Six Weeks Until Howard Days!

With only six weeks left until The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom, we hope you've made plans to come on down to Cross Plains June 7-8 and enjoy the fabulous fellowship involved with celebrating the Legacy of Robert E. Howard.

This year we've got a few anniversaries to recognize: 30 years of Project Pride (the fine folks who present and preserve the REH Museum), 90 years of both Howard creating the Sword & Sorcery genre of fiction (with publication of the Kull story "The Shadow Kingdom") and Ol' Two-Gun starting up the adventures of Sailor Steve Costigan (the toughest pugilist from here to Shanghai).

We're also celebrating a 100th anniversary: in 1919 Doctor Howard came to Cross Plains and bought the house where all of our activity takes place. It was in this house that Robert E. Howard created the fantastic stories and poems that are enjoyed the world over.

One of the many highlights of our weekend is the Silent Auction, presented during the Celebration Banquet on Friday night. Last year there were nearly 200 items up for bidding and the action was fast and furious! 100% of the money from this auction goes to Project Pride and helps with the preservation of the REH Museum.

So now we're asking for your help: that you go through your REH collection and donate whatever you can to the Silent Auction. We all have dupes and less desired REH items on our shelves or in our closets. What better way to honor his legacy and help out the folks who bring us Howard Days every year than to make a nice donation to the cause?

We know for a fact that there are already some collectible items on their way to Cross Plains, so we hope you'll add to them and get that good feeling of helping out a worthy cause.

You can send your items to:
Project Pride
Howard Days Silent Auction
POB 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443

Of course, monetary donations are always welcomed and can be sent via Paypal to
ProjPride@yahoo.com.

But the best donation of all is y'all coming to Howard Days on June 7-8 to enjoy the great Robert E. Howard fellowship. It's like a big family reunion with great conversation, great Texas food and an enjoyable, relaxed atmosphere under the wonderful Texas sky. Hope to see you there!

Howard Days Registration Form

Project Pride of Cross Plains has been busy sending out the pre-registration forms for Howard Days. But as snail-mail can be a little dicey these days, here's the form you'll need to pre-register for the Friday night Celebration Banquet.

Please remember that you DO NOT need to pre-register to attend Howard Days! Project Pride sends these out to get a head count for the Banquet, as seating is limited to 150. Your $15.00 fee pays for your banquet meal plus helps out with the Friday Hot Dog lunch and pop and water in the big cooler at the Pavilion.
All of the House and Grounds Tours, the Bus Tour, the panels, readings and Pavilion activities plus the Saturday night Sunset BBQ are presented FREE of charge, although spending some of your dough in the Gift Shop or at the Silent Auction is very well received!

Scroll down here for the schedule and click the tabs at the top of the page for more complete info about Howard Days.

There are some suggestions for lodging on the form, but we all know in this day and age your favorite search engine is your friend at times like these.

Two months to go! Hope to see you in Cross Plains June 7th and 8th!

Finally - A New Header

Hope you like the new header - sorry for the lag time. Eventually Indy here will figure out how these computer things work!

However, we've already figured out the workings of Howard Days and hope that you can join us in Cross Plains on June 7th and 8th (like the header says!) for The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

The schedule in the previous post shows a lot of activity crammed into two days. Plus, there's always special extemporaneous happenings that pop up for you REH pleasures. A lot is going on and we hope you'll be there to enjoy it!

Y'all come!

Artwork copyright Justin Sweet.

Three Months to Howard Days!

And we're off and running, getting our Howard Days ducks in a row. We're planning another spectacular Robert E. Howard celebration this year and we certainly hope you can join us in Cross Plains, Texas on June 7th and 8th (or earlier if you like!)

Details of the schedule below are forthcoming in a day or two, but you can see we've got all our normal fun REH activities on tap for you to enjoy The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

Check the tabs at the top of this blog for more detailed information and how to go about getting the most out of your Howard Days trip!

2019 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

THURSDAY JUNE 6

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 – 7:00 pm: Fish Fry at the Cross Plains Senior Center.

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

Afterwards, Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion

FRIDAY JUNE 7

8:30 am until gone: 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 Souvenir at Cross Plains Post Office. Friday Only.

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

10 am to 4 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 along with original Weird Tales magazines will be on display. The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented.

11 am: PANEL: A History of Project Pride and the Robert E. Howard Museum.

                           NOTE: Presented at the House & Pavilion.

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

1:30 pm: PANEL: The Writers of REH

2:30 pm: PANEL: The Fourth Annual Glenn Lord Symposium.

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

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

6:30 pm: Robert E. Howard Celebration Banquet & Silent Auction at the Family Life Center of the Baptist Church on Main Street. Guest of Honor Speaker: David C. Smith

9:00 pm PANEL: Fists at the Ice House, Celebrating 90 Years of Sailor Steve Costigan.

                             NOTE: Presented on the actual Ice House grounds where Howard boxed!

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.  All are welcome and adult beverages are allowed.

SATURDAY JUNE 8

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 along with original Weird Tales magazines will be on display The Conan Board Game and the Conan Role-playing Game will be presented.

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

11 am PANEL: The Sword & Sorcery Poetry of Robert E. Howard

NOON: Lunch and/or Barbarian Festival activities at your leisure

1:30 pm PANEL: Kull, Conan Solomon Kane: The Original S&S Characters?

2:30 pm PANEL: What’s Up with REH?

4:30 pm: Tour of REH House Grounds

6 to 8 pm: Sunset BBQ at the Pavilion

At twilight/after BBQ: Multi-language reading of Howard’s poem “Cimmeria” + more REH poetry read aloud from the Museum porch.

Afterward there will be Howard Fellowship at the Pavilion.  All are welcome and adult beverages are allowed.

Special Announcements will be ongoing over both days,

There will be special guests and extemporaneous events: readings, book signings and surprises happening throughout Friday and Saturday

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.

Robert E. Howard Days 2019: June 7th and 8th

We're at the beginning stages of making our plans for Robert E. Howard Days and we hope you are as well.

Howard Days 2019 will be held on Friday and Saturday, June 7th and 8th, at the Robert E. Howard Museum in Cross Plains, Texas.
This year we will be celebrating 30 Years of Project Pride along with 90th Anniversary of REH creating Sword and Sorcery fiction.

All of the same activities and happenings that make up Howard Days will take place, of course...but that doesn't mean we won't have a few surprises for you. Right now we are in the process of naming our Guest of Honor and gathering up our panelists.

All of our "regular" events are still in place: tours of the Robert E. Howard Museum and adjoining grounds plus a viewing of the newly uncovered storm cellar in the back yard; Celebration Banquet, Hot Dog Lunch and Sunset Barbeque, viewings of original Howard manuscripts at the Cross Plains Library; interesting panels themed toward REH. souvenirs galore (like a Howard Days-only postal cancellation postmark) and many more activities are planned. And best of all, it's a time for meeting old and new friends who have come together in Howard Fellowship.

Stay tuned to this page for upcoming announcements. For an idea of what some of the activities are, just click the tabs at the top of this page and start making plans for Howard Days 2019.

We'll be looking for you, so Y'all Come!

It's Time for Howard Days!

Howard Days is THIS WEEK!

Starting on Thursday the 7th with the Robert E. Howard Museum open from 2 to 4 pm, we're packing a passel of REH activities into Friday and Saturday for your listening, viewing and enjoyment pleasure. Check elsewhere on this page and the tabs above for complete information, but here are a few gentle reminders about The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom.

When you show up in Cross Plains, the main meeting area is the Alla Ray Morris Pavilion adjacent to the Robert E. Howard House & Museum. Folks gather here for all the pertinent and extemporaneous announcements, to have a cool drink and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow Howard fans.

This year, folks gathering at the Pavilion will be able to view the ongoing REAL archaeological dig going on in Howard's back yard. Archaeologists Jeff Shanks, Thadra Stanton and Heather Young will be on hand to tell you all about it!

With one exception, all the activities at Howard Days are presented at no cost - FREE! Donations to Project Pride are welcomed and appreciated, of course. Parking is free, admission to the House and all tours and panels is free, the Hot Dog Lunch on Friday and the Saturday BBQ is free - and best of all, the Robert E. Howard fellowship and friendship afforded by Howard fans is FREE!

Temperatures are scheduled to be hot and the humidity will be high, so take care of yourselves while enjoying Howard Days. Sunscreen, bug spray, light clothing and lots of water will keep you cool and comfortable while you enjoy all the activities. The House is air-conditioned of course, to cool you off as you take the tour or shop in the Gift Shop.

Don't forget that the Cross Plains Public Library will be open Friday and Saturday and various Howard scholars and fans will be on hand to show you some of the original Howard typescripts and pulp magazines from the Library's collection. There will also be some Conan role-playing gaming and board gaming going on there, so check that out as well.

All in all, a great time is in the works. And spur-of-the-moment visitors will have no problem jumping right in to all the fun! So, y'all come - see you at Howard Days!

Howard Days is One Week Away! Here are some Random Reminders for Attendees

It might be hard to believe that Howard Days starts in one week, but hear us now and believe us later! For all you lucky attendees, here are some random yet helpful reminders about coming to The Best Two Days in Howard Fandom!

• There are still seats available for the Friday night Celebration Banquet. You can Paypal your $15.00 to Projpride@yahoo.com, or check with Arlene in the Gift Shop at the House on Friday. We've moved the Banquet to a larger facility, the Family Life Center at the Baptist Church on Main Street.
• You can also bring Silent Auction items to the Museum on Friday if you like. The earlier the better. Right now we've got 130 items plus, including some rare REH collectibles.
• There are also tables still available for the Dealers Area. $25.00 for both days for your REH/related items, payable in the Gift Shop.
• Speaking of money, please remember that the Museum Gift Shop and the Silent Auction can only accept cash or checks. So bring your checkbook or hit one of the several ATM's around Cross Plains.
• The Postal Cancellation Souvenir only happens on Friday, so be sure to get up to the Cross Plains Post Office for this unique memento.
• The Robert E. Howard Foundation Press will set up under their shady canopy, selling pure text REH. Their latest release, PICTURES IN THE FIRE, will debut there, with Editor Paul Herman and cover artist Bill Cavalier available to sign your book!.
• Skelos Press will also be on hand, debuting the English version of Patrice Louinet's THE ROBERT E. HOWARD GUIDE. The handsome Frenchman will also gladly sign your copy!
• The Conan Role-Playing Game will be presented at the Cross Plains Library along with the Conan Board Game and a little bird has told us the new Solomon Kane RPG will be on display.
• Here's a health reminder: The weather forecast for Cross Plains next week calls for hot as the slag heaps of hell (as REH would say) temperatures in the 100's. Consequently, dress accordingly, use sunscreen and make sure to stay extra-hydrated. Free water is available in the big cooler at the Pavilion, so everybody water up!
• In a related vein - Cross Plains is perpetually under a BURN BAN. The hot Texas air makes everything susceptible to fire, so PLEASE be very careful with matches or smoking.
• Finally, we will celebrate the 90th birthday of Solomon Kane with CAKE at the Friday Hot Dog Lunch. Cutting it with your rapier is optional.

There may be more reminders as we think of them. Stay tuned to this blog or the Facebook page for updates and additional pertinent info.

And remember: all the activities at Howard Days: Tours, panels, Hot Dogs on Friday and the BBQ on Saturday are free. Everyone is welcome, so y'all come! See you next week!