All times US prevailing Eastern  

2026

• October 23 - 24  It's Always 1895: An Exploration of the Life and Work of Vincent Starrett  The Torists International of Chicago will host what promises to be an important conference centered around one of history's most illustrious Sherlockians. Registration is now open and you can get information here.
• October 26  Before Baker Street: Joseph Bell and the Making of Sherlock Holmes  VIRTUAL  7:45 p.m. The Smithsonian presents this virtual look at Conan Doyle's muse. Information and registration here.
• October 27  The Great Harry Houdini: Life, Death and the Afterlife VIRTUAL  6:45 p.m.  The Red Circle's own Dan Stashower returns to the Smithsonian Insitution to explore the life of the remarkable Harry Houdini. Dan is a magician in his own right, and his talk will focus on Houdini's friendship with Arthur Conan Doyle, and how that friendship was strained as the great magician crusaded to debunk the spiritualism that Doyle had championed in his later years. Actors Scott Sedar and Bari Bierne join Dan to give voice to the spirits and the tricks of the trade. Information and registration here.
• November 14  47th Annual Saturday with Sherlock Holmes at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore. Coffee and bagels at 10:30, program at 11:30 until 2:00. Always lots of fun and always free. Details to follow.
• November 14  Sleuth Hound: The Case of the Real Sherlock Holmes. A great opportunity to hear Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris talk about her new book, which brings Dr. Joseph Bell center stage with an in depth look at his evolution from hospital wards to police courts. Bell is widely understood to have been Conan Doyle's prototype for Sherlock Holmes. It happens at 3:00 pm at Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue in the District. It's free, and more information is here. 
• November 27 - December 13  A Sherlock Carol  A delightful musical holiday treat by playwright Mark Shanahan, wherein Sherlock Holmes takes on a grown up Tiny Tim as a client. It all happens at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg in their co-production with The Montgomery Playhouse. More information, schedule and ticket information is here, and a very nice trailer from the original off-Broadway production is here. Sounds like great fun! Note: The Red Circle has scheduled a theatre party for the December 6 matinee, which will include a talk-back after the show. Then those who want to meet for food and drink afterward will do so See Inner Circle at left for details.

2027

• January 13 - 17 (roughly) Sherlock Holmes Birthday Weekend  We say "roughly" because this seminal Sherlockian "weekend" seems to get longer every year, with more and more events scheduled by more and more enthusiasts. As usual, ground zero for the doings will be the precincts around Grand Central Station in midtown Manhattan. For sure, the BSI's invitation-only dinner will be held on Friday, January 15 at the Yale Club. What was the BSI luncheon on Saturday will morph into a reception from 2 to 4pm, and open to all. Other events will generally "run on their traditional rails" and details will be available here as they are received.
• April 23 - May 9  Ken Ludwig's Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery returns for still another encore, this time by the Newtowne Players in Lexington Park, MD. It's less than a two hour drive from DC, down near the Patuxent Naval Air Station. If you haven't seen this one (or even if you have), it's worth the journey. Details are here.

For a much more comprehensive list of Sherlockian meetings and events around the United States and beyond, see Ron Fish's

Sherlockian Calendar.

The Slavering Hound by Frederick Dorr Steele is an unpublished drawing for the 1939 Basil Rathbone Hound of the Baskervilles film. It was shown in the program for the film and featured in the 1951 Festival of Britain exhibition 

Our namesake story examined "The Red Circle" (the short story, not our merry band) is the subject of the 33rd episode of "Sherlock Monthly," an online video offering from the Rosenbach Library in Philadelphia. The episode aired on April 18, but it's been archived and is available for viewing via recording. It's all free, and the upcoming schedule, links to past episodes and more are available here. Highly recommended    

March Meeting notes available  49 members of the Red Circle took advantage of fine spring weather to celebrate Sherlock Holmes at The Red Circle's spring luncheon. Speaker Matt Hall's exploration of a fascinating photograph (or two!) of the Dancing Men was the highlight. You'll enjoy Carla Coupe's meeting notes here. 

Red Circle 75th Anniversary Party in the books; acclaimed a smashing success  November 15 was a red letter day for the Red Circle, as we celebrated our 75th with a spectacular screening of three century-old and brilliantly restored Eille Norwood films at the American Film Institute's Silver Theatre, and an equally spectacular celebration dinner after the curtain came down. Carla Coupe's Meeting Notes, along with some nice photos, are available here.  

  The Red Circle enjoyed a late summer luncheon meeting, featuring Cattleya Concepcion as our guest speaker. Carla Kaessinger Coupe's meeting notes document the details of this enjoyable afternoon.

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