Category: RobinsonFest

RobinsonFest 2024 Wrap-Up: Good Times, Great People, and Gators Galore!

November 13, 2024 / JRobinson / 1 Comment

RobinsonFest 2024 has come and gone, and I’m left here basking in the glow of what was one of the most fun-filled, laughter-packed, and memorable weekends in recent years. If you were there, you know exactly what I mean. If you weren’t, well, it’s time to start planning for next year—because this past Fest in St. Augustine, Florida was the stuff of legend!

Thursday: Kicking Off the Fun

We kicked things off with our classic meet-and-greet at the Homewood Suites. The energy in the room was electric and it had nothing to do with me. We were old friends reuniting and newcomers diving in like seasoned Fest veterans. Imagine walking into a room of people you’ve never met and being welcomed like you’re long-lost BFFs with forty people. That’s the kind of welcome people get at these gatherings, and it blows me away every year. Before long, we were swapping stories, giving hugs, and laughing like we’d known each other forever. The night continued at Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grill, where the outdoor courtyard buzzed with conversations (which had the occasional battle against St. Augustine’s surprisingly loud and determined cicadas). Special shoutout to raffle winner Julie Carter, who joined us for dinner and brought an extra dose of cheer to the evening.

Friday: I See Dead People…and Pirates!

Friday morning saw us on a trolley tour that provided just the right mix of historical tidbits and context for what was to come: the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument. There, we marveled at centuries-old stonework and found the secret room where a former commander had chained his wife and her lover to the wall before sealing them in—fun! Lunch at Meehan’s Irish Pub was a hit (their fish and chips is divine), especially with Heather Beth Eisenberg (that meal’s raffle winner) seated beside me.

The afternoon was a leisurely stroll through downtown, which turned into a dramatic, patience-testing wait to board the Black Raven pirate ship. Once on the vessel, though, the frustrations melted away as we were regaled with seafaring tales, yo-ho-ho-ing aplenty, and enough “Arrrghs” to last a lifetime. It was during this voyage, as I stood on the uppermost deck, looking over a ship full of friends laughing and having fun, that I was struck by a feeling of having accomplished something undeniably good.

Sure, I write novels that people love, but we all generally experience the stories separately. Coming together with a common love of characters and stories, in an atmosphere that allows us to stay casual is a unique experience. I don’t normally feel pride about my novels, but I do about RobinsonFest.

RobinsonFest 2018 Wrap-Up

August 24, 2018 / JRobinson / 1 Comment

Every year as I reflect on RobinsonFest, I wonder if the next year could possibly be as fun as the previous. And now, a few days post-event, I find myself pondering the same thing. It was a smaller group this year, but that did nothing to diminish the good times, tasty food, adventurous outings, or quality time with the world’s best fans. If anything, it let me connect a bit deeper with people, and really gave me time to get to know our newcomers, who I now look forward to seeing every year.

This year, I said goodbye to my fans-turned-friends, the RobinsonFesters…wait, do we still not have a better name than that?! Because, eww. Anywho, after saying goodbye, what I feel most this year is pride. Not in the event itself, or the places we visit, or the food we eat, or what a dashingly handsome host I am. What I’m most proud of is the people who attend. Our regular attendees are always welcoming, loving, and generous to newcomers, and the result is that new folks, who might feel awkward and far out of their comfort-zone, are made to feel at home on the very first night…if not within minutes.

When hosting an intimately-sized group of strangers, there is a lot that could go wrong, but from the very first RobinsonFest, there has been a camaraderie that has little to do with a mutual love for my books, and everything to do with the kind of people who attend. My novels might be what brings people to RobinsonFest, but it’s the people who make it special.

RobinsonFest 2017 – Wrap-Up and Photo Gallery

October 5, 2017 / JRobinson / 5 Comments

When I was a kid, my parents took our family to spend a long weekend at a kid’s campground before the season kicked off. I had attended the camp the year before and had memories of games, hikes, pranks and new friends. While the picturesque campground looked the same, it felt wrong. The people—the real heart and soul of that place—were missing. I spent those days feeling detached and longing for absent friends.

In the wake of RobinsonFest, I feel a similar sense of something missing. As I visit Portsmouth and the surrounding area, some instinctual part of my brain says, “Go to the hotel and see everyone!” Then the conscious part of my brain realizes that’s not possible, that if I went to the amazing Homewood Suites, the place would feel like an empty, soulless husk. I have never walked through those doors and not been greeted by a smile and a hug. It’s odd to feel that kind of an attachment to a hotel, but after this year’s RobinsonFest, I think stopping by the hotel would feel a lot like that bittersweet campground visit.

That is the quality and intensity of the relationships forged at RobinsonFest. Writing that feels like an exaggeration, and I imagine a lot of people reading this will think I’m simply promoting the event, but I think everyone who attended will agree.

While we visited some amazing places (the Mount Washington cruise and Franconia Notch Echo Lake), participated in some fun activities (Hilltop Fun Center and Butternut Farm) those events weren’t the weekend’s highlight. The people were. The closest comparison is a family reunion. While many people have attended multiple years, and they keep in touch throughout the year, new attendees are welcomed with open arms (literally) and are made part of the family.