PulpFest — Postponed Until Next Year
Throughout the latter months of 2019 and early 2020, PulpFest was planning for a banner year. From our vivacious Guest of Honor — Eva Lynd — to a significant estate auction and our the plethora of “B’s” in our theme — “Bradbury, BLACK MASK, and Brundage,” with a touch of “Burroughs, Brackett, Baum, and a couple of “B” movies,” PulpFest 2020 was going to be one “B”eautiful convention.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Or should we say, “B?” Or maybe it should be “C” . . . for coronavirus.
We regret to announce that PulpFest is being postponed until August 19 – 22, 2021.
Although it is likely that businesses and events in the region where PulpFest is staged will be allowed to resume operations in June, they will have to follow guidelines issued by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
According to the most recent CDC coronavirus guidelines regarding large gatherings, “At a minimal-to-moderate level of community transmission, it is recommended to cancel community-wide mass gatherings (for example, >250 people).”
The CDC also recommends that gatherings of more than ten people for organizations that serve higher-risk populations should be canceled. According to “currently available information and clinical expertise, older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions may be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.”
Given the substantial risks involved and our desire to maintain the health and well-being of our many supporters, the PulpFest organizing committee voted unanimously to postpone this year’s convention until August 19 – 22, 2021.
The PulpFest organizing committee would like to thank Kate Knecht, the Director of Sales & Marketing for the DoubleTree by Hilton – Pittsburgh Cranberry for all her help and guidance with this difficult decision.
For those who have already registered for PulpFest 2020, the convention will be more than happy to refund your registration fee. However, if you’d like to attend PulpFest 2021, the convention will honor your 2020 registration for next year’s convention at no additional cost to you. These offers apply to both regular attendees and dealers.
PulpFest 2021 will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry in Mars, Pennsylvania from August 19 – 22, 2021.
If you’ve already registered for PulpFest 2020, please write to the convention’s chairman, Jack Cullers, to inform him of your desire for a refund or to carry over your registration to 2021. You can reach Jack by email at jack@pulpfest.com or by regular mail at 1272 Cheatham Way, Bellbrook, OH 45305.
For those who have booked a room with our host hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Pittsburgh – Cranberry will be canceling the reservations associated with this year’s room block. Currently, the hotel’s staffing level is minimal with only one person working. This makes it difficult to answer each phone call. Guests will receive an email confirming the cancellation, sent to the address that was provided when the reservation was made.
Because the summer of 2021 is a long way away, the PulpFest marketing staff — William Patrick Maynard, William Lampkin, Sara Light-Waller, and Mike Chomko — along with our occasional guest writers will be here for you.
To keep abreast of our updates, please bookmark pulpfest.com or like our Facebook page. Over on Twitter, you’ll find short tweet updates. And don’t forget about our Instagram page! Over recent months, PulpFest has been running a well-illustrated and informative history of science fiction in pulp magazines.
We look forward to seeing you in Mars, Pennsylvania from August 19 – 22, 2021 for our next PulpFest.
(Designed by PulpFest’s advertising director, William Lampkin, our PulpFest 2020 postcard features Margaret Brundage’s cover painting for the October 1933 issue of WEIRD TALES. Brundage’s work — one of the most iconic images ever created for “The Unique Magazine” — illustrates the first segment of Edmond Hamilton’s four-part serial, “The Vampire Master.”)
