The mystery: Nancy Drew convention comes here
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Nancy Drew mystery number 34, published in 1956, brought the teen sleuth to Charlottesville.PHOTO COURTESY NANCY DREW SLEUTHS
What would Nancy Drew do in Charlottesville? That mystery is pretty easily solved in The Hidden Window Mystery, number 34 in the enduring series about the Titian-haired teen sleuth. Around 70 Nancy Drew fans will converge in Charlottesville March 30-April 3 and visit sites mentioned in the book, such as Monticello, Ash Lawn-Highland, and Seven Oaks.
"We try to follow in Nancy Drew's footsteps," says organizer Jennifer Fisher. The locations were scouted out by the late Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who wrote under the Carolyn Keene pen name, during a visit to Charlottesville in the 1950s during Garden Week.
In the book, published in 1956, Nancy Drew stayed at Seven Oaks, now owned by Dave Matthews Band manager Coran Capshaw. And she visited a nearby estate that appears to be Mirador, but is called Cumberland Manor in the book, says Fisher. In the course of searching for a missing stained-glass window, Drew and her chums stumble across a haunted mansion and mysterious peacocks.
Two convention events are open to the non-sleuthing public: On Friday, April 1, fans will convene at 11am at the Jefferson Madison Central Library with Virginia author Alison Hart. And on Saturday, April 2, the public is invited to join the convention from 9am to 5pm at the Holiday Inn on Emmet Street. Admission is the purchase of $10 worth of raffle tickets that will benefit the regional library.
original headline: The mystery of the Nancy Drew convention
10 comments
Delighted my fans are coming to town - how thrilling ! Now let's see how good at sleuthing they really are and give them a local mystery or two to solve.
They could find Pat Collins's remains.
Oh my who is Pat Collins? We Sleuths love mysteries, hope to see lots of you locals turn out for the library event and our convention day on the 1st and 2nd of April!
Jenn:)
If only Nancy Drew and her fans could solve the Pat Collins case or the other case involving a killer on the loose - the Morgan Harrington case.
Coincidentally Barbara Nordin, our local sleuth on the Pat Collins case, has an article this week at the Hook . She will also
" discuss the case and take questions on FM 91.9 WNRN’s "Sunday Morning Wake Up Call" at 11am on Sunday, March 20."
Look forward to seeing you all on April 1st !
Here's the background on the Collins case
http://readthehook.com/89238/long-gone-how-uva-lost-pat-collins-1986
I assume that Cville's NancyDrew is a dead ringer for Pamela Sue Martin.
Hypers--two unsolved mysteries! I hope they are nothing like the ones I just read about in Murder at Monticello--it was pretty creepy. I don't know about the rest of the sleuths, but I think I'll stick with the planned events. I'm looking forward to revisiting your lovely city!
Maybe next we can have the Partridge Family Re-Enactors Convention. Could you really find nothing better to do in this world of wonder to gather about a set of children's books? Maybe we need to bring flogging back, there are obviously throngs of mouth breathers that could use it.
To "The Cruncher".
Every party has a pooper, that is why we invited you........party pooper!
To The Cruncher: You came up with an excellent idea! Thank you so much. I'm glad I have a life and don't spend my days lurking around attempting to be negative. Off to wash the bus!
To the would be "Party Pooper:" Nancy Drew has seen her share of swarthy thieves and miserable curmudgeons, but remains courteous and solves the mystery. Right now the mystery is why are you so grumpy about a group of sleuths coming to Charlottesville to see the beautiful city, explore some spooky old mansions and spend money?
Come on, get Happy!