You may partake of the numerous discussion panels, enjoy a cool beverage, see original Howard manuscripts, pick up a nifty souvenir postal cancellation (for the price of a stamp!), eat a BBQ dinner for a donation, read a Howard poem aloud and just be among like-minded REH fans enjoying Howard Fellowship.
The Friday night Celebration Banquet (this year held at the Cross Plains Community Center, is the only true cost of the weekend. For $25.00 you can be feasted with a real Texas chicken fried steak dinner while perusing the many Howard items at the Silent Auction.
While the seats at the Banquet are going fast, there are still some available for any late deciders (or procrastinators!) You may purchase a ticket with PayPal: ProjPride@yahoo.com or with a check to Project Pride, POB 534, Cross Plains, TX 76443. Now, the seats are limited, so don't delay!
The simultaneously occurring Silent Auction is just the place to pick up some real gems of Howard items: books, comics, paperbacks, fanzines, magazines, original art - every year there is something truly unique in the auction. This year we understand there will be some glass etching artwork done on a recovered pane from a window at the House.
But, in order for the Silent Auction to really succeed, donations are needed! Most of us have duplicates in our Howard collections or items we no longer have use or space for, so why not donate it for the upkeep of the Howard Museum. 100% of the money from the Auction goes to that upkeep. You can either send your Howard item donations to the address above or bring them to the Museum on Thursday or Friday.
And speaking of Thursday: Robert E. Howard's original writing table is finally coming home! Paul Herman, with the REH Foundation, has worked tirelessly in both acquiring and refurbishing Howard's table to its original state. We will have a short installation ceremony on Thursday at the Museum and The Table will be put in place. This magnificent Howard artifact will be back where it belongs. And you can have your picture taken sitting at it!
The schedule is set and we're looking forward to enjoying it, along with all the other extemporaneous activities that will happen. We've got some great guests coming in plus folks from France, Norway, England, Ireland and all points in the USA, Howard scholar Rob Roehm is Guest of Honor, there are dealers in the yard - and Howard excitement will be in the air.
So check out the schedule and make your plans - we'll see you soon!