Whisky tasting, tartan everywhere, Outlander trivia battles… and Terry Dresbach and Grant O’Rourke, in person, and signing autographs! Sound like fun? Wish it were real? It is – you will find all that, and SO much more at the second Thru The Stones convention!
Of all the fun and wonderful things that have come out of the Outlander books and series, one of the best has been the opportunity to meet fellow fans in person at all kinds of events, big and small. In December 2014, I had a great time attending the first Thru The Stones. And I’m delighted to let you know that Debbie Ford, the creator of that first event, has set up the second Thru The Stones convention (TTS), Dec. 2 & 3, in Bettendorf, IA, and tickets are available beginning NOW!
The Friday night trivia contest is a huge battle, with 100 questions covering all eight “big” books (no questions specifically from the TV series). From the 2014 event, I can tell you that many of the questions cover obscure details, testing your Outlander knowledge to the max! You can put together a team of seven, or find a group on the convention’s Facebook page. Why seven? Because the winning team will get to sit with Terry at Saturday’s dinner! A random drawing will be held to select seven lucky people to sit with Grant at dinner as well.
Trivia night
Saturday morning will feature a selection of different experiences. The list of class choices has not yet been released (ticket holders will receive the list of choices when they are available, and will be able to make selections at that time). In 2014, they included a Scotland travel program, classes on honey and lavender, a painting class, gardening and cooking with herbs, a chance to learn a bit about the pipes, genealogy tips, and Gaelic instruction, to give you an idea of the variety of classes presented. There will also be items available to purchase, so bring your credit cards! Here are some pictures from that event:
Definitely on the schedule is a whisky-tasting class and a wine and port class (both for an extra fee). Tickets for those can be purchased when you buy your convention ticket (very limited number of tickets available).
After what is sure to be a fun luncheon, Terry Dresbach will take front and center for Saturday afternoon. There are no details yet about what she’ll present, but you can be sure you’ll come out of it with an in-depth look at Outlander’s amazing costumes!
Debbie Ford, TTS Creator
Dinner is guaranteed to be a highlight. The head chef for Saturday’s meals is from the Netherlands, and his specialty is French cuisine, so even the food will be exciting. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in period garb – whatever that means to you, whether it’s Paris court apparel, 1940s post-War, or 1960s Bree mod! Of course, if you’re not a dress up person, like me, come in what makes you happy.
After dinner, both Terry and Grant will speak, and then every attendee will have a chance to meet both special guests, have an item of your choice autographed, and have your picture taken by an official photographer (photos will be available to download at no charge). In 2014, Diana Gabaldon and Graham McTavish were the special guests, and it was amazing to meet those talented people! Both of this year’s guests have had more limited interaction with fans, so this may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Here are the details:
When: December 2 and 3, 2016
Where: The Isle Casino Hotel, Bettendorf, IA (special room rates are available)
Cost: $265, includes Friday night trivia contest (teams of 7), Saturday classes, Saturday luncheon, afternoon with Terry Dresbach, Saturday dress-up dinner, Saturday evening addresses from Terry and Grant, autographs and photos with these special guests, and more. Some classes, such as the whisky tasting, are at an extra cost. You can also order an event t-shirt at the same time (pick up t-shirt at registration).
More information will come out over the next several months, but tickets are limited.
How to buy: click this link
To see how much fun we had at the 2014 event, read my posts from that weekend.
Follow me on Twitter: @OutlanderTIBS, @ErinConrad2 and @threeifbyspace
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