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	THE OFFICIAL 2006 ROBERT E. HOWARD DAYS INFORMATION PAGE   June 8, 9, and 10, 2006 in beautiful Cross Plains, Texas

TABLE of CONTENTS

Introduction

            Guests of Honor

            Silent Auction

            The Barbarian Festival

Planning Your Trip

            Pre-Registration

            Plane Flight

            Rental Car

            The Drive to Cross Plains

            Maps

            Hotel Reservations

            Spending Money and Luggage

            Volunteer

            Guest Behavior and Decorum

            Carpool and Room Sharing Opportunities

The 2006 Howard Days Schedule

            Thursday Schedule

            Friday Schedule

            Saturday Schedule

INTRODUCTION

Since 1986, people have been coming from all around the world to Cross Plains, Texas, to celebrate the life and writings of acclaimed author Robert E. Howard. Every year on the second weekend of June, a local civic organization called Project Pride puts on a festival known as Robert E. Howard Days, a two-day extravaganza of tours, panels, auctions, films, speeches, rare collectibles, and Howardian camaraderie. For fans of Howard, it is the ultimate gathering: part historical symposium, part fan convention, all fun.

This year, however, is even more special—2006 is the centennial of Robert E. Howard’s birth. As such, fans are treating it as a milestone worthy of special celebration. All manner of books and magazines are appearing, and the annual World Fantasy Convention has made Robert E. Howard the theme of their event this November in Austin, Texas. Most important of all, Robert E. Howard Days has expanded to three days this year, and the resulting surge in fan interest makes it clear that this will be the best-attended weekend in the event’s history. More attendees, more Guests of Honor, more events. It’s no exaggeration to call this a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Many of you have dreamed about coming to Howard Days for years, but until now have always made excuses that kept you from coming. Well this is the year that all bets are off—if you flake out and don’t come this time, you have truly missed something. There is always a way to save money and make things easier. You can carpool with other fans from the airport, saving you money on the rental, or share a room with another fan, saving money on the hotel room. Any way you can swing it, make the trip.

Come and walk through the streets where Howard dreamed his fantastic adventures, visit the House where he wrote them. See with your own eyes the original yellowed typescripts, listen to scholars detail the history embedded all around the town. Meet and mingle with hundreds of Howard fans whom you have known for years only through email. Browse the Howard Museum’s impressive Howard Gift Shop, and win prized items in the annual silent auction. Climb the same Caddo Peaks that Howard did, or take a drive south to visit historic Fort McKavett, and take your photo in the exact spot Howard did over seventy years ago. Go to Howard Payne University to see the books Howard owned, and stop in on Greenleaf Cemetery to pay your respects at his grave.

If there is any way you can make it down to Cross Plains this year, do it. It will be a weekend you’ll never forget, and if you miss it, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

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GUESTS OF HONOR

Normally Howard Days has a single Guest of Honor each year. This year, there are two, Glenn Lord and Roy Thomas.

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SILENT AUCTION

Past attendees to Howard Days well know the thrill of entering Silent Auction Row and marveling at all the rare Howard treasures for sale to the highest bidder, with all proceeds going directly to Project Pride and the upkeep of the Howard Museum. Let’s make this year the best silent auction ever.

Do you have old REH books or memorabilia you would care to donate? Are you a Howard publisher willing to donate some of your books, magazines, or other publications? Can you create interesting one-of-a-kind Howard items such as t-shirts, bookmarks, wood carvings, or paintings? Are you an artist who can submit good REH drawings? Any of these things would be welcome in the Silent Auction. Simply send your donated items to:

Project Pride
P.O. Box 534
Cross Plains, TX 76443
ATTN: REH Days Silent Auction

Be sure to include your name and city/state/country information, as all donors are listed in a place of honor in the Howard Days program booklet.

Cross Plains is one of the smallest towns in all of Texas that has managed to build a library, as well as one of the smallest that has created a historical museum. Neither of these things magically popped into existence: both took years of hard work and sacrifice before they became a reality. People who don't live in very small towns seldom realize what an achievement this is. It is a constant struggle for the people of Cross Plains to raise enough money each year to keep these two bastions of Howard history alive. Project Pride needs anything you can send them, so whether or not you can attend the event, dig out all the old Howard stuff you’ve been thinking about getting rid of and mail them in. In doing so you will be helping to preserve Howard’s legacy in Cross Plains for future generations.

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THE BARBARIAN FESTIVAL

The "Barbarian Festival" is an annual one-day fair/hunting festival which Cross Plains hosts on the same weekend as Howard Days. It is like a huge sidewalk sale/BBQ/county fair, with dozens of booths selling all kinds of neat stuff, lots of food, singing and dancing, games for kids, and much more. Howard Days attendees (especially non-Howard fans like spouses and kids) will be able to spend time at the festival and have a lot of fun things to do.

The festival will run from 10am-4pm on Saturday. There will be food and craft booths, an old-time car/tractor/motorcycle show, a hoola-hoop contest, a petting zoo, and various other entertainments. The festival was a big hit last year with Howard fans, so come on down and join in the fun.

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PLANNING YOUR TRIP

You will want to plan your trip as early as possible, to ensure you will be able to make all the necessary reservations.

    Pre-Registration

    Plane Flight

    Rental Car

    The Drive to Cross Plains

    Maps

    Spending Money and Luggage

    Hotel Reservations

    Volunteer

    Guest Behavior and Decorum

    Carpool and Room Sharing Opportunities

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PRE-REGISTRATION

Do this first, as it will ensure you gain entrance to several major events during the weekend, including the Thursday afternoon luncheon, the Friday Night performance of the Violet Crown Radio Players, and the Saturday evening BBQ at the Caddo Peak Ranch.

The cost per person for pre-registration is $20. Simply fill out the form provided and send it along with a check or money order to:

Project Pride

Attn: REH Days 2006 Pre-registration

PO Box 534

Cross Plains, TX, 76443

Pre-registration must be received no later than May 31, 2006.

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PLANE FLIGHT

Cross Plains is located almost in the exact center of the state of Texas, about two hours drive south of Dallas. When coming from out-of-state, you will need to fly in to either Dallas or Austin, then rent a car at the airport and drive the two-and-a-half hours to Cross Plains. Austin is a bit farther from Cross Plains than Dallas, but the drive is more scenic and pleasant. The Dallas drive isn’t that bad, either, and either city is a fine place to begin your journey.

As for when you should consider coming and leaving Texas, I would recommend to plan to fly to Texas early on Wednesday, June 7, and fly back home late on Sunday, June 11. If you land in Dallas or Austin by around noon on Wednesday, you will be able to drive to Cross Plains and arrive there by late afternoon, say 3-5 p.m. That will allow you to get your hotel room, meet up with other Howard fans for a nice relaxing dinner, talk a little with fans into the evening, then get a good night’s rest and be ready for the official commencement of festivities early on Thursday morning.

Similarly, the final evening’s talking on Saturday can last late into the night, sometimes until 2 a.m. or thereabouts. So this way you can hang out on Saturday, get a good night’s rest, then have breakfast on Sunday morning and say your final goodbyes before undertaking the two hour drive back to the airport, turning in your rental car, and catching a late afternoon flight home.

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RENTAL CAR

Plan on spending a couple hundred dollars for a decent rental car, insurance, gas etc. Many attendees coordinate their flights, allowing them to rent a single car and carpool to Cross Plains. This can save you substantial money if that is one of the things preventing you from making the trip. In addition, you will be able to meet and spend time with other Howard fans whom you may not have met before, which of course is a major part of the weekend. If you are looking for someone to coordinate with, check out our section on Carpool and Room Sharing Opportunities.

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THE DRIVE TO CROSS PLAINS

Coming soon will be directions for driving to Cross Plains from both Dallas and Austin.

DALLAS to CROSS PLAINS

AUSTIN to CROSS PLAINS

As stated, plan to spend a pleasant 2-3hrs. on the highway from Dallas or Austin to Cross Plains. This will be standard highway driving for most of the way, until making the turn-off to Cross Plains. Needless to say, watch your speed limit in Texas, as the troopers there are not shy about handing out tickets. You also won’t want to have open liquor in your car. A note about driving in Texas: once you start getting off the highway and onto smaller roads, you will note that there are all kinds of poorly marked ranch roads and obscure turnoffs, many of them noted only by a number, like “1103.” A lot of drivers navigating through Texas for the first time sometimes unwittingly take these roads, mistaking them for what they think are the correct turnoffs. Know that most of them lead out into the wilderness and to dead ends, and you would be wise to stick to the highways. Nothing you will visit during Howard Days will necessitate you taking these roads, so save yourself some trouble and print out a lot of maps before you go, or perhaps buy a good Texas atlas.   Back to Top

MAPS

Cross Plains is an easy town to get around: there are but two main streets (Main St. a.k.a. Route 279 running North/South, and Highway 36 running East/West). Almost everything you will be visiting are on one of those two streets. For those wishing to have a map, however, the Internet isn’t very helpful; Cross Plains is too small to appear in detail on most online mapping systems.

Coming soon we will have some decent maps of Cross Plains and other surrounding cities, showing the major sites you may want to visit.

CROSS PLAINS

CISCO

BROWNWOOD

REH’S GRAVE

NOVALYNE’S GRAVE

HOWARD PAYNE UNIVERSITY

FORT McKAVETT

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HOTEL RESERVATIONS

You have a lot of choices in this regard. The only motel in Cross Plains itself it the Motel 36 (so named because it sits on Highway 36, a mere block away from the Robert E. Howard Museum). Unfortunately, this motel only has a dozen or so rooms, and they are almost always sold out well in advance of the weekend. There always seems to be some last-minute cancellations, however, so it would be worth checking back with them at intervals leading up to the weekend to see if any rooms have become free.

Most attendees each year make do with finding a motel at one of the surrounding communities, then driving in to Cross Plains each morning for the festivities, and driving back to their motel in the evening. This is not nearly as bad as it may sound. The drive from nearly all the other towns is about twenty minutes one way, and the roads are very scenic and pleasant.

The three towns most popular with Howard fans are Cisco, Coleman, and Brownwood, although some people stay as far away as Abilene. Cisco and Coleman are smaller towns, much like Cross Plains, and boast only a modest selection of hotels and rooms, with prices running between $40-$60 night. Abilene and Brownwood are larger communities with many hotels, restaurants, and other amenities, so use those as fallback positions when all other options are exhausted. They are nicer but also more expensive than the hotels in smaller towns, with prices ranging from $60-$90 a night and above. Some have swimming pools for the wife and kids and other perks, so spend some time investigating your options and calling around.

As with your rental car, if cost is a problem you may want to plan to share a room with another Howard fan and split the rate. For sharing resources, visit our Carpool and Room Sharing Opportunities section.

The following is a partial listing of local hotels, along with some notes. A Google or Yahoo! search will doubtless turn up many more options for you to consider.

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SPENDING MONEY AND LUGGAGE

Everyone who goes to Howard Days always ends up spending a lot more than they bargained for. Various people show up with brand new Howard books and other items, and before you know it you have blown though your budget and grabbed them all up. Try to plan ahead and bring as much money as you can down with you. Perhaps one or two hundred dollars should be considered a minimum, although three or four hundred dollars (even more!) isn’t out of the question. You not only have the Gift Shop to contend with, but the Silent Auction and whatever other odds and ends people bring to sell.

There are a few generic cash stations in Cross Plains, which may or may not work for you or require a withdrawal fee. Brownwood has several popular banks including Bank of America. Note that the Gift Shop does not accept credit cards, they are cash only. Plan ahead, bring the cash.

Another thing to think about is how the heck you are going to lug home your newly acquired stack of Howardian treasures. Your best bet is to bring enough empty luggage to accommodate anything you may buy. Perhaps bring a suitcase with several other empty suitcases accordioned inside it. Or bring a box that you can put together, tape up, and use to mail your items back to your house. People always seem to struggle to find a way to get home with all their stuff, so plan in advance and you’ll be ahead of the game.

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VOLUNTEER

After you have planned your trip and are all ready to go, you might consider offering to help Project Pride with various duties throughout the weekend. They are always in need of people to man a station at one of the exhibits or events, to help setup and break down chairs and tables at the conclusion of an event, and so on. Simply volunteering fifteen minutes of your time after one panel of event would be a big help.

To volunteer, email Volunteer Coordinator Bill Cavalier at: 2cavaliers@sbcglobal.net.

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GUEST BEHAVIOR AND DECORUM

A few words about your responsibilities as both an attendee and a guest. Keep in mind that Cross Plains is a very small town, with all the rules and expectations that come with it. Most townspeople are church-goers, go to bed early, and adhere to a strict regimen of southern politeness and gentility when dealing with others. More than a few of these folks are, if not ambivalent towards Howard Days, at least a bit concerned about a horde of fan geeks and fantasy fans descending upon their town, possibly to wreak untold havoc. It never works out that way, but occasionally a bad apple shows up who doesn’t know how to behave, and such people tend to paint all of us with their negative impressions. Therefore, try to follow a few sensible rules when visiting Cross Plains.

First, BE POLITE. Whether it’s at the supermarket, the local restaurant, on the street, or at one of the Howard events, try to remember where you are. “Please,” “Thank You,” and nice tips at restaurants and hotels will go a long way towards making your stay a nice one. No yelling at other drivers, no flipping off the locals, no propositioning the waitresses. You are a guest in someone else’s home, so please act like one.

Second, BE PATIENT. Cross Plains is virtually a one stoplight town. It’s filled with old-timers who drive real slow, eateries who take their time getting you the food you ordered, and people who aren’t going through life at the frantic pace you might be. When traveling from location to location or taking a food break, plan enough time to account for this. If your order takes an hour to get to your table and then is a bit wrong, consider it part of the treasured Cross Plains Experience and let it slide. If you are ten minutes late for a panel because of the dusty pickup crawling along in front of you, don’t sweat it. Relax, get in the groove of small town life and enjoy the different vibe from your own hometown.

Third, DRIVE SAFE. In Cross Plains, you’ll see the occasional truck whiz past filled with drunk teenagers howling at the moon (and occasionally at us) but that doesn’t give you leave to do the same. Obey the rules of the road, drive the speed limit (especially in the town itself), don’t make strange U-turns anywhere you want in the seemingly deserted streets, and give pedestrians the right of way every time. Many past attendees have learned first-hand that Cross Plains does indeed have a sheriff patrolling the area, as do the surrounding towns and highways. Every year, a few attendees drive a bit too fast or make a wrong turn and they get a ticket. If you end up being one of these unlucky ones, I would recommend remaining exceedingly polite, don’t argue, sign that ticket, and do whatever else the officer asks you to. After Howard Days when you get home, take advantage of the “Deferred Adjudication” option on the ticket, meaning you send in the fine (probably $100-$200 depending on the violation) and as long as you don’t get another ticket in Texas for the next six months, the violation in question will be wiped from your record permanently, no questions or worries.

Fourth, CROSS PLAINS IS DRY. The town is located in Callahan County, which just as in Howard’s time is devoid of liquor for sale. Technically, this means that there is no drinking allowed, period. In practice, there are various bars that will serve you if you fill out a “private club membership” and pay a small fee. In addition, if you buy beer or other liquor from a town in an adjacent county (say, in Brownwood) and bring it into Cross Plains, no one is liable to kick about it if you keep it to yourself, clean up your mess, and behave yourself at all times.

Each day during Howard Days usually ends with people talking late into the evening at the Howard pavilion or outside the hotel courtyards. Various people generally bring coolers filled with soda and/or stronger stuff, which is shared by all. If you choose to participate, remember that there are sheriffs patrolling all the major highways at night for drunk drivers, and they will pull you over and toss you in jail if you are caught driving drunk. Make sure you have a designated driver, make sure you don’t carry opened liquor in your car, and make sure you don’t drink to excess. This is almost never a problem, but every few years one guy overdoes it and starts playing the part of the Boorish Drunk. Each of these people have since been virtually ostracized from Howard fandom, so don’t be the next Legendary Jerk in Howard Days history, keep control of yourself.

Lastly, CROSS PLAINS IS FIRE-PRONE. The summer rains should make things a lot safer than this last winter was, when a horrific fire nearly destroyed the town, but you can never be too careful. Don’t burn anything or toss lit cigarettes out your car window (which is what they think started the last fire). Use common sense, and you should be fine. Note that the owners of the Caddo Peak Ranch request that there be NO SMOKING there due to the danger of fire. If you absolutely cannot make it without a cigarette, please smoke only in your vehicle, with the windows up, and extinguish the cigarette in the car's ashtray.

Thanks in advance for following the about suggestions, and continuing to give the Howard fans who come to Cross Plains a good name.

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CARPOOL AND ROOM SHARING OPPORTUNITIES

If you are in need of someone to carpool with from the airport, or to share a room with, you can advertise it here by emailing your request and relevant information to webmaster@rehupa.com. Include name, dates and times, hotel, etc.

You may also have some luck by emailing a request to one of the Howard email lists out there:

REH Inner Circle - the REH list with the most members.

REH Comics List - good list for everything REH, not just comics.

Conan.Com - various forums to try here.

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THE 2006 HOWARD DAYS SCHEDULE

There is a wide array of activities planned for your three-day stay in Cross Plains this year. Read over the accompanying schedule carefully and plan your own schedule, carpools, meal breaks, etc.

Note that this schedule is still undergoing modifications and is subject to change.

Last modified: 06/03/2006

SUMMARY

THURSDAY — June 8, 2006

08:00 a.m. – 09:00 a.m.        Breakfast on your own

08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.        Howard Payne University Library's REH Book Collection Available for Viewing (Brownwood)

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.        Howard House Open for Tours

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.        “REHupa: What We Are, What We Do” (Cavalier et al. — Pavilion)

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.        “The Man From Cross Plains: A Centennial Celebration of Two-Gun Bob Howard” (McHaney — Pavilion)

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.        Catered Luncheon (Pavilion)

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.        Bus Tour of Cross Plains and Environs (McCowen — meet at Pavilion)

12:30 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.        Walking Tour of Cross Plains (Burke, Baum — meet at Pavilion)

01:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.        Howard House Reopened for Tours

01:00 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.        Library Open for Viewing of Howard Holdings (Cross Plains Public Library)

03:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.        “Working With Howard Manuscripts” (Burke, Gentzel, Gruber, Herman, Lord, Louinet — Library)

04:00 p.m. – 04:30 p.m.        "Paradox and Robert E. Howard" (Sederowsky, Malmberg — Library)

05:00 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.        Ethan Nahté screens part of his REH documentary (Nahté — Comm. Center)

06:00 p.m. – 07:30 p.m.        Dinner on your own

07:30 p.m. – 09:30 p.m.        screening of The Whole Wide World (Myers — Comm. Center)

09:30 p.m. –                          unofficial Pavilion Get-together

FRIDAY — June 9, 2006

08:00 a.m. – 09:00 a.m.        Breakfast on your own

08:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.        Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office (all day during business hours)

08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.        Howard Payne University Library's REH Book Collection Available for Viewing (Brownwood)

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.        Howard House Open for Tours

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.        “The Coming of Conan” (Lord, Thomas — High School Gym)

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.        Bus Tour of Cross Plains and Environs (McCowen — meet at Pavilion)

12:30 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.        Walking Tour of Cross Plains (Burke, Baum — meet at Pavilion)

01:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.        Howard House Reopened for Tours

01:00 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.        Library Open for Viewing of Howard Holdings

02:00 p.m. – 03:00 p.m.        “Fists at the Icehouse” (Finn, Gruber — meet at pavilion)

03:00 p.m. – 06:30 p.m.        Dinner on your own

03:30 p.m. – 06:30 p.m.        Silent Auction, Swap Meet, and Autographing (Comm. Center)

07:00 p.m. – 09:00 p.m.        The Violet Crown Radio Theatre (Finn, et al. — High School Gym)

09:30 p.m. –                         unofficial Pavilion Get-together/ The Cimmerian Awards (Grin — Pavilion)

SATURDAY — June 10, 2006

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.        Howard House Open for Tours

09:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.        The Barbarian Festival Parade

10:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.        The Barbarian Festival (Main Street)

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.        “A Barbarian for All Media” (Thomas — High School gym)

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.        Bus Tour of Cross Plains and Environs (McCowen — meet at Pavilion)

12:30 p.m. – 01:00 p.m.        “Blood & Thunder” Biography Reading (Finn — Pavilion)

01:00 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.        “Lone Star Fictioneer” (Burke, Finn, Herron, Louinet, Romeo — Pavilion)

01:00 p.m. – 03:00 p.m.        Library Open for Viewing of Howard Holdings

02:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.        Howard House Reopened for Tours

03:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.        “A Conversation with Glenn Lord (Lord, Herman — High School Gym)

05:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.        Sunset BBQ on Caddo Peak

09:00 p.m. –                          unofficial Pavilion Get-together

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THURSDAY DETAILED SCHEDULE

08:00 a.m. – 09:00 a.m.

Breakfast on your own

Start off your Howard Days experience with a hearty breakfast at one of the many great restaurants Cross Plains has to offer. If you are new to Howard Days, look around for other fans, introduce yourself, and join them for an enjoyable hour of food and conversation. After you’ve finished, head on over to the Howard Museum and the start of your REH weekend.

08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.

Howard Payne Library's REH Book Collection Available For Viewing

Travel to the campus of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, enter the Library building, and ask to see their collection of books that Robert E. Howard owned. These were donated to the College in 1936 by Dr. Howard. The Library has agreed to setup a display for Howard fans on Thursday and Friday during Howard Days.

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Howard House Open for Tours

Each year, Howard Days begins at the front door to the Howard House. Say hi to the nice ladies at the table out front, sign your name in the Guest Register, and put on a name badge so the hunting-inclined locals know who they’re shooting at. 

 

Then enter the house itself. You can either take the guided tour, where in each room a docent will explain to you all of the history and items associated with that room, or if you’ve been here many times before you can simply browse around yourself and see what’s new. All of the rooms have been restored back to the décor of the period, and there is a wide array of Howard associational items to look over and enjoy. In the back of the House, the Howard Gift Shop has an enormous selection of books, magazines, and other souvenirs to purchase. 

 

The house will close at 11:30 so the docents can have lunch, and it will reopen again at 1:00 p.m.

10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.

Pavilion Panel

“The Robert E. Howard United Press Association (REHupa): Who We Are and What We Do”

Thirty-four years. Thirty thousand pages. Hundreds of stories and personalities. Join REHupa Official Editor “Indy” Bill Cavalier and other members of the long-running Howard amateur press organization for a discussion of the history of the group, its inner workings, and its role in Robert E. Howard Days.

10:45 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Pavilion Panel

“The Man From Cross Plains: A Centennial Celebration of Two-Gun Bob Howard”

Editor Dennis McHaney and contributors discuss the making of this book to aid the Cross Plains Fire Relief Fund.

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Lunch in the Howard Pavilion

Project Pride always prepares a nice lunchtime spread for all attendees. Sandwiches or hot dogs, cookies, chips, cakes, sodas. The lunch is free to pre-registered attendees, but donations are encouraged and gladly accepted.

 

After lunch, at 12:30 p.m., you have the choice of two different events: the Bus Tour of the surrounding countryside or the Walking Tour of Cross Plains itself. These tours will be offered on multiple days, so plan on taking one the first day and the other on the following day.

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.

“A Bus Tour of Howard’s Cross Plains and Environs”

This pleasant, relaxing countryside tour is led by one of the jewels of Cross Plains, longtime resident and historian Alton McCowen. Alton has forgotten more about Cross Plains than most of us will ever know. This tour will take you in a school bus on a leisurely ride through the town and backwoods of Howard’s Cross Plains, showing attendees the place where the old town was, where Howard’s school used to stand, and more. Then you leave town and head out for the nearby hamlets of Burkett and Cross Cut, both communities in which the Howards lived before moving to Cross Plains in 1919. There will even be interesting geographical lessons in which attendees will learn the difference between mesquite trees, post oaks, live oaks, and sand roughs. All of this is of deep interest to Howard fans, as Howard often mentioned such aspects of the Texas landscape in his writing.

 

You do not need a reservation to take this tour, just meet Alton in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 12:30 p.m. Note that this same tour is offered on Friday and Saturday afternoons as well, so you can decide on which day you want to go.

12:30 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

“Walking Tour of Cross Plains” 

This fascinating tour of Howard haunts is led by Cross Plains specialists Rusty Burke and Jack Baum. Rusty Burke is a REHupan and Howard scholar, while Jack Baum is the former owner of Robert E. Howard Properties, and a man who grew up in Cross Plains. Together they will walk you through the town and show you many places where Howard lived, worked, and wrote about. Places like the icehouse where he used to box, the homes of his friends, the businesses he worked at. All will be shown and described in detail. Between Rusty’s scholarship and Jack’s first-hand experiences, it should be a fun and informative tour.

 

You need no reservation to take the tour, just meet Rusty and Jack in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 1:30 p.m. Note that this same tour is offered Friday afternoon as well, so you can decide on which day you want to go. Unlike the Bus tour, this tour requires quite a bit of walking, and usually the hot sun is on your neck most of the way, so you may wish to plan ahead by bringing a hat and a bottle of water or Gatorade. On occasion it has rained during these tours, so an umbrella might be something to bring as well if you don’t care to get wet.

01:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Howard House Reopens for Tours

Once again the House is open for tours and purchasing in the gift shop. 

01:00 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.

The Cross Plains Public Library open for viewings of their Howard holdings 

The Cross Plains Public Library will be open all afternoon for the purpose of viewing their extensive Howard collection. The Library has an wide array of original Howard typescripts, rare Howard books, and old Weird Tales magazines. There will also be Howard books for sale here, including the excellent memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked Alone.

03:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.

Library Panel

“Working with Howard manuscripts” 

Editors of recent editions of Howard’s works discuss the “pure text” movement, and the difficulties in working with original sources (both typescripts and pulps) to establish authoritative texts. Rusty Burke (series editor for Wandering Star and editor of Bison Books’ Lord of Samarcand and The End of the Trail) will moderate a panel that includes David Gentzel (editor, The Riot at Bucksnort, Bison), Chris Gruber (editor, Boxing Stories, Bison), Paul Herman (editor of the Wildside Press REH books, including The Weird Works of Robert E. Howard), Glenn Lord (owner of the largest collection of original Howard manuscripts) and Patrice Louinet (editor of the Wandering Star Complete Conan of Cimmeria and Kull: Exile of Atlantis).

04:00 p.m. – 04:30 p.m.

Pavilion Panel

“Paradox and Robert E. Howard” 

Meet Peter Sederowsky and Frederik Malmberg of Paradox Entertainment, who recently acquired Robert E. Howard Properties, LLC, to go with their ownership of Conan Properties, bringing all the REH rights under one umbrella.

05:00 p.m. – 06:00 p.m.

Community Center Event

“The REH Documentary” 

Enjoy a showing of excerpts from Ethan Nahté’s lengthy forthcoming REH documentary at the Cross Plains Community Center. For several years, Ethan has been working on a film about the life and legacy of Robert E. Howard. He has interviewed scores of Howard acquaintances, fans and scholars. The Howard Centenary provides an opportunity for a tantalizing glimpse at this work in progress.

06:00 p.m. – 07:30 p.m.

Dinner on your own 

Take a break and head for a meal at one of the many delicious local eateries Cross Plains has to offer, or head on out to Brownwood for dinner at one of the dozens of restaurants they boast there.

07:30 p.m. – 09:30 p.m.

Community Center Event

Screening of The Whole Wide World 

Join screenwriter Michael Scott Myers for an encore presentation of the 1996 Sony Classics release The Whole Wide World, based off of the book One Who Walked Alone by Novalyne Price Ellis. Ask questions about the production and listen to rare behind-the-scenes details and anecdotes.

09:30 p.m. –

Pavilion Get-together 

Join Howard fans at the Howard pavilion beneath the Texas stars for an evening of conversation and friendship. Meet attendees, share your war stories, and discover just how eclectic and knowledgeable a group Howard fandom is. Stay as long as you like, then head back to your hotel for a good night’s sleep—with two more full days to go, you’re going to need it.

FRIDAY DETAILED SCHEDULE

08:00 a.m. – 09:00 a.m.

Breakfast on your own 

Start off your Howard Days experience with a hearty breakfast at one of the many great restaurants Cross Plains has to offer. If you are new to Howard Days, look around for other fans, introduce yourself, and join them for an enjoyable hour of food and conversation. After you’ve finished, head on over to the Howard Museum and the start of your REH weekend.

08:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.

Postal Cancellation at Cross Plains Post Office

Don't know if these are the exact hours, but the postal cancellation this year is happening all day Friday at the Cross Plains Post Office. Take your postcards and souvenir mail there, and they will cancel the stamp with a special REH Days logo designed by Bill Cavalier. Send your friends who couldn't make it something to add to their collections, with a special centenary cancellation. The post office is located at 101 N. Avenue D, one block east of Main Street.

08:00 a.m. – 05:00 p.m.

Howard Payne Library's REH Book Collection Available For Viewing

Travel to the campus of Howard Payne University in Brownwood, enter the Library building, and ask to see their collection of books that Robert E. Howard owned. These were donated to the College in 1936 by Dr. Howard. The Library has agreed to setup a display for Howard fans on Thursday and Friday during Howard Days.

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Howard House Open for Tours

Each year, Howard Days begins at the front door to the Howard House. Say hi to the nice ladies at the table out front, sign your name in the Guest Register, and put on a name badge so the hunting-inclined locals know who they’re shooting at. 

 

Then enter the house itself. You can either take the guided tour, where in each room a docent will explain to you all of the history and items associated with that room, or if you’ve been here many times before you can simply browse around yourself and see what’s new. All of the rooms have been restored back to the décor of the period, and there is a wide array of Howard associational items to look over and enjoy. In the back of the House, the Howard Gift Shop has an enormous selection of books, magazines, and other souvenirs to purchase. 

 

The house will close at 11:30 so the docents can have lunch, and it will reopen again at 1:00 p.m.

10:30 p.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Cross Plains High School Gymnasium event

“The Coming of Conan!” 

Guests of Honor Glenn Lord and Roy Thomas discuss the launching of the Cimmerian adventurer into paperbacks and comics, and on to worldwide fame.

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.

“A Bus Tour of Howard’s Cross Plains and Environs” 

This pleasant, relaxing countryside tour is led by one of the jewels of Cross Plains, longtime resident and historian Alton McCowen. Alton has forgotten more about Cross Plains than most of us will ever know. This tour will take you in a school bus on a leisurely ride through the town and backwoods of Howard’s Cross Plains, showing attendees the place where the old town was, where Howard’s school used to stand, and more. Then you leave town and head out for the nearby hamlets of Burkett and Cross Cut, both communities in which the Howards lived before moving to Cross Plains in 1919. There will even be interesting geographical lessons in which attendees will learn the difference between mesquite trees, post oaks, live oaks, and sand roughs. All of this is of deep interest to Howard fans, as Howard often mentioned such aspects of the Texas landscape in his writing.

 

You do not need a reservation to take this tour, just meet Alton in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 12:30 p.m. Note that this same tour is offered on Friday and Saturday afternoons as well, so you can decide on which day you want to go.

12:30 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

“Walking Tour of Cross Plains” 

This fascinating tour of Howard haunts is led by Cross Plains specialists Rusty Burke and Jack Baum. Rusty Burke is a REHupan and Howard scholar, while Jack Baum is the former owner of Robert E. Howard Properties, and a man who grew up in Cross Plains. Together they will walk you through the town and show you many places where Howard lived, worked, and wrote about. Places like the icehouse where he used to box, the homes of his friends, the businesses he worked at. All will be shown and described in detail. Between Rusty’s scholarship and Jack’s first-hand experiences, it should be a fun and informative tour.

 

You need no reservation to take the tour, just meet Rusty and Jack in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 1:30 p.m. Note that this same tour is offered Friday afternoon as well, so you can decide on which day you want to go. Unlike the Bus tour, this tour requires quite a bit of walking, and usually the hot sun is on your neck most of the way, so you may wish to plan ahead by bringing a hat and a bottle of water or Gatorade. On occasion it has rained during these tours, so an umbrella might be something to bring as well if you don’t care to get wet.

01:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Howard House Reopens for Tours

Once again the House is open for tours and purchasing in the gift shop. 

01:00 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.

The Cross Plains Public Library open for viewings of their Howard holdings 

The Cross Plains Public Library will be open all afternoon for the purpose of viewing their extensive Howard collection. The Library has an wide array of original Howard typescripts, rare Howard books, and old Weird Tales magazines. There will also be Howard books for sale here, including the excellent memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked Alone.

02:00 p.m. – 03:00 p.m.

“Fists at the Ice House” 

Hosted by Mark Finn and Chris Gruber. In the 1920s and 1930s, the ice house was an important part of the local economy for one important reason: beef and dairy products that were refrigerated could go farther distances on the trains and reach more markets. Ice was also a hallmark of civilization and refinement. In boom-town Cross Plains, those things were important, but the local ice house served another important purpose: it was where the town’s roughnecks gathered at the end of the week to hold amateur boxing matches.

 

Join Howard scholars and boxing fans Chris Gruber and Mark Finn for a walk in Robert E. Howard’s footsteps as they mosey on down to the remains of the ice house. There, they will discuss Howard’s lifelong interest in boxing, how it shaped and influenced his writing, and read short excerpts from Howard’s stories and letters about “the sweet science.”

 

Those who are not on the Walking Tour should meet Mark and Chris at the Pavilion at 1:45 to walk together to the location of the ice house. The Walking Tour will end there at about 2:00, so that people on that tour can segue directly into the Icehouse panel.

03:00 p.m. – 06:30 p.m.

Dinner on your own 

Take a break and head for a meal at one of the many delicious local eateries Cross Plains has to offer, or head on out to Brownwood for dinner at one of the dozens of restaurants they boast there. And if you're not hungry, or you just want to get back to Howard Days fun, then head to....

03:30 p.m. – 06:30 p.m.

Community Center Event

Silent Auction, Swap Meet, and Autographing 

The annual Silent Auction is a staple of Howard Days, allowing you to bid on all manner of books, magazines, and rarities in a dizzying winner-take-all format. It’s eBay in person and up close! Meanwhile, tables will be available on a first-come, first-served basis for those of you who have old Howard collectibles to trade or sell. At the same time, many of the very people who created those items will be present to autograph your purchases. No one leaves this room empty-handed.

 

Note: We ask that those who are selling items please donate a percentage of your sales to Project Pride, or donate some of your items to the Silent Auction. This swap meet is intended for the buying, selling and trading of used books, magazines, and other collectibles only—in-print or print-on-demand items should arrange for sales through the Howard House gift shop. Please don’t be a “table hog,” use space wisely and share. We reserve the right to refuse the display of offensive material.

07:00 p.m. – 09:00 p.m.

Cross Plains High School Gymnasium event

The Violet Crown Radio Theatre 

From the Golden Age of Radio, the rollicking antics of Howard’s two-fisted merchant seaman as REH himself might have heard it over the air—if only the Violet Crown Players had been around to do it! This acclaimed performing troupe from Austin have released two CDs that included Howard material: “The Destiny Gorilla” (which also featured Novalyne Price Ellis’ “Day of the Stranger”) and “Breed of Battle.” Everyone is welcome to this FREE Howardian performance by one of the country’s premier Old Time Radio performance groups. We encourage donations to Project Pride, the City of Cross Plains Fire Relief Fund, or the Cross Plains Volunteer Fire Department when accessing this event.

09:30 p.m.

Pavilion Get-together 

Join Howard fans at the Howard pavilion beneath the Texas stars for the second annual Cimmerian Awards presentation, honoring the best and brightest in Howard fandom over the past year. Then relax among the winners and their statues and settle down to an evening of conversation and friendship. Meet attendees, share your war stories, and discover just how eclectic and knowledgeable a group Howard fandom is.

SATURDAY DETAILED SCHEDULE

09:00 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Howard House Open for Tours

Each year, Howard Days begins at the front door to the Howard House. Say hi to the nice ladies at the table out front, sign your name in the Guest Register, and put on a name badge so the hunting-inclined locals know who they’re shooting at.

 

Then enter the house itself. You can either take the guided tour, where in each room a docent will explain to you all of the history and items associated with that room, or if you’ve been here many times before you can simply browse around yourself and see what’s new. All of the rooms have been restored back to the décor of the period, and there is a wide array of Howard associational items to look over and enjoy. In the back of the House, the Howard Gift Shop has an enormous selection of books, magazines, and other souvenirs to purchase.

 

Note that the House close at 11:30 a.m. for lunch, but will re-open at 2 p.m.

09:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

The Barbarian Festival Parade

Help kick off the festival with the town as a great parade marches down the street, filled with touches you'll only see in Texas.

10:00 a.m. – 04:00 p.m.

The Barbarian Festival

As noted earlier, Cross Plains will be holding their annual “Barbarian Festival” on Saturday. This isn’t a festival dedicated to Howard, it is more of a country fair event. There will be food and craft booths, an old-time car/tractor/motorcycle show, a hoola-hoop contest, a petting zoo, and various other entertainments.

 

There are lots of excellent food booths scattered throughout the festival, making it the perfect place to go have a late breakfast or early lunch on Saturday.

10:30 a.m. – 11:30 p.m.

Cross Plains High School Gymnasium Event

“A Barbarian For All Media”

Join our Guest of Honor, Roy Thomas, as he talks about not only his award-winning work with the Conan the Barbarian and Savage Sword of Conan comics (and many others), but also newspaper strips, movies, television shows, cartoons—if it’s “media,” Roy’s been involved in it somehow.

12:30 p.m. – 02:30 p.m.

“A Bus Tour of Howard’s Cross Plains and Environs” 

This pleasant, relaxing countryside tour is led by one of the jewels of Cross Plains, longtime resident and historian Alton McCowen. Alton has forgotten more about Cross Plains than most of us will ever know. This tour will take you in a school bus on a leisurely ride through the town and backwoods of Howard’s Cross Plains, showing attendees the place where the old town was, where Howard’s school used to stand, and more. Then you leave town and head out for the nearby hamlets of Burkett and Cross Cut, both communities in which the Howards lived before moving to Cross Plains in 1919. There will even be interesting geographical lessons in which attendees will learn the difference between mesquite trees, post oaks, live oaks, and sand roughs. All of this is of deep interest to Howard fans, as Howard often mentioned such aspects of the Texas landscape in his writing.

 

You do not need a reservation to take this tour, just meet Alton in the Pavilion outside the Howard House at 12:30 p.m. Note that this same tour is offered on Friday and Saturday afternoons as well, so you can decide on which day you want to go.

12:30 p.m. – 01:00 p.m.

Pavilion Panel

“Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard” 

Mark Finn reads from his forthcoming biography of REH, Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard. This is the first book-length biography of Howard to be written in twenty years, and its filled with many new and never-before-seen insights in Howard and his work.

01:00 p.m. – 02:00 p.m.

Pavilion Panel

“Lone Star Fictioneer: The Life of Robert E. Howard” 

We’ve assembled a panel of experts for a free-wheeling look at Howard biography. Rusty Burke (Robert E. Howard in Cross Plains) has spent twenty years researching Howard’s life; Mark Finn is the author of a forthcoming biography (Blood and Thunder: The Life and Art of Robert E. Howard, from MonkeyBrain Books, Fall 2006); Don Herron (The Dark Barbarian, The Barbaric Triumph) is a leading Howard critic, an authority on Dashiell Hammett and the “hard-boiled” writers of the 1920s and ’30s, and has met many of Howard’s contemporaries in the writing game; Patrice Louinet has delved more deeply than anyone else into Howard’s genealogy (with findings that will surprise those who know only Howard’s own accounts); and Gary Romeo (In Search of Cimmeria) is not only the most vocal champion of L. Sprague de Camp’s Howard biography, Dark Valley Destiny, but has logged a lot of miles traveling to every place in Texas visited by REH.

01:00 p.m. – 05:00 p.m.

The Cross Plains Public Library open for viewings of their Howard holdings 

The Cross Plains Public Library will be open all afternoon for the purpose of viewing their extensive Howard collection. The Library has an wide array of original Howard typescripts, rare Howard books, and old Weird Tales magazines. There will also be Howard books for sale here, including the excellent memoir by Novalyne Price Ellis, One Who Walked Alone.

02:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Howard House Reopens for Tours

This is your last chance of the weekend to see Howard's home, buy things in the gift shop, and take any last-minute pictures.

03:00 p.m. – 04:00 p.m.

Cross Plains High School Gymnasium

“A Conversation with Glenn Lord”

Paul Herman leads an interview session with the world’s foremost Howard authority.

05:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.

Sunset BBQ on Caddo Peak 

Thanks to the generosity of Marsha Murray and Janet Swanson, the owners of the Caddo Peak Ranch, we will continue the wonderful Howard Days tradition on Saturday night of heading over to West Caddo Peak in a caravan, eating a great BBQ dinner, and watching the sun set from an excellent vantage point in the hills. 

 

West and East Caddo peaks are popular landmarks in Cross Plains, being the two highest points for miles around, and Howard mentioned them in his letters fondly. It’s very beautiful and serene, and Howard likely watched the sun set on occasion there himself. People planning on going to the peak should meet outside the Howard House at 5:00 pm, and we’ll carpool together from there.

Arriving at the ranch, one finds a vista of lush rolling foothills, among which are set up tables and chairs for the BBQ. While dinner is being prepared, those who are up to the challenge can make the hike up West Caddo Peak. Those that do will find a beautiful place with stunning views of the surrounding countryside in all directions. If you are going to climb the peak, wear sturdy shoes and bring your camera!

 

After everyone is settled, a full BBQ dinner will be served, and you get to sit and eat in a pristine and idyllic wilderness. After dinner, attendees will get to stand on the foothills, watch the glorious West Texas sunset, and say goodbye to their local friends. This is always a fitting conclusion to a memorable weekend.

***Note that the owners of the Caddo Peak Ranch request that there be NO SMOKING there due to the danger of fire. If you absolutely cannot make it without a cigarette, please smoke only in your vehicle, with the windows up, and extinguish the cigarette in the car's ashtray.

08:00 p.m. –

Pavilion Get-together 

One more time for the road. Join Howard fans at the Howard pavilion beneath the Texas stars for an evening of conversation and friendship. Meet attendees, share your war stories, and discover just how eclectic and knowledgeable a group Howard fandom is. Stay as long as you like, say your final goodbyes, and go back to your hotel tired but filled with Howard Days memories that will last a lifetime.

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