Come join your Austin friends and cousins in Portland, Maine this Fall! Part reunion, part informational speakers and research, and part simply enjoying the city chosen as our host, this conference is an event many of us look forward to every year. Enjoy exploring the rich maritime history and Victorian architecture of Portland! Get help with your Austin research and take advantage of research facilities such as The Maine Historical Society, which documents Maine history through an extraordinary array of archives and research materials. Hope to see you in Portland this October!

CONFERENCE HOTEL
DoubleTree by Hilton
363 Maine Mall Road, Portland, Maine 04106

855-610-8733

The DoubleTree by Hilton is Portland’s most recognizable and easily accessed landmark hotel, located directly across the street from Maine’s largest mall and about 5 miles from Portland’s historic Old Post district. The conference rate for either a King or Double room is $169 + tax, and includes a complimentary breakfast buffet, mini-fridge, microwave, Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, and a complimentary airport shuttle. There is an indoor heated pool, lounge, full-service in-house restaurant, and a Starbucks, Cracker Barrel, and Chipotle Mexican Grill across the parking lot, as well as 100+ retailers and restaurant venues across the street in The Maine Mall.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS

A block of rooms has been reserved, at the conference rate, for the nights of Monday, October 14th - Saturday, October 19th. The group rate will also be available 2 days prior to the event date (October 12 & 13) and 2 days post event (October 20 & 21), based on availability. Reservations at the conference rate must be made by September 19th or before the group block is sold-out, whichever comes first. After this date, reservations will be accepted on a space available basis at regular rack rates, so make your reservation early! Reservations can be made directly with the Reservations Department at 855-610-8733. Please refer to the Austin Families Association Annual Conference to qualify for the special group rate. You can also use the following link:
https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/pwmmmdt-afa-7209e585-5361-48ef-85b1-148107dbbf9b/

CLOSING DINNER

Our Saturday night closing dinner will be a plated dinner. Your choices are:

(1) Eggplant lasagna with roasted tomato, ricotta and torn basil,

(2) Pan-seared salmon with wild rice pilaf, shoestring vegetables and citrus butter, or

(3) Chargrilled hangar steak with smashed red bliss potatoes, seasonal vegetable, and wine demi-glace.

Please make your dinner choice for each registrant on your Registration form.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

The conference registration fee is $125 per person, which includes Friday and Saturday speakers and workshops, the Thursday social hour and the Saturday night dinner. The fee is $70 per person for those who wish to attend only the social hour and dinner.

HOW TO REGISTER

1. Register Using the Registration Form: Print out the 2024 Conference Registration Form and send your completed form with a check payable to AFAOA, to Austin Families Association, P.O. Box 494813, Redding, CA 96049

2. Register Online: Go to the Conference Registration Page (Members should login first; this will pre-fill your information). If you register and pay your fee online, please email your earliest know Austin ancestors, your arrival date, your dinner choice(s), and your interest in early arrival activities to the Conference Chair at conference@afaoa.org.

If you have any questions, please contact the Conference Chairman at conference@afaoa.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Portland, Maine

Portland, the largest city in Maine, is set on a peninsula extending into Casco Bay. Forever tied to its maritime heritage, Portland maintains much of its 19th century architecture and character of the trading and fishing settlement it once was when established in 1632. The Old Port District features working fishing wharves and converted warehouses with restaurants and shops. Nearby, the Western Promenade is a public park atop a bluff, offering river and mountain views. Its surrounding district, the West End, one of the best preserved Victorian neighborhoods in the country, is full of excellently restored 19th century brick homes, with climbing ivy and original iron fencing. Visit the Portland Head Light, which dates back to 1791, and is the oldest lighthouse still in continuous use in the U.S. The great poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the city’s native son, and you can visit his childhood home, the WadsworthLongfellow House.

The Maine Historical Society, located at 489 Congress Street in downtown Portland, is the official historical society of the state of Maine. The Maine Historical Society collection strives to document Maine history through an extraordinary array of library, archival materials, and museum objects. www.mainehistory.org/research-collections.