Towel Day is an annual celebration on the 25th of May, as a tribute to the late author Douglas Adams (1952-2001).
On that day, fans around the universe proudly carry a towel in his honour.
We will gladly announce here any event you organize on Towel Day. Just mail us. Some ideas: a get-together over drinks, party, movie viewing, book reading, exposition, concert, flash mob... or why not something completely different? More ideas
On Towel Day, carry a towel. Where? Everywhere!
Proudly show the world you've observed Towel Day and upload a picture on Facebook or Flickr (tag it "towelday" and add it to the group) or a video on YouTube.
What's happening on Towel Day 2013?
This list is very incomplete, more to be added soon
On islanddreamzradio.com, Lynley's Tolls-Meade's daily radio show will be about Towel Day. It airs from 4-5PM US Eastern Standard Time. Islanddreamzradio is the #2 station in a rather laid back genre called "TropRock". Lie down on your towel and let their sweet music transport your mind to the tropical beaches of planet Earth, even if in reality you're lying on the brilliant marble-sanded beaches of Santraginus V, at the other end of the universe. To help you not panic, they've reassured us that there will be no Vogon poetry read that day.
And we have been informed about another unexpected competition in the last days before Towel Day! The Hitchhiker's Live show is a traveling show with members of the original radio cast. They are asking you to submit a picture of yourselves with your towel by e-mail to towelday2013 at gmail dot com, on their Facebook page or by tweeting them @HitchhikersLive. One frood will be picked from the entries to win a tour t-shirt AND a meet and greet with the cast (featuring stars from the original radio show and VIP guests) at the venue of their choosing. Hitchhiker's Live will be touring the UK again from 14th September-29th November. Check them out on Facebook or on their website.
The 2013 Towel Day Ambassador competition contest is now over. We have three winners! Joel is our Towel Day Ambassador for Canada (with 35 votes), Jessica is our Towel Day Ambassador for the USA (with 433 votes) and Moxie will represent Earth as our Intergalactic Towel Day Ambassador (with 571 votes). Congratulations to them! And a big thanks to the Toronto froods who made it all possible! You can still "like" the Ambassador Contest page in order to see upcoming pictures and be informed of future contests.
Earth's Towel Day Ambassador 2013, Moxie Magnus made a short Towel Day video. Watch it here. We have officially been outweirded. Again. Which is a good thing!
A cool cat called Trocar is giving away posters autographed by Douglas Adams! He got them after interviewing him. Details
Oren Mashovski created a Facebook cover to promote/celebrate Towel Day! Get it here!
Huge DNA fan Ana Djordjevic from lemon.ly made a brilliant infographic about the number 42 and Towel Day. Get it here. They also made one in 2012. They're pros: Lemon.ly is a visual marketing firm that specializes in infographics and data visualization.
For the fifth year in a row, talented graphics artist and user experience designer Travis Avery offers free Towel Day themed wallpapers for your computer, tablet or phone. This year he's built two new wallpapers at extremely high resolution. Get them here. He'll also be giving away some exclusive graphics on twitter.
H2g2.com is inviting you to send them your towel photos, not only on May 25th but throughout May. Pictures of creative uses for towels, or creative pictures of towels, or even creative towels, they're all welcome! Let's give them some photos to share in the rest of the run up to Towel Day. Details here.
If you don't know h2g2.com, hurry over and discover what they're about. Hint: it was a project founded a long time ago, by someone we all love! They are actively encouraging their users to celebrate Towel Day and visit towelday.org <3
In a competition by Bags of Love, makers of personalized items, you could try your hand at designing your personal towel. When the contest closed at 5pm (BST) on Tuesday 21st May, 120 designs had been submitted by froods from all over the planet. The five winners, who the company will try to send a maxi sized personalised beach towel with their design printed on it by Towel Day, are:
Our most sincere congratulations to these winners and the organisers! BagsOfLove also offers offers 20% off your purchase with the discount code "TowelDay". (code expires May 26th)
Yahoo covered Towel Day & the UK sci-fi scene in an article by the hoopy Amanda Castleman.
While so far Google didn't feature a special "doodle" on Towel Day, in 2013 they did make one for Douglas Adam's birthday! Great news! Alexis Kleinman at Huffington Post really knows her subject (and where her towel is). She not only wrote about the doodle, but also mentioned Towel Day and remembered the petition for a Towel Day doodle. Thank you Alexis, Huffington Post and whoever was involved in getting this doodle made!
Max Beeman, made a music video full of DNA references... can you find them all? He won first place with the video in his school's music video contest.
At SomethingGeeky.com, seller of geeky stuff, the month of May is dedicated to the life and works of Douglas Adams, with a bunch of related products and promotions arriving in the weeks leading up to Towel Day. They plan to donate GBP 1 from every Douglas Adams product they sell to the Save The Rhino charity. They're kicking off this month with this post. And their latest posts can be found here.
At AudioGO, formerly known as BBC Audiobooks, all Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy download titles will be for one day only available at 42% off - direct from their website. The discount does not apply to CD's and other Douglas Adams downloads.
Ever participated in a Towel Day Blogfest? Writer L.G. Keltner invites all fans of Douglas Adams to sign on for a blogfest hosted by her (May 24th-27th) on her blog Writing Off the Edge. Here's how you can participate!
Isabella "Izzy" Von Lichtan created a Facebook page to encourage people to celebrate Towel Day over a cup of tea. Here's why: "Is Tea the Answer to Life, the Universe and Everything? The premise to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is that the answer to the BIG question of what is the meaning of life, the universe and everything is... 42. What can this mean? Well I think I have the answer: 42 = Forty Two = For Tea Two = Tea for Two !" (source).
Peter Tamas Gyuratz created a nice picture to promote Towel Day.
YouTube user popKraken made a Towel Day video: 42 Haiku & 42 Ways to Fold a Towel. As obligatory on YouTube, it contains a cat. And as required by Towel Day tradition: lots of towels!
Days.to is hosting a pretty spiffy looking Towel Day countdown.
Skarekrow13, player of multiplayer online game Demons and Dark Souls is promoting Towel Day and encouraging people to observe it in-game, carrying virtual towels.
In online-game The West, twelve new quests and a new collection where introduced in celebration of Towel Day.
The Terran Federation (a micronation located in Georgia, USA), celebrates Towel Day as a national holiday. Plans for the event include watching the movie (pausing at the 42:42 mark), and Hitchhiker's Guide-themed decorations. Anyone is free to stop by and join in (they have an "open border" policy) the festivities. For more info, please visit www.terranfederation.co.nr
Olle Nykvist wrote and performed a song in memory of Douglas Adams: "Towel Day".
Code 42 Software, makers of backup solutions, run their third annual competition with which 42 froods can win a towel with the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything on it, and they're also giving away 42-month plans.
Rangewoman Inc got together some contacts from Facebook and Twitter for an online event:
Adam contributed a "Where are they now" interview with Ford, Zaphod and Marvin.
Gobbledegook42 posted about Douglas Adams meeting Marvin.
Liz Young wrote the lyrics for "Hitchhiker girls", a parody of "California girls".
Shano is reporting directly from Australia in "Wombats: A Last Chance to See".
Tammy posted a review on "Last chance to see" by Douglas Adams.
Etc.
On The Daily Dot, Gaby Dunn posted "42 things every interstellar hitchhiker should see on Towel Day".
On BuzzFeed, Rick Strandlof made a post called "Happy Towel Day!" with a lot of really hoopy images that convey what Towel Day is about.
BedandBathStore.com is offering 25% off any of their towels if you use the promotion code TOWELDAY at checkout (code is valid through Saturday May 25th).
ARGENTINA
Rosana, who lives in Rosario, is throwing a private party with friends and family. With plenty of towels, fun and food.
Daniela from Córdoba hosts a private get-together. There's also a national holiday and they will celebrate with the customary hot chocolate and Towel Day themed desserts. Everyone's bringing their towels and they will take a Hitchhikers' group photo. Third year in a row!
AUSTRALIA
In Norwood, Adelaide, hoopy froods are welcome to meet outside of Dillon's Book store. From noon till late there will be all sorts of intergalactic peoples meeting to stare into the sky in the hope of seeing green flying saucers fly overhead.
In the Sydney Morning Herald and WA Today, Amy Gray writes about how she reads the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with her 8 year old daughter... and will celebrated Towel Day with her! Good parenting!
In Sydney, the Kinokuniya bookstore is once more offering customers who wear a towel on Towel Day 20% off on their full price book purchase. Conditions:
*To receive the discount, your towel must be around your neck when you approach the cashier staff i.e. you are wearing your towel.
*Your towel should preferably be a bathroom towel or large hand towel.
*One discount per towel and one discount per person.
*Not available in conjunction with any other offer. Facebook event
AUSTRIA
In Wolfurt, after last year's spectacular flashmob with a yellow Caterpillar, there's "The Paula Nancy Millstone-Jennings Poetry-Slam"! It starts on Friday, 24th May 20:30 and continues well into Towel Day 2013! See you at the ACHNUS MovieLounge, Bützestr. 7, Wolfurt. Details and RSVP on Facebook or check out towelday.wordpress.com
In Salzburg, there's a party on Towel Day. Towel Day doesn't seem to be the only reason this party is being organised, but it has a very suitable poster (with towel, Don't Panic, h2g2-logo, etc.), there's talk about towels and bathrobes... maybe this could be fun! Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Innsbruck, where Douglas Adams first had the idea to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, hackerspace IT-Syndikat is organising it's traditional Don't Panic Party. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
Nick, a manager and hoopy frood at (we probably can't disclose) shall go to work and hold all his meetings casually wearing a bright pink towel over his shoulder. He is living proof that not all public services are populated with Vogon-like creatures. Way to go, Nick!
BRAZIL
Jovan Nerd is running a Towel Day competition again. Oh and check out the very creative pictures in their post!
In Anápolis, Goiás, Towel Day is celebrated for the third consecutive year. Details and RSVP on Facebook (link didn't work at the time of writing)
In Brasília-DF, Brazil, for the second consecutive year, Towel Day will be celebrated with a Vogon Poetry Contest! But there is more: a contest for "The Most Liked Towel of the Galaxies" is going to start (at the time of writing, "tomorrow") on Facebook! (for Brasilia based hitchhikers only; contest rules can be found at www.omninerdia.com.br). This year's event will be held at "Vincent Chás e Cafés" and its neighbours (Grote Markt and Stadt Bier) on May 25th, and apart from the poetry contest, there will be RPG's, board games, card games and, of course, tea! Join the event on Facebook or G+ or visit to the Omninerdia website for the complete event info (in Portuguese Only).
In Canela, Rio Grande do Sul, there's going to be a free celebration with music, towels, beer, tea, food and fun. Venue: micro brewery Cervejaria do Farol (Lighthouse Brewery) It's an old lighthouse (there's no ocean around, long story), transformed in a micro brewery. Awesome place, we're told. The organizers are pretty sure this will be the best Towel Day event in the galaxy. It starts at 9pm. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, there's a college called Ftec (Technology College). For May 24th, the day before Towel Day, a small group of multimedia students who know where their towel is, and their web journalism teacher who obviously also does, will show presentations about the movie in classes and maybe in common spaces, might also show the movie in cafeterias if the necessary permissions can be obtained, spread quotes from the book in several places, distribute journals with the headlines "The answer to life the universe and everything revealed", etc. They will also do some promotion in the social media and on official pages of the college. More on Facebook. They already took this great picture the day before.
In Fortaleza, Ceará, there will be "Nerd Battles", for geek pride day. The event starts at 10:00 a.m. and there will be different activities all day. It is being called "Nerd Battles", for at different times during the day fans will meet to discuss the characteristics of various icons of "geek culture". There will be debates comparing: Tolkien vs. Martin, Sony vs. Nintendo, Marvel vs. DC and so on... Different groups (admirers of the works of Tolkien and Martin, science fiction and Star Wars fans, etc.) will participate, and besides the debates, each group prepared a special schedule with talks and workshops. This doesn't really sound like a Towel Day celebration, but they do remind people to bring their towel and last year towels were carried with confidence. Venue is the book store Saraiva Megastore, at Iguatemi Shopping Center. The event starts at 10:00 a.m. and there will be different activities all day. Here's a post/a> about it. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, on May 30th at 20:30h (a Thursday, just a few days after Towel Day itself) local skeptic groups are organizing a special Tribute to Douglas Adams -- Skeptics in the Pub event. The event is free for the first 100 people who register in advance.
In Rio Paranaíba, Minas Gerais State, a bunch of hoopy froods have been celebrating Towel Day in a pub since 2010. Well not constantly, of course, just once a year. Join them on Facebook!
In Sao Paulo, hitchhikers from across the galaxy will meet at 6 pm for the third Marcha da Toalha, at MASP - Av. Paulista. The first and second editions were huge successes. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
Also in Sao Paulo, a group of boardgame and RPG designers celebrate this year their TENTH Towel Day private celebration, with Vogon Poetry, boardgames, RPG games, and screening of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy BBC series and the movie. The name of the group is Justice League of the Galaxy. It's a private event for 130 people, not open to the general public.
CANADA
Toronto's hoopiest will spend an hour (3pm to 4pm) chilling at Chapters Book Store (Richmond and John), then go for drinks at Jack Astor's (133 John St.) Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Toronto, on Towel Day, the Rolling Stones are playing... Phil Lambert thinks it would be great if on air personalities mentioned the coincidence of it... and he's trying to convince them. You can help him by liking his post and by doing the same.
In New Brunswick, geocachers are staging a flashmob at 13:00 (1pm) at Bore Park, in front of the Three Masted Spaceship. Details.
Vancouver Public Library's horribly hilarious Annual Vogon Poetry Slam is back! They are looking for the absolutely worst poems in the universe to be presented at VPL's 3rd annual Vog-Off on Saturday, May 25, 2013.
Does your poetry sound like the wheezing grunt of a gastro-intestinally challenged Pekinese? Does your poetic prose cause unnatural queasiness or spontaneous vomiting? If so, the Library wants you! Prizes galore! Costumes welcome!
BYOT (Bring Your Own Towel). The event is absolutely FREE! All are welcome! Poems are to be submitted in advance by e-mail and Finalists will be notified by Friday, May 17, and will perform their entries at the Library's Annual Vogon Poetry Slam & Vog-Off on Towel Day! Details here.
In Montreal, froods will be meeting at 8pm in Hurley's Irish Pub. Organiser Casey writes "I need all the friends we can get on this one, the bar is willing to offer specials if we get a good crowd. Maybe we can have them mix up a pitcher of Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters."Details and RSVP on Facebook.
Are you in Ottawa? 1) Join the Facebook Group "Ottawa Towel Day Celebrations". 2) Celebrate in the pleasant company of Canada's Towel Day Ambassador, Joel Ranger! Fun stuff is being planned, like meeting at Zaphod's in the Byward Market, likely in the evening (check the Facebook group for details), maybe viewing the new Star Trek movie together, etc.
CHINA
In Shanghai, Ortin invites all who wish to meet from 4:00 to 7:00 on the Bund. He will carry a pink towel and a water pistol (you can join in the water fight if you also bring water pistols).
COLOMBIA
In Bogota, our friend Carlos will wear a 42 tshirt and (obviously) his towel all day, watch the UCL final and drink/party afterwards. Pan-galactic gargle blasters, anyone? (more info upcoming)
CZECH REPUBLIC
In Pardubice, there's a 3rd meetup (flash mob event) for geocachers (AND OTHERS) at the Pernstynske square in front of the town hall, from 17:42-18:12 (CEST). Further instructions on geocaching.com. Watch that crowd in 2012!
In Přeštice, book store Knižní krámek will be selling all Douglas Adams books at a 10% discount.
DENMARK
Nina invites fellow hitchhikers/towel wearers to meet her at Copenhagen Central Station by the information boards at 8 PM on May 25th. "When we're gathered, we'll walk through the streets, into bars, and just generally add to the Copenhagen saturday nightlife!Details on Facebook.
In Arhus, there's rumoured to be a Towel Day get-together in the Tir Na Nog Irish bar from 18:00!
DUBAI
In Dubai, Eduan Maggo was looking for people who plan something for Towel Day.
FINLAND
The Helsinki Freethinkers are having a Towel Day picnic at 12pm on the Ursan Tähtitorni Tähtitorninmäellä. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
A big bunch of hoopy froods in Helsinki want to have a meetup on Towel Day. You can find them on Facebook.
In Turku, like every year since 2006, the worst poetry in the univers will be recited at Cosmic Comic Cafe. Poems will be written on the spot, by froods who have traveled to the bar from all around the Milky Way. Bring your towel, dull your pen and let your brain melt. All poems will be recited there and then. No reviews, no judges, no competition, no thinking. You'll also see a beatnik style poetry performance by Yhden miehen tungos, and Towel Day computer demos. The programme starts at 17:00 and ends by midnight. You'll get a discount for Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters if you bring your towel. Is this where the idea of bad poetry as a way to celebrate Towel Day started? These froods were unaware of anyone else doing it when they began in 2006. Their Towel Day site: pyyhepaiva.fi
Tiina and her best friends are going to spend the night in a deep dark forest, reflecting upon what they consider "the most Finnish character" in the Hitchhiker's Guide - Marvin. Their intention is to read and analyze both his quotations and poems.
FRANCE
Towel Day in Paris will be brilliant! There's a celebrity guest this year: Dirk Maggs, one of the greatest British radio producers, who is involved in all kinds of things Adams, and among others things has worked with Adams on the radio adaptation of H2G2 books 3-5 and completed and directed them after Adams' death.
All day long, hitchhikers can visit the H2G2 and Douglas Adams exhibition at Geekopolis (section "Métropolis"), a 100% geek convention in Montreuil on 25 and 26 May. And they can get H2G2 menus and drinks at the Dernier bar avant la fin du monde.
On top of that, there's this elaborate program:
12:00 Geekopolis, salle de Conférence 1:
1. Jonathan le Targat talks about "Les secrets de Dr Who"
2. Nicolas Botti talks about "La vie, l'univers et le reste. Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir à propos de H2G2 sans jamais oser le demander"
14:00-15:00 Geekopolis, Synopslive/Sagasphère: presence/autographs Nicolas Botti & Dirk Maggs
15:30 Arène Avalon: Towel Day Olympics. Check out last year's video
16:30 Geekopolis, salle de Conférence 2:
0. Stan talks about "Origines et orchestration"
1. Dirk Maggs and Nicolas Botti talk about "La fiction radio a-t-elle encore de l'avenir?"
2. Knarf and JBX talk about "De la radio au mp3"
19:30 19h30 Dernier bar avant la fin du monde: H2G2 conference with Dirk Maggs + Q&A
And last but not least, a commemorative towel has been created by the Dernier bar and will be available in limited numbers that day at the Dernier Bar, Geekopolis and the GOS. RSVP on Facebook.
A mysterous being has created a web page for an as of yet unspecified event at Nord-Isère (about 30km from Lyon) and writes: "The meeting location is lost in a wood. I hope the local crew will be around. I'm so much sad that most of D.A. fans I know when then attend to the day, prefer to meet a few people in Lyon rather than being a R34L galactic hitchhiker. So then, any unnecessary information is to be found on http://toweldaynordisere.blogspot.fr/." More info probably to be added later. Or maybe it's already there, but hidden?
GERMANY
In Backnang, for the fifth time, Towel Day will be celebrated in bar "Das Wohzimmer". They start at 19:45 pm. As specials there will be funny towel games and crazy schnapps. For all soccer fans there will be the possibility to watch the champion’s league final between Bayern and Dortmund. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Bochum, after the overwhelming success in 2011, German geocachers are at it again. This year they've come up with something very special: the Hitchhiker's Guide radio play combined with a marvelous astronomy show in the planetarium Bochum, Germany. The information page is German only, use your babel fish. Details
In Hamburg, the geocaching community is calling again for hoopy froods to bring their towel and gather on the Hamburger Rathausmarkt at 18:00. They will stay there for 42 minutes, for a short program. More info on Geocaching.com. Details and RSVP also on Facebook.
Also in Hamburg, at 19:30 in the Planetarium, actors Tommaso Cacciapuoti and Regina Stötzel will read from "Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis" (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Be there and carry a towel! It's not only the most important item that you can own, but you also get your ticket at the special price of 9.50 (instead of 11.50). Details
And in Hamburg at 21:00 there's a party "in der jupi bar im gängeviertel". You need to carry a towel to get in and if you wear a bathrobe or are disguised as an alien, you get a free Pangalactic gargle blaster. Source
In Cologne, a small bunch of froods will gather at 18:00 on Rudolphplatz. Towels are mandatory! Details and RSVP on meetup.com
In Berlin, the Maxim Gorki Theater opens its doors (free) for interstellar and extraterrestrial travelers, ideas, works and towels. See you at the Anhalter-Raststätte on the Gorki-Parkplatz. Details in German. They sent us this short video.
Also in Berlin, there's the traditional flash mob at the Alexanderplatz. Details here.
And ALSO in Berlin, there's the annual Space-Drink-Contest "mit entsprechendem Rahmenprogramm" at the Space Station. Rungestr. 20, 2HH, Mitte, Berlin, Germany, ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha. Here's a video from the 2011 drink mixing contest. "Space-Drinc-Contest Holt den Bademantel aus dem Schrank, schnappt das Handtuch, präsentiert Euren Lieblingscocktail aus den intergalagktischen Tiefen des Alls, erklärt die Geschichte des Getränks, beeindruckt Eure Kontrahenden, verwirrt die Gäste, überzeugt die Jury und gewinnt attraktive Sachpreise! Wer Hitchhiker-, Raumfahrer- oder Seemannsgarn spinnen, ein Kapitel des Reiseführers szenisch darstellen, die Zahl 42 tanzen oder vogonische Poesie zum Besten geben möchte, ist hiermit ausdrücklich aufgefordert, genau das zu tun!" Details
In Saarbruecken, Germany, a BarCamp ("Saarcamp") takes place. BarCamps are open conferences about things like technology and the web, a reaction to the invitation-only event Foo Camp. At Saarcamp, in two days, the net, social media, legal issues as well as internet technologies, community matters, and open source are discussed. And of course, the party on Saturday evening, a special secret among all the barcampers in Germany. Maybe, it's the only BarCamp with a real bar and cocktails in the world? The motto of this year's party is: Towel Day! Everything will be galactic. Welcome to Saarcamp!
GREECE
In Glyfada, a suburb of Athens, Anima Rock Bar hosted a Towel Night, with home made Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters. Details on Facebook.
And ALSO in Budapest, we are happy to announce that the Night Riders will ride their bicycles together in honour of Douglas Adams at their "13th Intergalactic Towel Day - Reunion Ride". Grouping at 20:00, start at 21:00. Towels are REQUIRED. Everyone is very welcome to this event. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Debrecen, at 10am, a group photo will be taken in front of the university. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
Also in Debrecen, at 6pm, there will be a flash mob, hitch-hiking and a surprise in front of the Great Church. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Békéscsaba, the following festivities will take place at the Békés Country Library from 14:00-18:00 pm:
14:15 p.m. Screening of the Hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy movie
16:00 p.m. Towel Day March
17:00 p.m. Boldog Gusztáv: Sweeping Tits, Hitchhiker WillowHerbs.
There are also a Towel Beauty Contest, H2G2 quiz, Display board on Adams and his works, and a Towel (modern and ethnographic) exhibition.
You can apply for the march and games at Kertész Zoltán in person or via e-mail: ker0 at bmk dot hu
Hindustan Times published an article by Rahul Karmakar in a completely different style: "Throwing in the towel". If you're not Indian, you may need a Babel Fish for the jargon and local expressions.
On the Towel Day India Facebook page, several people are looking for fellow fans to celebrate together. Go there for the latest news about celebrations in India. We appreciate if you shoot us an e-mail if you learn about events in India, we have little info so far.
There's a Towel Day assembly at 7pm, location is described as "terrace, b-wing, krishnai apartments, parihaar chowk, aundh, pune 411007". Towels are mandatory! Details and RSVP on Facebook.
Parag Gupta made a neat animated gif of himself with his towel: here.
Interaction Live, a company from Bangalore, has made a website with information that can help you celebrate Towel Day: interactionone.com/towelday/ This site is due to later become accessible as www.towelday.in
INDONESIA
In Bali, the faithful Indonesian bunch are alive and well, and again looking forward to a Tribute to Douglas on the 25th May 2013. "By popular request we have crossed back through the (Sanur) Universe and returned to our original Restaurant at the other end. Now called Safare, it still has the Balinese traditional setting and the best Italian cuisine in light years. The popular Towel Day shirts will be available again... Don't forget your obligatory towel for a free Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, with more if also wearing a dressing gown!" They also say "Come along and swim with the dolphins!" (it's some kind of surprise) They will be serving 6 types of pizzas each named after the D. A.D.A.M.S initials at 42,000 ++ IDR each. If you are visiting Sanur Bali around this day, come along at 4.20 pm and meet the fans. They're a wonderful bunch, check out pics from their previous Towel Day get-togethers in 2011 and 2012! The venue: www.safareclub.com
IRELAND
In Cork, sentient beings bearing their towels will be granted free admission to the Cosmos at the Castle Exhibition at CIT’s Blackrock Castle Observatory. The Castle Café will be serving virgin Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters, giving the taste but not the extreme effects of the original! Details
ITALY
In Parma, the facebook group "Italian Towel Day" is attempting to organize a big event: from 7 p.m. @ Bar Cantarelli, Borgo Gallo, free peanuts and Vogon poetry for all! Follow the group to know more about the program: http://www.facebook.com/groups/italian.towelday/
In the Alps you can meet fellow hitchhikers at an alpine refuge (altitude: 1200 meters), not far from Lake Maggiore. More precisely, here: (Foursquare) - (Google maps). The organizers write: "We ask all "life forms with towels" to come with their towels and we offer peanuts, beer and 4,2% discount on many prices. There will be the film projection, book reading and Vogon poetry contest." This is an initiative of "Cooperativa Sociale La Coccinella" and "La Ragione Sociale". RSVP and more on Facebook. Other info at http://www.bedandtrek.eu/prenotazioni/offerte-e-promozioni/
In Palermo, Towel Day will also be celebrated. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Conegliano, Librerie Coop celebrates Towel Day at its afternoon book festival. With readings from the books and a competition for "l'asciugamano più sorprendente" (the most amazing towel). They ask customers who cannot attend to send a photo with their towel. Books are being presented by their authors at 16:30, 17:00 and 17:30.
JAPAN
Geoff Zahn (USA) will be traveling in Roppongi, Tokyo with his towel, and would love to celebrate towel day with any hoopy froods who may happen to find themselves nearby. Mail him at Geoff dot gone at gmail dot com!
NETHERLANDS
Nijmegen will be a hotbed of Towel Day activity, with lectures, live comedy and music! Taking inspiration from the Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People, organized by Robin Ince every Christmas in the UK, scientists and performers are brought together for an interesting, but accessible show. There'll be stand up comedians doing their bits, small lectures of a scientific and/or sceptical nature, a reading by a successful young fantasy writer, musical variety and a quiz. Pan Galactic Gargle Blasters will be served. The concept was tested last December, on the day the Earth would allegedly be destroyed by the Vogons (according to the Maya's anyway), and it was quite a success, and a lovely evening. The organizers are still setting things up, but you can already join their Facebook group and RSVP for the event.
Dutch Web design agency Q42 runs its yearly towel give-away.
NEW ZEALAND
In Auckland, the frood who runs the Towel Day NZ page will hang around at Sylvia Park around midday tomorrow, waiting for fellow hitchhikers. He or she will be wearing a t-shirt featuring a plummeting whale and will be brandishing a loud and offensive towel. And if you don't see him/her there, just look out for the silver car with the Hitch Hikers number plate...
In Invercargill, the city library will be running a Towel Day promotion: all staff will wear towels and all patrons who come in wearing towels will receive a free voucher for one of the pay items. Also, they have created this video (contains some great ideas and funny scenes).
James is trying to get some Towel Day action going in NZ. Dear kiwi's go here!
Monique lives in a small town where no Towel Day action is going on and the Hitchhiker's Guide is virtually unknown. Not having hope to find others to celebrate with, she launched into a daring promo effort to get people interested in the work of Douglas Adams. She put posters up at school and told everyone she met to celebrate Towel Day and to read the books, watch the movie, find the radio show, anything. She also handed out pieces of paper with the passage about the many practical uses of a towel from The Hitchhiker's Guide. Also, she did some Towel Day themed body painting. She will spend Towel Day carrying a towel, drinking tea and posting on the internet about it.
NORWAY
Darron Speck, an Englishman, is doing a charity cycle ride across Europe. On Towel Day 2013 he should be cycling through Norway. In honour of the great man, he will be cycling naked, apart from a towel on his head. Some of the time anyway. If you see him, don't panic, just join him!
In Bergen, fellow hitchhikers, freaks and extraterrestrials will gather in honor of Douglas Adams at Finnegans Irish Pub at 7.00 pm. For more information see Facebook or write to towelday2013bergen at gmail dot com.
In Ostfold, there's a semi private tea party, in the garden of a hoopy frood. Any fellow Norwegian HHGTTG lovers who long for company on Towel Day are welcome to send an inquiry to juletante at gmail dot com. They might just get an invitation (depending on number of guests).
Froods at public transport company Kolumbus celebrate Towel Day again and will hand out a limited number of rfid-equipped towels that give you a free ride on alle Kolumbus buses and boats on Towel Day! You can see how the towels work in this video. They will be available (limited stock, first come, first served) from Friday 24th of May, from 12:42 at the following locations: the customer center at Byterminalen(Stavanger), the customer center at Fiskepiren (Stavanger), the train ticket counter at Ruten (Sandnes), and the Tourist Information at Bytunet (Haugesund).
Ida and Liv are throwing a private Towel Day party. It's not open to the public.
Trillian Amélie [last name omitted] celebrates her third birthday. She was born on Towel Day 2010! Her mom's blog
ROMANIA
In Timisoara, Romania, the couchsurfing community is organizing a Towel Day event starting at 19:00. Last year they suffered through Vogon poetry but nevertheless had a great time. Details and RSVP on Couchsurfing.org.
In Cluj-Napoca, Gargle blasters and (Babel) Fish and Chips will be available at (ATTENTION, LOCATION HAS CHANGED, THIS IS THE NEW ONE) Euphoria Biergarten, Cardinal Iuliu Hossu St, from 21.30. Intergalactic community welcome. Dress code: anything that goes with your towel.
In Oradeao, a Towel Day flash mob is organized. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
RUSSIA
In Saint-Petersburg, Towel Day will be celebrated for the third time. There's a meeting at Dvortsovaja Square at 7pm and the movie will be viewd in anticafe «Svobodnoye vremya» at 8pm. Lots of people have already RSVP'd. More information on vk.com.
SLOVAKIA
Martinus, the biggest online book retailer in Slovakia is celebrating Towel Day. Here's an overview of what they're doing, complete with pictures of a most charming froodette illustrating the many uses of a towel. Martinus offers 20% off books by Douglas Adams from their e-shop and runs a photo competition. Five lucky winners will be rewarded with special Hitchhiker style towels. They also run a chain of brick and mortar bookstores, and everyone who visits any of them with a towel on May 25th, will get a special thematic pin button.
SLOVENIA
In Izlake, hoopy frood Jure has set up a photographic exhibition in celebration of Towel Day. Everybody is welcome, but needs to carry a towel to be allowed in. Venue is the abandoned pool called Medijske Toplice (Medijske Spa). You can't miss it, it's a big object right next to the main road.
SOUTH AFRICA
Tania Melnyczuk tweets "On #25May I'm gonna have to present my Project Management Workshop in Durban with a towel over my shoulder. #TowelDay http://projectmanagement.co.za/proje..."
SOUTH KOREA
In Seoul, Daniel, an expat, will be celebrating Towel Day. The current plan is to gather others to wear towels around their necks and walk about Itaewon and other areas of Seoul and inform others on this glorious day.
SPAIN
In Santiago de Composela (Galiza), DdoOLeR'2013 (Dia do Orgulho Lusista e Reintegrata/Dia Internacional da Toalha 2013) festivities will take place. Provisional program:
Afternoon (Massarelos square):
* Escrach to the ILG (Galician Language Institute)
* Speech by Teresa Moure, "godmother" of DdoOLeR'13
Evening (O Pichel Social Centre):
* Towel party with:
- Speech by Teresa Moure, "godmother" of DdoOLeR'13
- DJ, VJ & Portugaleoke (Lusofonic Karaoke)
- Caipirinha, Caipiroska, Caipiríssima, Caipirega, Caipirão...
- Surprises Latest info
In Ponferrada, workers at the Teleperformance call center will celebrate Dia de la Toalla. Some have been doing this for four years already. This year they already celebrate the day before Towel Day, at the Fiesta de la Vispera ("Eve Festival"): Acude a trabajar con tu toalla. Grandes premios a la mejor toalla: un café de la máquina ("Come to work with your towel. Great prizes for the best towel: a coffee of coffee's machine). And on Towel Day itself: Your towel is essential to work this day!. We count on you, we have your towel.
SWEDEN
In Norrköping, an ever-expanding flange of hoopy froods will gather yet again (for the 11th time - they only missed Towel Day once!) to drink Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters and revel in the memory of The One Who Wrote That Astounding Trilogy And Then Added Two Brilliant Parts, To Which Another Has Been Added - Oh, And Those Other Two Books, And The One With The Kakapo! This year they can be found at Enoteket - the Restaurant at the End... well... nearly at the end of that suspiciously shaped island in the middle of town, anyway. Towels! Dressing Gowns! Paraphernalia! Hilarity! The Absence of Panic! Flammable Breaths! The 26th of May does not exist. Doors open at 17:00 (local planet time, CET.) There are usually various bands of intergalactic thrillseekers confusing the strags and insinuating themselves towards the bar from then on, but the marginally official gathering time is 19:00 (LPT, CET, BRB.) Stay cool and hide any non-standard appendages under your towel and all will be hoopy!
In Härnosönd, at 18:00 froods can celebrate with food and drink in Bittens Rockbar. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
The SF Bookshop (Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö) offers 10% off on all books, comics, manga and rule books to everyone with a conspicuous towel and sells its famous Don't Panic towels.
SWITZERLAND
In Zurich, Towel Day will be celebrated for the 4th time! Meeting place is once again the Polyterrasse of ETH Zurich, this time at 2 pm. Don't forget your towel! Details and RSVP on Facebook. You can also find the organizers on Twitter and on towelday.ch.
In Zurich, Reto is organizing an event in the augmented reality massively multiplayer online video game Ingress. Players will have to write "42" with links between portals.
In Zwingen, The Fish Inn hosts a Towel Day party called "Always Know Where Your Towel Is" (so don't forget yours). It starts at 20:00. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
TURKEY
In Izmir, there's going to be a small gathering. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
UKRAINE
In Kiev, a bunch of hoopy froods wants to walk around with towels and dressing gowns, and meet for a group photo. Join them! Details and RSVP on VK.com.
UNITED KINGDOM
James Thrift, Douglas' half brother, tweeted: "Happy towel day everyone. May all you froods towel based interactions be Hoopy ones. #towelday #DouglasAdams"
Cambridge Towel Day Tour: See where Douglas Adams was born, lived, and performed, plus other locations associated with him, Hitchhiker's, Dirk Gently and Shada.
Starts: 12:00 (for 12:15) Outside Cambridge Railway Station
Ends: 13:45/14:00 in town, at Emmanuel College. A roundabout route so about 2.5 miles of walking.
FREE, but please email CambridgeTowelDay AT gmail DOT com to let the organizers know you are coming and we will look out for you. Look out for beings with towels and Don't Panic t-shirts. Latest info and RSVP on Facebook.
Cambridge Towel Day Talks: Hear Hitchhiker's fans and some special guests talk about Douglas, Cambridge, and/or Hitchhiker's. Further details on the Facebook page nearer the time.
Starts: 15:00 in the Conference Room at Cambridge Central Library
Ends: 18:00
As far as we know, no list of speakers has been published, but this webpage says that the author of "Philosophy & the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy" will be speaking.
ATTENTION: all tickets have now been reserved! If you reserved a ticket but cannot come, please let the organizers know so they can re-allocate it. Facebook event.
In Oxford, there will be a towel pride flash mob at 1 pm in Bonne Square. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In London, Whippersnapper Press once again hosts a Vogon Poetry Slam, for the third year running. This year it's on May the 24th, but it will runs until midnight! After the slam there will be music, dancing and schmoozing with a geeky playlist. Details and RSVP on Facebook. Videos of previous Vogon slams.
Also in London, a couple of froods are organising an event called "Towels, film, and cocktails", with a screening of Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy. Venue is The Exhibit Balham, 12 Balham Station Road. Start of the event is 6:30pm. Book your tickets here. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Canterbury, there are Vogon Poetry Readings at The Beaney Art Museum and Library from 14:00 until 15:00 in the Community Room. "Come along and recite your own poetry. Hear classic quotes from Adams' work. Dressing gowns encouraged and bring your own towel". Details
Are you in the Cardiff (Wales) area? Maybe you should get in touch with Amanda if you're doing anything!
In the area round Ormskirk, lancashire, Johathan Coney has hidden 42 geocaches to celebrate Towel Day this year. They will be published on Towel Day around 930 BST and you'll be able to find them here
Darron Speck, an Englishman, will be pulling a stunt in Norway. See his entry in that country's section.
Millie, Alex, Patryce, Emma and Liv are celebrating Towel Day with their schools book club (at The Friary, Lichfield). We like the idea. This is something that could be done in many schools. They are also making Pan-Galactic Gargle Blasters (dangerous!), a huge The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy cake, Babel Fish, body art, masks, a dance routine and loads more hoopy things.
In Edinburgh, there's a tea time meeting. Just a bit before tea time, in the courtyard of St Giles. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
The York Press ran a short article about the upcoming new production of Hitchhiker's Live that will be performed at York Grand Opera House this year. And added "Tomorrow marks ‘Towel Day’, started by fans of the series in 2001 to commemorate the death of creator Douglas Adams, which references the quirky series’ life-saving advice that you should 'never go anywhere without your towel'."
The Daily and Sunday Express published an article by William Hartston called "Top 10 facts about towels".
H2g2.com tweeted about Towel Day and featured its 2001 entry about early plans for a "Towel Day" (updated since).
Pan Macmillan was aware of Towel Day, with Rob Cox blogging and Bella Pagan tweeting about it.
Ken Nicholas is organizing the Fourth Annual Horsham Acturial and friends Towel day picnic. Once again Horsham will play host to a towel day event featuring towels, actuaries and a bring your own picnic. They aim to be in the park at midday for a nice lunchtime get together with some Vogon poetry stylings. Ken may be baking a towel shaped cake with "Don't Panic" written on it. But then again, maybe not, as he'd have to bake it on Thursday, and he never could get the hang of Thursdays.
At AudioGO, formerly known as BBC Audiobooks, all Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy download titles will be for one day only available at 42% off - direct from their website. The discount does not apply to CD's and other Douglas Adams downloads.
UNITED STATES
Simon Jones, the original Arthur Dent (from both the radio series and the BBC tv series), celebrated Towel Day in New York!
In Atlanta, Georgia, Earth's Intergalactic Towel Day Ambassador Moxie Magnus will be hooping it up with her froods at Timegate. They are going to have a Vogon Poetry Slam (if you are remotely suicidal, please do not attend).
The New York City Celebration will begin at 1pm, Saturday May 25th in Washington Square Park 5 Ave, Waverly Pl., W. 4 St. and Macdougal St. Manhattan, New York 10011. Science fiction cosplayers are highly encouraged to attend, everyone MUST have a towel. A human formation of "DNA 42" or "42" will be formed, as it has never been done in New York before. Fans will be interviewed during a podcast recording. After the Washington Square Park festivities participants will walk a few blocks away to toast and celebrate at Bowlmor Lanes 110 University Pl (Btw 12th & 13th St) New York, NY 10003. RSVP & more info on Facebook.
DISCOVER magazine mentions Towel Day in the Calendar of their May 2013 issue. Thank you Elisa Neckar, you sure know where your towel is!
USA Today runs a short article on Geek Pride Day. The author notes "May 25 also coincides with the anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film and Towel Day, which is observed by fans of Douglas Adams' A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium of Fort Myers Florida will be hosting a Towel Day celebration on the 25 of May in 2013. All guests are welcome to bring their towels and join in on activities such as: a Hitch hiker's guide quiz bowl, reading your favorite passage on stage, refreshments, Quotation contests, and games and crafts for kids. This event is free with admission to the museum.
In Seattle, some folks in transgender communities are getting together to watch Hitchhiker's Guide, have great food, and a "best towel" contest. Details here.
In Atlanta, Battle & Brew food and games celebrate Towel Day starting at 2 pm and are offering 10% off your tab if you come in with a towel. "Come on in, have a beer and watch some Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy!" Details
In St. Louis, MO, anime store Animeggroll is doing a towel drive for the local Crestwood animal shelter. On May 25th, 2013 with a donation of a towel (it must not have holes or frayed edges as the animals can get caught up in them) or a roll of paper towels they give 20% off any one new item in the store that day only. They are also accepting donations of these needed items for the shelter: Dry Purina dog and cat food, Pedigree canned dog food, 9 Lives canned cat food, dog and cat treats, Regular cat litter, rawhide chews, cat toys, and used dog & cat beds, collars & leashes in good condition. Cleaning supplies, paper towels are also always needed. Source
In Oxford, MS, Towel Day will be celebrated at 5pm, at Frank & Marlee's, 1210 Harrison Ave. Douglas Adams fans are invited to wear their favorite bath robe/towel combination, read their most annoying Vogon poems, brag about their latest "Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster" experience, play a game of Scrabble with white mice, etc.
In Rochester, NY, Marge's Lakeside Inn, 4909 Culver Rd, will host hoopy froods, hitchhikers, freaks, and extraterrestrials on the 25 of May in 2013 at 7pm. - It's the Bar near the unfashionable end of the Northern Spiral Arm of Culver Rd., on the shore of the Sea Of Ontario. Fans are invited to wear their favorite towel.
In San Diego, you can celebrate from 2-5pm at Tiger Tiger pub, 3025 El Cajon Blvd. "Come celebrate the life and work of Douglas Adams. Please carry a towel, bring signs with the number 42, and anything else you want to bring that relates to the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series or the Dirk Gently series. Activities: Read aloud from your favorite Douglas Adams book. (please bring the book); Best Towel Contest! (You may win a beer.); White elephant towel swap. (Buy a funky, crazy, or ugly towel and wrap it as a gift. We will swap gifts like at a Christmas party.)... Tiger Tiger has great craft beer and food. Stay awhile and have fun. Bring your friends!"
The Southwest Oklahoma City Library will be showing the Hitchhiker's Guide movie. If you want to be there, register before May 23th 10am.
In Plattsburg, SUNY faculty and staff posed with towels for a great picture. One student commented: "I knew I picked the right school :-)"
At Minnesota State University Moorhead Planetarium in Moorhead, MN, at 7pm a Solar System Ambassador from North Dakota will conduct a live guide to the galaxy enhanced with readings from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Planetarium admission is $2 per person; $1 for hoopy froods who come with their towels. Bonus features include a Total Perspective Vortex and a Coolest Towel Contest.
In Washington DC, the Chevy Chase branch of DC public library is celebrating Towel Day. And if you wear your towel to the library on Towel Day, you'll get a special prize!
In Nashua, NH, the Nashua Public Library has set up a small display about Douglas Adams and is collecting towels for donation to a local animal shelter. Stop by, drop off a towel and pick up a book!
In Gainesville, Florida, Mike wants to celebrate with fellow Douglas Adams fans at 4 PM EDT (4 hours behind UTC) at the Ballyhoo Grill. Details and RSVP on Facebook.
In Bothell, WA, on May 24th, 25th and 26th the Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine is offering $5 off the examination fee if you come in for your appointment with your pet wearing a towel. $10 off if you donate an ORANGE towel (in good condition). $15 off if you wear a towel, donate an ORANGE towel (in good condition) AND carry a copy of the Hitchhiker's Guide on their person. And a free exam if you wear a towel, carry any Douglas Adams book and are able to sing the lyrics to the song "So long and thanks for all the fish". One discount per family, regular daytime appointments only, specified dates only. Dr. Maas praises Douglas Adams as a hero to the environment and a great inspiration to many in the exotic animal veterinary community.
In Hudson, OH, The Learned Owl Book Shop tweets: "Douglas Adams fans! Don't forget: show us your towel tomorrow for Towel Day & receive 20% off your entire purchase".
In Mays Landing, NJ, Farpoint Toys & Collectibles, a small store specializing in nerdery of all types invites their friends, fans and customers to stop in for some Towel Talk (and a discount if they show their towels)! Pics to come!!
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=643528009007034&l=b5804a7b5b
Jared, who lives in Lindon, UT, is throwing a private party with some hoopy froods where towels will be worn, food will be eaten and Vogon Poetry will be read...
In the Ramblewood East condo of Coral Springs, Florida there will be a private gathering for the second year featuring pan galactic gargle blasters hitchhiker related showings and a strict towels only policy, tea shall also be consumed.
More is coming up. Know something we don't? Mail us!
Featured YouTube video by Moxie Magnus, Earth's Towel Day Ambassador 2013
Thank you for being part of this & always remember: DON'T PANIC!
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It is run by a bunch of Douglas Adams loving ape descendants who thought it was a shame that this domain was parked, and bought it. They are not liable for any incorrect information - the information on this site is provided in good faith, but may be inaccurate. Don't panic.
info at towelday dot org
