2013 Convention Details -
Updated May 15, 2013

View current convention info--bookmark this page and check back often for updates. Then below, view information on our past conventions. Interested in Attending? Are you a member of the media interested in profiling us? E-mail us here if you want info on the convention or want to be on our e-mail list for updates and information about it.

The Mystery Behind Following in Nancy Drew's Footsteps... Our mission is to walk in Nancy Drew's footsteps each year at our conventions. We select a theme book--one of the classic 56 hardcover Nancy Drew books printed from 1930 to 1979--that is set in a real location and we do things that Nancy Drew and her chums did in the books. This adds that nostalgic flair to our conventions so they're much more special than a generic location! While we may not chase villains down dark alleys or sleuth for secret passageways (yet!), we do manage to mix real-life locations with book hunting and activities based on the mystery in the theme book(s) for a fabulous event of mystery and "mayhem." The convention is a great time for series book collectors to meet, trade books and stories, and hunt for missing books from their collection. Conventions are open to both Sleuth members and non-members, but Sleuth members receive special discounts and perks. For more information on our conventions, check out our Convention FAQ Page. This Year's Theme Books - #27 The Secret of the Wooden Lady and #83 The Case of the Vanishing Veil First published in 1950 and then revised in 1967, The Secret of the Wooden Lady finds Nancy, Bess, and George adventuring in Boston, MA to help Captain Easterly solve the mystery of ghostly visitors to his ship in Boston Harbor. The ship's figurehead is missing. It is a mystery that once solved will unravel the history of the ship. Real life book locations: Boston & Boston Harbor, Cape Cod, Provincetown. First published in 1988, The Case of the Vanishing Veil centers around a missing wedding veil. Nancy and her chums Bess and George are in Boston to attend a wedding when the bride's antique veil is stolen. Searching around Boston and a trip to spooky Salem lead the girls on a trail of intrigue and deceit. There's a $60 million dollar mystery behind the veil! Real life book locations: Boston, Provincetown & Salem, MA.

For more information on our conventions, check out our Convention FAQ Page. CONTACT US here with questions! Click on the following banner for our 2013 Boston Convention Merchandise!

BOOK HOTEL: HOTEL: Holiday Inn Boston Somerville , 30 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143. HOTEL RATE: $169/night + tax. We do have a rooming list if you need a roommate! E-mail us for info. PLEASE KEEP IN MIND, ONCE OUR BLOCK IS FULL, THE CONVENTION RATE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE! HOW TO BOOK HOTEL: Book by calling : 617-628-1000. Be sure to mention "Nancy Drew Sleuths 2013 Convention" when calling to book to get the group rate. DEADLINE TO BOOK HOTEL: Friday, April 26, 2013 - Book early to guarantee what you want! AIRPORT SHUTTLE INFO: For those flying into the Boston Logan airport, check out this page of the airport's website on shuttle options. Cancellation policy on rooms booked is 48 hours in advance.

CONVENTION LOCALES: Boston Historical Sights, Provincetown, Salem, Concord, Sudbury, Lowell.

CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS: DATES: May 28 - June 2, 2013 LOCATION: Boston/Somerville, MA THEMES: Nancy Drew classic #27, The Secret of the Wooden Lady and #83, The Case of the Vanishing Veil. Tentative Schedule: Tues. May. 28 - A Piratical Meet & Greet Party - 7:30PM at Boston/Somerville Holiday Inn - Ahoy Sleuths! Wed. May. 29 - Day Trip to Sudbury (book shop), Concord (Louisa May Alcott's house/Sleepy Holly Cemetery/Lunch at Inn), Lowell to Sleuth Jim's collection and dinner. Thurs. May 30 - Day Trip to Salem, MA with free day for sightseeing. Ghost Tour in evening. Fri. May. 31 - Free Day - Historic Boston or Ferry to Provincetown. Group Dinner - Private Island Clambake Plus Sleuth Survivor Wooden Lady Treasure Hunt. Sat. Jun. 1 - Convention Day all day at the hotel - displays, merchandise, speakers. Evening: Ruby Masquerade Mystery Dinner & Nancy Drew Gift Exchange. Sun. Jun. 2 - Breakfast at hotel restaurant at 9:00am - farewells until San Diego - Nancy Drew & Sleuth Con: TBA 2014. A Few Clues To The Mystery: 2013 will find us celebrating Nancy Drew at our 13th annual convention in the Boston area. Tues. May 28 - A Piratical M&G Party: We'll be kicking off the convention with a little booty for all you Sleuth Mateys! 7:30pm at the hotel. Loot, Chocolate, & Icebreakers. Come in yer pirate best! Arrr! Wed./Thurs. Tours: Wed.=Day Trip to Concord, Sudbury, Lowell including stops at Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women" house, lunch at a tavern/inn, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery where famous authors like Nathaniel Hawthorne are buried, book hunting in Sudbury, Sleuth Jim McNamara's home for a collection tour of his super collection and series book art. Thurs=Day trip to Salem where you can visit museums and go on tours and shop for neat souvenirs. Lunch on your own as well as dinner. Meet up for ghost tour at 8pm and then bus back to hotel. Fri. Activities: There are 2 options: Take the ferry to Provincetown (departs 8:30am/returns 3:00pm) to follow in Nancy Drew's footsteps from Wooden Lady with several Sleuths going or Spend the day in Boston visiting any place you wish--there's lots of revolutionary and historic sights like the Boston Tea Party Ship and much more! We will meet up for dinner as a group and take a ferry out to one of the Boston Harbor Islands at 6:00pm (private island) for a clambake (non-seafood items available too) and we'll have another edition of Sleuth Survivor, sending teams on a treasure hunt for prizes plus a bonfire on the beach at sunset! Then we'll ferry back to Boston following around 9:30pm. Convention Day: Our convention day on Sat. will benefit the Lowell Public Library. Every year we host a raffle for Nancy Drew prizes that benefits in part the local libraries. Speakers include Nancy Drew Sleuths' President Jenn Fisher, Guest of Honor Nancy Drew Illustrator Ruth Sanderson, Nancy Drew Sleuth Dean Burcham, and Series Book Collector Lorraine Rogers. Guest of Honor: Nancy Drew Illustrator Ruth Sanderson. Following our presentations, we'll have a fun craft using thin rope to craft a bracelet with a convention charm attached--using sailor knots. Example shown at left with sample charm. Charm we'll have is a clipper ship/Boston that's appropos for the convention theme. The Ruby Masquerade Mystery Dinner: Our dinner's mystery will involve our theme books. Come as your favorite character from the theme books or as your favorite Nancy Drew villain! Optional: Wear Ruby Red. We'll have a fun mystery for you to solve throughout the evening! Nancy Drew Gift Exchange: If you want to participate in our Nancy Drew gift exchange we have two tables--1 for handcrafted gifts and 1 for store bought gifts. Storebought items must be Nancy Drew items. Handcrafted gifts must feature Nancy Drew imagery. Gifts are wrapped anonymously and left on the appropriate table.

HOW TO ATTEND/REGISTER: HOW TO REGISTER: REGISTRATION IS NO LONGER OPEN FOR THE WHOLE WEEK! HOW TO ATTEND ON JUNE 1: If you'd like to join us for our public event on Saturday, June 1 from 9:30am to 3:00pm at the Holiday Inn Boston Somerville, it is our convention day with presentations on various Nancy Drew topics, dealer tables of vintage Nancy Drew and other series books and Nancy Drew merchandise! The entry fee for each invididual or as a family/group coming in, is to purchase raffle tickets for the charity raffle for great Nancy Drew prizes! The lowest raffle ticket prices are 20 tickets for $10.00. You may pay at the door. Cash or Mastercard/Visa accepted. The hotel is located at 30 Washington Street, Somerville, MA 02143. Click here for a Google Map.

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2014 - Nancy Drew Sleuths' Convention & SLEUTH CON 2 - All-Series Book Convention with Nancy Drew Events/Mystery Party - San Diego, CA

2015 - Nancy Drew 85th Anniversary Convention - Hawaii (The Secret of the Golden Pavilion theme)

2016 - Nancy Drew Sleuths' Convention & SLEUTH CON 3 - All-Series Book Convention with Nancy Drew Events/Mystery Party - Texas - Location TBD

2017 - Nancy Drew Sleuths Convention - Maine (The Mystery of the Tolling Bell/The Ghost of Craven Cove theme)

2018 - Nancy Drew Sleuths' Convention & SLEUTH CON 4 - All-Series Book Convention with Nancy Drew Events/Mystery Party - NYC/NJ - Location TBD

2019 - Nancy Drew Sleuths Convention - Florida Keys (Black Keys & Crocodile Island Theme/etc)

2020 - Nancy Drew 90th Anniversary Convention & SLEUTH CON 5 - All-Series Book & Nancy Drew Convention with Additional Nancy Drew 90th Cruise Following - ND/All Series - Land: Seattle, WA & ND 90th - Sea: Cruise to Alaska

Other classic locations we'll be visiting in the near future: Maryland, New York, Chicago, New Orleans. Following that we will revisit some classic sites and mix in modern paperback locations.

The original "Carolyn Keene" Mildred Wirt Benson, Toledo, OH, at first annual Sleuth convention March 2001 Photo Copyright 2001, J. Fisher, All Rights Reserved.

Past Conventions & Highlights

March 2001: Toledo, Ohio. Members met the original "Carolyn Keene," Mildred Wirt Benson, and had books signed and asked lots of questions. They toured sites of Toledo, went book hunting, and ate dinner at a haunted restaurant.

April 2002: Iowa City, Iowa. Members visited The University of Iowa to view Mildred Wirt Benson's archives of photographs, outlines, letters, columns, stories, and ephemera. They visited with the organizers of the 1993 Nancy Drew Conference, held at the university, Carolyn Stewart-Dyer and Nancy Tillman Romalov and presentations were given. A trip to Ladora, Mildred's hometown, to view her childhood home and meet her family was a wonderful experience for all who attended.

April/May 2003: New York City, New York. Members spent a week touring sites of New York including Stratemeyer themed sites. Visits to the New York Public Library Stratemeyer archives were met with enthusiasm of members who got to delve into Stratemeyer Syndicate lore. Highlighting the week's activities and book hunting was a visit to a book dealer's home with thousands of series books and a local collector's huge Nancy Drew® collection spanning books, collectibles, and artwork. Capping off the week was a successful day of presentations from the Stratemeyer family, the Russell H. Tandy family, Simon & Schuster, Applewood Books, and Sharon Reid Harris.

March 2004: New Orleans, Lousiana. Members spent the week visiting historic and haunted sites in the French Quarter and outer lying areas, Nancy Drew® theme sites mentioned in the books set in New Orleans, went book and antique hunting, joined in on a crawfish boil and BBQ at a local collector's home, visited a historic plantation, attended a Nancy Drew® murder mystery party aboard a "haunted showboat" on its dinner and jazz cruise, and attended a day of presentations from Sleuth members Sharon Reid Harris, Todd Latoski, Meredith Jaffe, Rachel Smith, and presentations by Simon & Schuster and Gumshoe Girls.

October 2005: Phoenix, AZ. Members were treated to a Shadow Ranch and Kachina Doll Nancy Drew® theme during their week in Phoenix, AZ. Highlights include: Meet and Greet Dinner, Ghost Town tour and Dirk Valentine Treasure Hunt, Western Dinner, Kachina Doll collection tour, book hunting, Kachina Doll dinner and mystery hunt at "hacienda", tour of Jenn Fisher's collection, day of presentations from: Garrett Lothe, Renee Walker, Jenn Fisher, and Dean Burcham, book dealers set up. Game play of life size version of Nancy Drew® Mystery Game from the 1950s. Lots of prizes given out and trivia contests. 3 Goody Bags given out.

The Nancy Drew 75th & Stratemeyer Syndicate 100th Anniversary Conference was held June 16-19, 2005 in NYC, with a few Sleuth events. For details on the conference, click here.

October: 2006: Chicago, IL. Members toured "River Heights Country" while solving mysteries at Red Gate Farm and found a Hollow Oak treasure! Activities included: All Day Bus trip of book hunting, antiquing, visit to a real life Red Gate Farm, Hollow Oak treasure hunt, Sleuth Madonna's Red Gate Farm party, Chicago sightseeing, visit to the American Girl Store to view Nancy Drew® book on display, Danger on the Great Lakes dinner cruise on Lake Michigan, presentations at the Chicago Children's Museum, a Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza dinner, a Joker's Revenge game, and a fun Nancy Drew® theme gift exchange.

June: 2007: Pasadena, CA. The Sleuths had their first movie & TV theme convention, timed to the release of the Warner Brothers movie, Nancy Drew. Members toured the Huntington Library and viewed some sights where the Nancy Drew® movie was filmed, went book hunting, and played a Nancy Drew® cover art game. On the day of the movie's release, members held a Nancy Drew® 101 event at the Burbank Public Library, toured Warner Brothers Studios, and saw the Nancy Drew® movie. The Sleuths held their big convention day at the Pasadena Hilton and featured 7 speakers on a variety of topics, had book and merchandise sales, and that evening held a special 1930s Nancy Drew® murder mystery party complete with skits, a prize, and a fun Nancy Drew® theme gift exchange. A tour of Dave Farah's collection and BBQ was a highlight!

Sept-Oct: 2008: Bird-in-Hand, PA. The Sleuths headed to Witch Tree Country for a fun-filled convention! Members visited Hershey, PA and had their photos printed on chocolate bars, went book hunting and antiquing and found a few goodies, toured Amish farms, quilt shops, and went on a Witch Tree Clues Hunt. A hayride and a ghost tour were especially fun! Members spent a day in historic Philadelphia touring sights around Independence Square and those that Nancy visited in the SuperMystery, A Question of Guilt. A dinner at City Tavern complete with Revolutionary War era costumed servers was a treat. The Sleuths held their convention day at the Bird-in-Hand Family Inn complete with speakers: Author Jennifer Fisher, Nancy Drew Files Artist Tricia Zimic, Author Penny Warner, Crafty Sleuth Lea Fox, and Author and Professor Michael G. Cornelius. Dinner was a special smorgasbord and that was followed by a "barn dance" complete with our crafty Nancy Drew gift exchange, some singing, and a raffle for neat Nancy Drew prizes. And no one was hexed or accused of being a witch like Nancy in The Witch Tree Symbol!

Sept-Oct: 2009: Las Vegas, NV. Nancy Drew Sleuths followed in Nancy Drew's footsteps in Las Vegas and around the Valley of Fire State Park where the classic Nancy Drew book, #52 The Secret of the Forgotten City was set. A 70s disco style Nancy Drew meet and greet party was held to kick off the convention. Members bused to the Valley of Fire to compete in a Sleuth Survivor challenge--George Tribe won reward! A visit to the Lost City Museum just like Nancy and her chums in the book was informative and provided great background material for the book and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams who researched there in person before writing the book. Members completed a CSI: Nancy Drew mystery challenge complete with miniature crime scenes. Our big convention day featured 40 local fourth grade girls who were excited to learn more about Nancy Drew. Speakers Jennifer Fisher, Lea S. Fox, Dean Burcham, and guest of honor David Farah rounded out the event along with a Nancy Drew scrapbooking session. A 1940s Old-Time Vegas Gangster Mystery Dinner Party capped off the week's events including a festive Nancy Drew gift exchange.

April 6-10 & April 11-15: 2010: Merritt Island, FL and Cruise to Bahamas. Nancy Drew Sleuths held their 10th annual convention and an 80th anniversary cruise! Members followed in Nancy Drew's footsteps around Merritt Island for our Moss Mansion theme. We held parties at the homes of area collectors, attended a professional Nancy Drew trivia show, book hunted, visited NASA, toured an orange grove, lunched at Historic Cocoa Village, toured 2 treasure museums, visited Cocoa Beach Pier, hosted our annual convention with speakers, activities and a charity raffle to benefit the Merritt Island Public Library. Our honored guest was Nancy Drew illustrator Rudy Nappi. Members attended a Mystery dinner costume party and held our annual gift exchange.

Following our land event we took a 4 day Carnival Cruise from Port Canaveral to the Bahamas for the 80th anniversary of Nancy Drew. We held events on board, went sighteeing in the Bahamas, and held a convention day at sea with honored guests Rudy Nappi and Carolyn S. Dyer and a Nancy Drew costume party plus a fun scavenger hunt.

March 30 - April 3, 2011: Charlottesville, VA. Members attended this 11th annual convention by following in Nancy Drew's footsteps around Charlottesville for our Hidden Window theme. We held a festive meet and greet, visited Monticello, Michie Tavern, Ash Lawn-Highland, Seven Oaks, held an event at the local library with Nancy Drew ghostwriter Alison Hart, particpated in a stained-glass craft activity, book hunted, went on a ghost tour, and held our annual convention day with speakers and a charity raffle to benefit the local library. Members attended a 50s/Clue theme mystery dinner costume party and held our annual gift exchange.

March 19 - March 25, 2012: Phoenix, AZ. For our 12th annual convention with our Kachina Doll Mystery and Shadow Ranch themes, we hosted a sub-convention - Sleuth Con, an all series book convention. Members stayed at the Gold Canyon Resort and spent the first part of the week touring around the Phoenix area viewing Jenn Fisher's collection, book hunting, Scottsdale house party, book discussion at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, visited a ghost town and took part in The Amazing Case challenge, took a cruise on the Dolly Steamboat at Canyon Lake, and had a chuckwagon dinner at the Rockin' R. Ranch. The latter part of the week found guests solving a mystery with clues to hunt for around the resort and we hosted 3 days of presentations and activities culminating with our western theme mystery dinner party and annual gift exchange.

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