2010 TFS Meeting Information

 The Texas Folklore Society will meet in Abilene, Texas, on April 1, 2, and 3 for its 94^th annual meeting. We met there last in 1996, when a record snow storm hit the city. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen again.

 All events will be at the Hilton Garden Inn Abilene. Contact information is:

Hilton Garden Inn Abilene          4449 Ridgemont Dr.           Abilene, TX  79606

      877-782-9444                     or 325-690-6432             fax: 325-690-6492

 Ask for the TFS Group Rate by March 10 to get the discounted rate: $99 plus tax (unless you have a personal tax exemption form). The regular check-in time is 3:00 p.m. and checkout has been extended to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.

 You can book your reservation online by going to the following web site

http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/ABIABGI-TFS-20100401/index.jhtml.

Or, Google “Hilton Garden Inn Abilene, TX”: Select your reservation dates at the top right and click “Go.” Select your room and guests, and enter the group code: TFS

 This hotel has a restaurant, an indoor swimming pool, and each guest room has a refrigerator, coffee maker, microwave, and access to high-speed wireless Internet. Here are a couple other options nearby, but remember, our group rate depends on filling up a minimum number of rooms in one hotel:

                  MCM Elegante Suites         4250 Ridgemont Drive (325) 698-1234

                   Courtyard Abilene             4350 Ridgemont Drive (325) 695-9600                 

These driving directions come from information the hotel provided:

From I-20 – Take exit 283A (Hwy 83/277 South to Ballinger & South Angelo), follow 83S about 7 miles and take the Southwest Drive exit. Continue South on access road to Ridgemont Drive. Turn right onto Ridgemont for 1 mile. Hilton Garden Inn Abilene will be on your left.                                                 

From Abilene Regional Airport – Take Loop 322 South to US 83-84 North. Exit Buffalo Gap Road and turn left.  Turn right Onto Rebecca Lane. Turn right onto Ridgemont Drive.   

 Meeting registration will be on the first floor to the right as you come in the hotel—look for the signs. You’ll find maps and brochures in your goodie bags at Registration, which begins Thursday at 1:00 p.m. and lasts until 7:00 p.m. Registration on Friday will be from 8:00 a.m. to noon. Unlike other organizations’ meetings, our registration fee remains just $10.

If you arrive early enough on Thursday, join us for a tour of Frontier Texas, a unique museum that has holograms which give information on the Abilene area from roughly 1780-1880. Meet in the hotel lobby by 3:45; we’ll leave the hotel parking lot at 4:00 p.m. and try to return by 6:00 p.m. Space for the trolley is limited to 30, so we may need volunteers to carry extras.

The Friday night banquet will offer a choice of tilapia or pot roast; tickets are $25 for adults and $8 for children, including tax and gratuity. We’ve arranged for beer and other beverages for the Thursday night Hoot, and we’ll have the usual coffee and pastries for in the mornings and at breaks.