[Harp-L] Re: Is Spah the exact same time every year?

[Bobbie Giordano <bogio@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 12/12/2006 7:30:30 AM, Michael Rubin wrote:
> First, an announcement.  I ask my girlfriend to marry me on Saturday
> and she said yes.

What great news, Michael!!!  My hearty congratulations as well!!  Lucky 
girl will have fantastic music wherever you two go... and what a treat is 
in store for her if you bring her to SPAH every year!  Very cool!

As for your question...

> Now comes finding a wedding date.
> I intend to attend SPAH regularly.  Not only do I need to know when
> it is THIS year, I need to know the date range possibility of SPAH
> for the future so I do not have to be away from home (either home)
> due to a conflict between SPAH and our anniversary.  I know it is
> around late August.
> When is the earliest and latest it gets?

SPAH 2007 will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the dates are set for 
August 14-19.  Members should begin getting their registration packets in 
the mail early in May, otherwise, SPAH's website at http://www.spah.org 
will be putting up info about then or before for members and nonmembers 
alike.  Below is a rundown of dates and locations for the last 11 SPAH 
conventions.  I've been to all of them!  :)  When the core of SPAH used 
to be in and around Romulus, Michigan, I gather most conventions were 
held there, sometimes St. Louis and once, I know of, in Memphis.

When Doug Tate became president, he hoped to spread the wealth around 
more, and ever since, SPAH has only been back to Romulus once and St. 
Louis once.  I imagine it will be returning to Texas again before long, 
and likely St. Louis and Denver, too, as there are large healthy 
harmonica clubs in those parts, which is absolutely necessary to pull off 
these events.  Milwaukee's organization is real fired up and I expect 
that fest to be a real blast!

BTW, except for once in Romulus, you'll note these listed always ran from 
Tuesday through Saturday, and that the average dates hover around the 
17th through the 21st.  I think the reasoning is to try not to put it too 
close to Labor Day, so figure the 3rd week to be the most common... if it 
doesn't get changed right after your wedding!!!  ;)

1996	August 20-24	St. Louis, Missouri
1997	August 19-23	Romulus, Michigan
1998	August 25-29	Romulus, Michigan
1999	August 18-22	St. Louis, Missouri
2000	August 20-26	Romulus, Michigan
2001	August 15-19	Denver, Colorado
2002	August 13-17	Columbus, Ohio
2003	August 19-23	Dallas, Texas
2004	August 17-21	St. Louis, Missouri
2005	August 16-20	Kansas City, Missouri
2006	August 15-19	Denver, Colorado

Looking forward to meeting your bride next year!!

Congrats again!
Bobbie