The Dig at the House

The "Big Dig" is happening this week on the grounds of the Robert E. Howard Museum! Archaeologist Jeffery Shanks (who just happens to be a major Howard fan too) will be leading his team of fellow archaeologists plus a number of volunteers. They'll be digging in the back yard of the house  trying to uncover a former storm/cold cellar for the possible artifacts that may be there. One item of interest is the sign that hung on the house when REH lived lived there: DOCTOR. HOWARD RESIDENCE. It was deposited in the pit 40-some years ago - maybe it fell into a pocket of preservation!

There is a Go Fund Me page set up! https://www.gofundme.com/hh35y-robert-e-howard-house-archaeology is the place to go for complete information and if you'd be interested in helping out with this project. Any amount over the funding goal will be donated directly to the Robert E. Howard Museum.

More news next week when we return from the dig! Thanks for your support!

TEN WEEKS TO HOWARD DAYS!

With only ten weeks to go, plans for Howard Days are moving forward!

Here is the registration form as sent out by Project Pride. If one has not appeared in a mail box near you, never fear! Use this one to register for the Friday night Celebration Banquet and help out with other costs.

Now, you don't have to "register" to attend Howard Days, you know. All of the activities connected with our annual gathering are presented at no cost: Tours of the House and grounds, the Bus Tour, all the panels and readings and accessibility to the adjoining Pavilion - FREE! Just show up and enjoy the events and the fellowship of Robert E. Howard Fans from all over the world.

The registration fee is to insure that you have a seat at the Banquet, which is limited to 120; also, it helps defray costs for the Friday lunch, drinks - and cake!

Did we mention the cake? At the Friday Hot Dog Luncheon, we'll have cake to help celebrate the 90th birthday of one of Howard's more famous characters, Solomon Kane. There will be a knife to cut the cake, so leave your rapiers at home!

For more detailed information about Howard Days, just click on the handy tabs on this page for answers to your questions. There's a contact name there too, if you need even more specific answers.

Stay tuned to this page and our Facebook page as we ramp up our coverage of the premier event in Howard Fandom!

We want to make Howard Days as enjoyable an experience as possible for all of you as we "Celebrate REH Fans" at our 2018 event! Looking forward to seeing y'all.

Howard Days 2018 Schedule - Short Version

Here is the short version of our 2018 schedule. We'll have the longer version with more complete details up soon!

2018 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

“Celebrating REH Fans”

We would like to dedicate Howard Days 2018 to four of our fallen Cross Plains friends: Tom Stephenson, Kennith Beeler, Don Clark and Tommy Rone. We miss you and will carry on your fine spirit and honor your legacy.

THURSDAY JUNE 7

2:00 – 4:00 pm: The Robert E. Howard House and Museum is open to the public. There are no docents on duty but the Gift Shop will be open and the grounds and Pavilion available to all.

5:00 pm: Fish Fry at the Cross Plains Senior Center.

6:00 pm: Barbarian Festival Parade down Main Street in Cross Plains.

Afterwards, Gathering at the Pavilion

FRIDAY JUNE 8

8:30 – 9 am: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum and Grounds open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open until late night.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office. Friday Only.

9 am – 11 am: Bus Tour of Cross Plains & Surrounding Areas. Friday Only.

10:00 am to 5:00 pm: REH Foundation Press canopy and Dealers Area open on grounds east of Museum.

10 am – 5 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented.

Also at the Library: “Meet Me at the Library”: various Howard scholars and will be on hand to host and enhance your visit there. Come and enjoy one of the best small town libraries in the U.S.!

11:00: PANEL: From Fan to Pro. Mark Finn, Scott Cupp, Jason Carney + others.

Noon: Hot Dog Lunch hosted by Project Pride at the Pavilion. Donations are welcome!

1:30 pm: PANEL: The “Clubs” of REH. Bill Cavalier, Lee Breakiron, Jeff Shanks, Rusty Burke        

2:30 pm: PANEL: The Third Annual Glenn Lord Symposium. Jeff Shanks (M), Bobby Derie, Karen Kohoutek, Nicole Emmelhainz.

Following this panel will be the presentations of the 2017 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.

5:30 – 6:30: Silent Auction items available for viewing & bidding at Banquet site

6:30: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Cross Plains Community Center. Guest of Honor Speaker: Bill Cavalier.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion, including extemporaneous prose and poetry readings.

SATURDAY JUNE 9

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open until late night.

9 am – 4 pm: BARBARIAN FESTIVAL at Treadway Park, 3 blocks west of REH House

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented.

Also at the Library: “Meet Me at the Library”: various Howard scholars and will be on hand to host and enhance your visit there. Come and enjoy one of the best small town libraries in the U.S.!

10 a.m. to 4 pm: : REH Foundation Press canopy and Dealers Area open on grounds east of Museum.

11 a.m. PANEL: Happy 90^th Birthday Solomon Kane. Patrice Louinet, Bobby Derie, Dierk Gunther, Karen Kohoutek.

Lunch & Barbarian Festival Activities at your leisure during the day

1:30 pm PANEL: The Games of REH. Bill Cavalier, Steve Booth, Mark Finn, Jeff Shanks. Jason Carney

2:30 pm PANEL: What’s Up with REH? Steve Booth, Paul Herman, Patrice Louinet

4:00: Tour of House Grounds. Rusty Burke

5:00 to 8:00 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion

There will be some extemporaneous panel-like events and surprises this year!

 Special Announcements at the Pavilion ongoing over both days,

“Meet Me at the Library” – Come hang out with Howard Heads!

Conan Board Game and Role-playing game demonstrations and participation at the Library.

Poetry Readings on Howard's Porch after the BBQ.

Backyard Dig: hear and view the results from a real archeological exploration in Howard’s back yard.

Ongoing Thursday/Friday/Saturday nights: Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PANELS LAST ONE HOUR AND WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1000 N. MAIN ST. IN CROSS PLAINS, unless noted.

Happy Birthday Robert E. Howard!

January 22nd is the 112th anniversary of the birth of Ol' Two-Gun Bob Howard!

A tradition we started years ago is on his birthday, read some Howard and enjoy your favorite libation. As we know, there is a lot of Howard to be read and there are a lot of libations to enjoy!

Enjoy your day...Happy Birthday, Bob.

Howard Days 2018 is June 8th and 9th!

A New Year brings us a new Howard Days!

The 2018 version of Robert E. Howard Days takes place on Friday and Saturday, June 8th and 9th, at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas. Once again, fans from all over the world will gather to celebrate the life and legacy of the incomparable Robert E. Howard!

Project Pride of Cross Plains, along with the Robert E. Howard Foundation and REHupa, the Robert E. Howard United Press Association will be your sponsors and hosts once again. This year, we will celebrate members of all three of these organizations, along with the hundreds of REH fans from all over the U.S. and the world with our Howard Days theme of CELEBRATING REH FANS. Our Guest of Honor for 2018 is one of the mainstays of Howard Fandom, "Indiana Bill" Cavalier.

Again this year, Howard Days attendees will enjoy the fellowship and camaraderie felt by REH fans from all over the world! The Robert E. Howard Museum and adjoining Alla Ray Morris Pavilion are the gathering points and will be open to all (at absolutely no cost)! All of our regular activities will be in place: Tours of the REH Museum and grounds are ongoing; a Bus Tour of Cross Plains and environs takes place Friday morning; a Hot Dog Lunch, the Celebration Banquet and a honest to Texas Barbeque feast will keep you fed; numerous panels, seminars and demonstrations will feed your fannish and intellectual curiosities; you can marvel at Original Howard Manuscripts on display at the Cross Plains Public Library, you can acquire REH books, comics, magazines, t-shirts, hats and souvenirs in the Museum Gift Shop; the Robert E. Howard Foundation Press will be set up to sell true text Howard books; there will be a special REH Days postal cancellation stamp at the Cross Plains Post Office; and, we will have a small Dealers Area adjacent to the Pavilion this year. Plus, we promise to have a surprise or two to make things interesting!

We are in the process of getting our panels. scheduling & registration and logistics lined up to give you another great experience at Howard Days, so please stay tuned to this page as well as our Howard Days and REH Foundation Facebook pages.

It's never too early to start planning to join in all the fun and fellowship that Howard Days can provide for you, as we Celebrate the Fans of Robert E. Howard! Y'all come!

And we promise that Cross Plains will be thawed out come June!

It was a GREAT Howard Days!

Photo by Ben Friberg

Before the memories fade, we'd like to thank some folks for helping to make Howard Days 2017 a memorable event!

First, many thanks go to Project Pride of Cross Plains, Watchers of the Howard House and the most wonderful hosts anyone could ever have. The docents were at the House ready to go both days, the yard and grounds sparkled in the Texas sun and we were all treated like royalty! A big shout-out goes to Arlene and Tom Stephenson and Era Lee Hanke for all their dedication and hard work year after year. Howard Days would not happen with them.

Also, the Robert E. Howard Foundation is a big supporter of Howard Days, as are the members of the REHupa, the Robert E. Howard United Press Association. REHupa members act as Howard Ambassadors all weekend and always help newbies with any questions.

And of course, many thanks to all who attended this year! We met some new friends and welcomed them into our big Howard family reunion. Many promises to return in 2018 were heard and will be looking then for the folks who we missed this year.

One of the best things about this year was moving the panels to the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church in Cross Plains. Spacious and cool, it featured wonderful electronics for all presentations and the audio was great! Many thanks to all who helped there!

So, after a few months respite, we'll start planning for 2018. The dates are set for the second full weekend in June, on the 8th and 9th. As it's never too early to start planning (we know events come and go so quickly!), think about joining us to support the legacy of Robert E. Howard and join in the fun and fellowship of our little family reunion! See you next year!

Howard Days is (Just About) Here!

The Robert E. Howard Museum stands shining in the Texas sun, anticipating the arrival of hundreds of visitors later this week for the annual Robert E. Howard Days!

Under the direction and sponsorship of Project Pride of ?Cross Plains, The Robert E. Howard Foundation and REHupa, the Robert E. Howard United Press Association, months of planning are ready to take shape on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 8-9-10.

People from all over the world and all walks of life are gathering in the bustling metropolis of Cross Plains, Texas to celebrate the life, legacy and work of a true Texas original, Robert E. Howard -Author and Poet.

The "theme" this year is The Howard Detectives, where we'll honor a number folks who have done an amazing amount of work digging up all sorts of information, typescripts, court records, newspaper notices, original photographs, hard-to-find books and magazines - all directly related to Robert E. Howard. Fortunately, most of these folks will be on hand at Howard Days to participate in panel discussions and to display some of the rarer items found in the world of REH.

Plus, we're continuing our tradition of The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom, with tours of his house, a  Bus Tours of Cross Plains and surrounding environs, a Howard Swap Meet, a Celebration Banquet with a Silent Auction, a special Postal Cancellation available only in Cross Plains, a Poetry Reading right from Howard's porch, plus a hot dog lunch and a Saturday old fashioned chuck wagon BBQ!

Of course, the best part of Howard Days is the fellowship brought forth and shown by all the attendees, new and old alike. Howard Days anymore is like an extended Howard Family Reunion, where like-minded people gather to support and enjoy the legacy of Robert E. Howard.

Now, with the exception of the Banquet (where a $15 bill gets you a great Texas meal amidst your new family) ALL of the events at Howard Days are FREE! You won't find a better deal all summer.
Now, there may be a few seats left at the Banquet of you show up on Friday, but that's the deal - you have to show up! It's Texas - there's plenty of room! So, Y'all Come!

Here's the schedule of event for the weekend:

2017 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

THURSDAY JUNE 8

The Robert E. Howard House and Museum is open to the public from 2 to 4 pm. There are no docents on duty but the Gift Shop will be open.

FRIDAY JUNE 9

8:30 – 9 am: Coffee and donuts at the Pavilion, compliments of Project Pride

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: REH Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office. Friday Only.

9 am – 11 am: Bus Tour of Cross Plains & Surrounding Areas. Friday Only.

10:00 am to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

10 am – 5 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

11:00: PANEL: The Glenn Lord Collection. Come hear the story of the Original Howard Detective and how he assembled the world's number one collection of Howard typescripts, pulps and memorabilia. Panelists: Paul Herman, Rob Roehm, Patrice Louinet.

Noon: Lunch hosted by Project Pride at the Pavilion.

1:30 pm: PANEL:  Collecting REH: What makes for a core Howard collection? How can you assemble one? We'll also discuss the good Howard collections in the world. Panelists: Jeff Shanks, Lee Breakiron, Patrice Louinet, Bobby Derie

2:30 pm: PANEL: Travels with Ol' Two-Gun. Panelists Rob Roehm, Bob Roehm and Todd Vick will discuss the detective travels they've made in the name of Howard history, genealogy and minutia.

Following this panel will be the presentations of the 2016 Robert E. Howard Foundation Awards.

5:30 – 6:30: Silent Auction items available for viewing & bidding at Banquet site

6:30: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Cross Plains Community Center. Speaker: Paul Herman.

9:00 pm PANEL: Fists at the Ice House (behind the old Texas Taxidermy building on Main St.) Mark Finn, Chris Gruber, and Jeff Shanks discuss Howard's pugilistic prose in this perennial favorite.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion

SATURDAY JUNE 10

9 am – 4 pm: Robert E. Howard House Museum open to the public. The adjacent Alla Ray Morris Pavilion will be open from Thursday to Sunday.

9 am – 4 pm: BARBARIAN FESTIVAL at Treadway Park, 3 blocks west of REH House

10 am – 3 pm: Cross Plains Public Library open. Original Robert E. Howard typescripts available for viewing. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented also.

10 a.m. to 4 pm: Pavilion available for REH items Swap Meet

11 a.m. PANEL: Paul Herman 2017 Guest of Honor. Mark Finn will conduct an interview style panel with our shy and retiring Guest of Honor.

Lunch & Festival Activities at your leisure during the day

1:30 pm PANEL: Pictures of Howard. For a long time we only had 29 photos of Bob Howard. Come and see what photo detective work has produced in the last 12 years! Panelists: Rusty Burke, Paul Herman, Patrice Louinet.

2:30 pm PANEL: The Second Annual Glenn Lord Symposium. Howard scholars will present papers discussing the life and works of Robert E. Howard. Panelists: To Be Announced.

5:00 to 8:00 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion

There will be some extemporaneous panel-like events this year: Special Announcements at the Pavilion prior to the BBQ, Conan Board Game and Role-playing game demonstrations and participation at the Library and Poetry Readings on Howard's Porch.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.

PLEASE NOTE: ALL PANELS LAST ONE HOUR AND WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, 1000 N. MAIN ST. IN CROSS PLAINS.