Regular memberships are $45.00 each until November 1, 2009. After that, and at the door they will be $50.00. Make checks payable to Armida Council (PO Box 7203, Silver Spring, MD 20907). If you wish membership confirmation, please include a Self Addressed Stamped Postcard [not an envelope].
The Crowne Plaza Baltimore in Timonium, Maryland. It has 250 rooms on five floors with four elevators. Room rates are $96.00 a night (plus a 13% room tax). There is no additional charge for up to four people in a room. You can reserve on line by using the link from our web site, by using the hotel form or by calling (410) 252-7373. Be sure to say you are part of the Darkover convention to get the group rate. NOTE: you have to reach the hotel directly - this may not work if it rolls over to the call center. This is especially important right before the convention. Therefore, right before the convention, you need to call Monday through Friday, 9AM to 5PM to make sure you get the hotel directly. Otherwise, you may be told that the block is full, when there are rooms available. If you are told the block is full, try calling back during normal working hours. See Directions for directions to the hotel.
Note: The hotel does an all you can eat Thanksgiving Buffet on Thanksgiving. Many Darkover attendees come in early and go to it. If you are interested in joining the group email Jaelle at jaelle @ darkovercon.org for further info. We will be eating circa 3PM. If you wish to book your own (for instance to eat earlier) contact the hotel directly.
Our Guests of Honor are: EMMA BULL and WILL SHETTERLY. Our Artist Guest of Honor is: TBA. Our Special Guest is: KATHERINE KURTZ. Our Musical Guests of Honor are: CLAM CHOWDER. Other author/artist guests include: Debra Doyle, Esther Friesner, C. S. Friedman, Nancy Janda, Heather Rose Jones, Tim Liebe, James D. Macdonald, Scott MacMillan, Alanna Morland, Diana Paxson, Tamora Pierce, Don Sakers, and Hannah Shapiro. Musical guests include: Bob and Sue Esty, John Huff, Myfanwy, and Ed and Kathy Sobansky.
It will open for business Friday 4PM to 8:30PM, Saturday 10AM to 6PM and Sunday 10AM to 4PM. Dealers may start setting up Friday at 11AM.
Besides main programming (Greenspring Ballroom 3-5), alternate programming , videos , workshops and esoteric programming , there will be a Huckster's Room (The Atrium), Art Show (Chesapeake Room 1-2) and Con Suite . We also have gaming (Boardroom), filking, a Regency Ball, and an art auction. There will be a track of musical performances Friday, and Saturday, including a performance by Clam Chowder on Saturday evening. Note: you must have a convention membership to attend the concert.
There will be an art auction, on Sunday at 1PM. There is no hanging fee for art at the con, and we take a 10% commission on all sold pieces. For more information about the art show or art auction, contact our art show director c/o the Darkover PO Box, or email us at jaelle @ darkovercon.org, or check here for the art show rules including mail-in rules.
For further information, contact us at jaelle @ darkovercon.org or at the PO Box (address below)
There will be a Regency Ball Saturday afternoon. Regency dress is strongly encouraged, but not required. There will be Regency era dances and classes (including waltzes) Friday and Saturday.
We will have a video room running Friday evening/night, Saturday late afternoon through early Sunday morning, and Sunday during the day.
Gaming will be happening in the Boardroom (and an additional room TBA overnight) as close to 24/3 as the staff can manage. Stay tuned for updates and schedules closer to the convention date. Meanwhile, join us at http://community.livejournal.com/darkovergaming for updates/suggestions/discussion or email gaming @ darkovercon.org
The only weapon allowed to be worn publicly during the convention, except as part of the costume competition, will be knives. All knives (and weapons used for the costume competition) must be sheathed and peace strapped at all times. We will enforce this policy, and will ask people who do not obey it to leave the convention.
Darkover, like all SF cons, runs on volunteer labor. We need you. We are always in great need of people to help out by guarding doors, setting up art show hangings, work at registration, etc. If you are willing to help out, either contact me, Jaelle, in advance, or at the con. Jaelle can be reached by E-mail at jaelle @ darkovercon.org Note: if you do not get a response in two weeks, email again, as the first email did not get through.
For each hour anyone puts in helping at Darkover, they will receive from the Department Head of the area that they help with, or Jaelle, a raffle slip. These slips need to be turned into registration no later than Sunday noon. Then, Sunday, at 12:30 we will pull slips out of the box. Prizes to date include one membership to Darkover XXXIII, two 50% off memberships, glass beads necklaces, books and games,. More prizes will be added at Darkover. Slips will be drawn until either all prizes are awarded or all slips are used up, whichever comes first.
Since volunteers get one slip for each hour worked, it is possible for someone to win more than one prize. People who are part of Darkover staff are not eligible to win a prize. All decisions of the ChairAlton regarding eligibility and prizes are final. So, to win these prizes, vote, I mean volunteer early and often!
The con suite is looking for volunteers, and staff is best gathered in advance. For more information or to volunteer contact Alexsandr Poryshkin at consuitelizard @ darkovercon.org
Registration will open Friday morning at 10AM and continue until 9PM Friday night. It will reopen Saturday at 10AM.
Once again Clam Chowder will be performing (Saturday evening), and there will be the annual fund raiser for Children’s Hospital.
We will be posting the programming schedule here this fall.
Due to problems in the past, all returned checks will be charged a $25.00 returned check fee.
Armida Council
PO Box 7203
Silver Spring, MD 20907