Schedule of Events
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Church & State, Salt Lake City, Utah USA
All programming times are listed in Mountain Daylight Time (MDT). Book signings and vendor browsing take place continuously throughout the day. All events take place on the Main Stage in the Main Hall.
1:40 PM – 2:00 PM — Doors Open & Early Vendor Browsing
Doors Open & Early Vendor Browsing
Main Hall
Doors open early — browse vendor tables and grab a spot before the program kicks off at 2:00 PM.
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM — Welcome & Introduction
Welcome & Introduction
Main Hall
Opening remarks kicking off Utah Horror x Romance Day 2026.
2:15 PM – 3:00 PM — Panel 1 — Kiss Me or Kill Me: When Horror Meets Romance
Panel 1 — Kiss Me or Kill Me: When Horror Meets Romance
Main Hall
Panelists: TBA · Moderator: TBA
How attraction and fear work the same way in the brain. Why horror and romance readers are chasing the same heart-pounding rush.
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM — Book Signing
Book Signing
Main Hall
Break for book signings and vendor browsing.
3:15 PM – 4:00 PM — Panel 2 — Red Flags Are Just Flags When He’s Hot
Panel 2 — Red Flags Are Just Flags When He’s Hot
Main Hall
Panelists: TBA · Moderator: TBA
Villains readers root for vs. villains they’re never meant to root for. When does dangerous stop being sexy and cross into irredeemable?
4:00 PM – 4:15 PM — Book Signing
Book Signing
Main Hall
Break for book signings and vendor browsing.
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM — Panel 3 — Sex, Death & Everything in Between
Panel 3 — Sex, Death & Everything in Between
Main Hall
Panelists: TBA · Moderator: TBA
Why sexuality and horror have always fit together, and how modern romance writers use those same themes differently.
5:00 PM – 5:15 PM — Book Signing
Book Signing
Main Hall
Break for book signings and vendor browsing.
5:15 PM – 6:00 PM — Panel 4 — Anatomy of Yearning
Panel 4 — Anatomy of Yearning
Main Hall
Panelists: TBA · Moderator: TBA
How both genres trap characters together and isolate them to force vulnerability. A pacing and craft discussion for writers.
6:00 PM – 6:15 PM — Book Signing
Book Signing
Main Hall
Break for book signings and vendor browsing.
6:15 PM – 6:45 PM — Who Would You Rather: Horror Edition
Who Would You Rather: Horror Edition
Main Hall
A playful, audience-driven warmer debating horror villains, monsters, and romantic archetypes.
7:00 PM – 8:00 PM — Featured Guests: Erika T. Wurth, Kiersten White & Sarah Hawley
Featured Guests: Erika T. Wurth, Kiersten White & Sarah Hawley
Main Hall
Featuring: Erika T. Wurth, Kiersten White & Sarah Hawley · Moderator: Elizabeth Suggs
Marquee conversation with our three featured guests, spanning horror, romance, and the space between.
8:00 PM – Close — Closing & Final Signings
Closing & Final Signings
Main Hall
Final book signings as the day wraps up. Doors close at 8:20 PM.