RAMBLIN'
RAZORBACK'S CONVENTION
TOUR GUIDE
update of 4/6/2008
(There's a close-up of/ the license plate here)
Margaret Middleton
This is a list of gatherings of Science
Fiction/Fantasy fans which are held within one day's drive
(roughly a 500 mile radius) of Little Rock, AR.
| MO |  |
OH |
| OK | IL | |
| AR | TN | |
| TX; | MS | |
| LA | AL | |
| GA |
Conventions listed in bold
italics
are outside the nominal travel range of this tour guide,
but have been found to be worth the effort.
Events listed are broad-spectrum SF & Fantasy fandom
conventions unless
otherwise identified.
If the con has a web site that I know of, there will be a link to that.
If all I have is an excerpt from the flyer, that will be quoted here.
[And if any of you know of a better route than the one I've listed,
let me know]
ARKANSAS:
LITTLE ROCK
ROC*KON
: Still UnDead for 2008, at least.
We haven't totally abandoned the idea of having another convention, but
we're
pretty burnt-out and broke just now. Watch the website to see if / when
this
changes.
LRSFS
(club)
TENNESSEE:
MEMPHIS
Route: I-40 = 137 miles
2.5 hours by the time you find your hotel (experience)
Labor Day Weekend, 2008,
Mephit FurMeet
[anthropomorphics]
Late March, 2009 MidSouthCon
NASHVILLE
Route: I-40 through Memphis and keep on going = 347 miles.
5-6 hours driving (experience)
Not any that I know of as-of this update
HUNTSVILLE
Route: I-40 to Memphis, US 72 to Huntsville = 356 miles
Estimate 7 hours driving
October 17-19, 2008;
ConStellation
MISSISSIPPI:
BILOXI: Route: US 65 to Tallulah LA; I-20 to
Jackson MS; US 49
to Biloxi MS = 388 miles
Estimated 8 hrs driving.
April 11-13, 2008;
CoastCon
LOUISIANA:
NEW ORLEANS
Route: US 65 to Tallulah LA; I-20 to Jackson, I-55 to NOLA = 441 miles
Estimate 8 hrs driving
Not any that I know of as-of this update
TEXAS:
AUSTIN
Route: I-30 to Dallas, I-35 to Austin = 516 miles
Estimate 10 hours driving
August 15-17, 2008;
ArmadilloCon
COLLEGE
STATION
Route: I-30 to Dallas; I-45 to Madisonville TX, US 190 to TX 6, then
south to
College Station = 500
miles
9 hrs driving (estimate)
Late March, 2009 Aggiecon
DALLAS,
Route: I-30 all the way = 321 miles
5.5 hours driving (experience)
last year.
February 2009,
ConDFW
[specifically literary]
May 30-June 1, 2008
Project A-Kon,
[anime]
October 3-5, 2008, FENCon
[literary + filk]
HOUSTON
Route: I-30 to Texarkana; US 59 to Houston; take the Sam Houston
Parkway
around to whichever quadrant of town your hotel is in. 8.5 hours
driving
(experience: and we were going to a place down on the south side.)
June 27-29, 2008:
ApolloCon
OKLAHOMA:
OKLAHOMA CITY
Route: I-40 straight west from LR, 340 miles.
5 to 6 hrs
driving (experience)
June 6-8, 2008:
Soonercon
TULSA
Route: I-40 to Jct. Muskogee Turnpike; follow that to Tulsa (bring
about
$5 in quarters for the toll booths) = 227 miles.
4.5 hours driving, (experience)
July 25-27,
2008 Conestoga
MISSOURI:
KANSAS CITY &
Vicinity
Route: I-40 to just past Altus AR; I-540 to
Springdale; US 71 to KC = 483 miles.
You can go 70 mph for almost half of that; opening I-540 has cut a
whole hour
off the traveltime to Springdale; estimate 8 hrs for the whole trip.
Memorial Day Weekend 2008 ,
ConQuesT
, Kansas City, MO [follow the link from the KaCSFFS home site]
SPRINGFIELD
Route: US 65 to Springfield = 220 scenic miles; 5 hrs driving
(experience)
February-sometime 2009, they hope,
VisionCon,
ST. LOUIS (area)
Route: I-40 to W. Memphis; I-55 to St. Louis = 456 miles
7.5 hrs estimate driving.
October 3-5, 2008
Archon;
Collinsville
IL (across the river)
ILLINOIS:
CHAMPAIGN:
Route: I-40 to West Memphis; I-55 to ( ) Mo; I-57 to Champaign
= 552 miles
70 mph speed limit only lasts to IL state line; after that is 65. 9
hours driving
(experience)
November
2008 (Thanksgiving
Weekend) Chambanacon
(relaxacon)
OHIO:
COLUMBUS
Route: I-40 to West Memphis; I-55 to just shy of Sikeston MO; I-57 to
Effingham
IL, I-70 to Columbus = 795 miles.
14 hours driving time (experience) and don't forget the time zone
change at the Ohio state line.
October 24-26, 2008, Ohio
Valley Filk Fest [actually in Dublin (NE
suburb of Columbus)]
GEORGIA:
ATLANTA
Route: I-40 to Memphis, US 78 to Birmingham, I-20 to Atlanta = 532
miles.
US 78 is not 4-lane-divided all the way...yet. 10-11 hours driving
depending on whether you do fast food or stop for a restaurant meal.
(experience)
January 9-11,
2009,
GaFilk,
[filking] [still has 2006 infor up as-of 1-26-2007]
For listings of conventions east of
Ramblin' Razorback's usual
range, check out the Southern
Fandom Resource Guide listings; for conventions west of
here, try the Fandom
Association of Central Texas listings.
Close-up of my new license plate
