Friday, February 20, 2026
2026 HCH Annual Meeting/Horn Fair
Honorable Company of Horners
30th Anniversary Horn Fair and Annual Meeting
March 13-14, 2026
Altoona Grand Hotel in Altoona, PA
For over twenty-five years, the Honorable Company of Horners has dedicated countless hours to the preservation, research and education of the skill involved in horn-working. What’s horn-working you ask? Well, you’re not alone in your quandary! For as long as history has been recorded, animal horn has been a material with many interesting uses. As a natural thermoplastic, it can be heated and pressed or molded into many useful shapes and our early American forefathers took advantage of these uses!
The Honorable Company of Horners, or HCH, has gone back in time through research and study of original, handmade items and historical documentation to learn the secrets of how horn can be used to make many different and sometimes surprising items.
Since their formation in 1996, the nationwide group has met yearly (except 2021) to come together and share knowledge and discoveries as well as to showcase their learned skills in creating these fascinating tools of the past. The public is always welcome to attend these “Horn Fairs” at no cost and this year in no different! For anyone who is interested in this event, the HCH would like to extend a warm welcome to come and see all of the things they have to offer. From “hands-on” workshops and educational seminars to original and contemporary items to view and purchase; there’s something for everyone.
Planning has been underway for the 30th Anniversary Horn Fair and Annual Meeting at the Altoona Grand Hotel in Altoona, PA on March 13-14, 2026. Please mark your calendars now as we anticipate another outstanding Fair!
The Horn Fair will begin with the annual business meeting at 10:30am on Friday morning.
The banquet will be on Saturday, March 14, 2026 (6pm) at the Altoona Grand Hotel.
The menu features: Country Barbeque Feast to include BBQ Chicken, flank steak with
mushrooms and onions, baked potato bar with sour cream, butter, bacon bits, green onions and
shredded cheese, house made mac and cheese, corn on the cob, house salad with Italian and
ranch dressing and dinner rolls, assorted desert bars and cookies. Price $40.
We again have a fifty-five-room block reserved for the event and this year we have included Wednesday night as part of the discounted room rates for those who wish to arrive early. The discounted rate will be $95.00 a night (Check-in Wednesday – Check-out Sunday). The room rate includes a continental breakfast on weekdays and a hot breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Please call the hotel directly at (814) 946-1631. An AI Agent will answer. Say, “FRONT DESK” to speak to a human. To reserve your room at the reduced rate, mention the “HCH-2026” room block to get your discount.
Highlights of the weekend include:
• Master Collector/Historian Candidate Dan Shirey will be giving his presentation on “Search for the Origin of York County Screw Tip and Turned Tip Powder Horns”
• Master Candidate Randy Rauch will be giving his presentation on “History and Development of the Middle Eastern Shofar”.
• Master Candidate Frank Willis will be giving his presentation on “Basic Horn Construction”.
• James (Ike) Skidmore, Robert Brisson and Barry Maxfield have applied for advancement to Journeyman.
• The Guild’s spring pole lathe will be in action along with hands on demonstrations.
• The Education Committee theme for the weekend will be “Integrating Metal into Horn Work”.
• The Awards Committee will be organizing the general horn competition, with updated categories. Please see the Fall 2025 issue of The Horn Book for Scott Morrison’s article about the changes. All Freemen and Journeymen are encouraged to enter!
Deadlines:
- Friday, March 6th to receive the discounted room Rate
- Monday, March 2nd for Banquet Reservations – If you need to request a gluten free meal, please note that on your registration form.
- Monday, March 2nd for Display/Sales Table Reservations – available on a first come first served basis.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at: Archer-59@comcast.net or call or text 717-880-6322.
Dan Shirey – Events Committee Chairman
More details will be coming via email, in the 2026 Winter issue of and on this web page.
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
