Midwestcon

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MWC is a relaxaconthe relaxacon — which has been run each year since 1949 by the CFG on the last full weekend in June. (The first few Midwestcons were known as the Nth Indian Lake Convention after the site at which they were held.)

Although it has always been held in or near Cincinnati and hosted by the CFG, Midwestcon is considered to be a focal point for Midwest fandom, and regular members take as proprietary an interest in it as West Coast fen do in Westercon or Southern fandom in DeepSouthCon, a fact not always appreciated by Cinti fans.

Midwestcon has long been a destination for smofs, and you are apt to see many more ex-Worldcon chairs there than at almost any other con short of Worldcon itself. And woe betide the Worldcon bid that doesn't throw a bid party at Midwestcon.

Bob Tucker was the perennial toastmaster for many years, even when there was no banquet.

Some of the early Midwestcons were known as Inlacon:

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
The Midwestcon at its earliest location, at Beatley's Hotel on Indian Lake, Ohio.
Name Date Location Notes
Midwestcon 0 September 9-11, 1949 Doc Barrett's livingroom Sometimes called "Midwestcon Zero" -- It was "an impromptu gathering hastily arranged at the end of Cinvention" and no one knew that it would turn into a continuing convention.
Midwestcon 1 June 1950 Bellefontaine, OH The first relaxacon ever, anywhere.
Midwestcon 2 May 19-20, 1951 Beatley's on Indian Lake, OH Attendees included Arthur C. Clarke, Hal Shapiro, Randall Garrett, and Dean Grennell, Howard DeVore, Don Ford, Margaret Ford
Midwestcon 3 May 10-11, 1952 Beatley's on Indian Lake, OH
Midwestcon 4 May 16-18, 1953 Beatley's on Indian Lake, OH The hotel turned away Bev Clark, an Indiana fan, because because of a Jim Crow policy. Randall Garrett was caught in a compromising situation by the hoteliers.
Midwestcon 5 May 22-23, 1954 Hotel Ingalls, Bellefontaine, OH This is the con where the door was broken.
Midwestcon 6 June 11-12, 1955 Hotel Ingalls, Bellefontaine, OH
Midwestcon 7 May 24-27, 1956 North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 8 June 28-30, 1957 North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 9 June 28-29, 1958 North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH First Fandom, the club, founded.
Midwestcon X June 27-28, 1959 North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 11 June 1960
Midwestcon 12 June 1961
Midwestcon 13 June 1962
Midwestcon 14 June 29-30, 1963 North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH Pat Sims's first Midwestcon
Midwestcon 15 June 26-28, 1964
Midwestcon 16 June 25-27, 1965 Holiday Inn North, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 17 June 24-26, 1966 Carrousel Inn, north side of Cincinnati
Midwestcon 18 June 23-25, 1967 North Plaza Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 19 June 29-30, 1968 North Plaza Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 20 June 28-29, 1969 North Plaza Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 21 June, 1970
Midwestcon 22 June 25-27, 1971 Quality Inn Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 23 June, 1972
Midwestcon 24 June, 1973
Midwestcon 25 June 28-30, 1974 Quality Inn Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 26 June 27-29, 1975 Quality Inn Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 27 June 26-27, 1976 a record 350 members, due in part to the collapse of SF Expo; Bob Tucker was MC.
Midwestcon 28 June 24-26, 1977 Quality Inn Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 29 June 23-25, 1978 Holiday Inn North, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 30 June 22-24, 1979 Holiday Inn North, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 31 June 27-29, 1980 Holiday Inn North, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 32 June 26-28, 1981 Drawbridge Motor Inn, Ft. Mitchell, KY
Midwestcon 33 June 25-27, 1982 Drawbridge Motor Inn, Ft. Mitchell, KY
Midwestcon 34 June, 1983
Midwestcon 35 June 22-24, 1984 Midway Motor Lodge, Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 36 June 27 - 30, 1985 Hampshire House Hotel, Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 37 June 26-29, 1986 Cincinnati Marriott, Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 38 June 1987
Midwestcon 39 June 23-26, 1988 Cincinnati Marriott, Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 40 June 22-25, 1989 Cincinnati Marriott, Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 41 June 21-24, 1990 Cincinnati Marriott, Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 42 June 27-30, 1991 Quality Hotel Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 43 June, 1992
Midwestcon 44 June, 1993
Midwestcon 45 June 23-26, 1994 Quality Hotel Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 46 June 22-26, 1995 Quality Hotel Central, Cincinnati FanHistoriCon 3 was held in conjunction with Midwestcon 46.
Midwestcon 47 June 27-30, 1996 Quality Hotel Central, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 48 June 26-29, 1997 Blue Ash Hotel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 49 June 22-25, 1998 Blue Ash Hotel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 50 June 24-27, 1999 Best Western Blue Ash, Cincinnati FanHistoriCon 9 was held at Midwestcon on June 26.
Midwestcon 51 June 22-25, 2000 Hampshire House Hotel, Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 52 June 21-24, 2001 Ramada Inn - Florence, KY
Midwestcon 53 June 27-30, 2002 Ramada Inn - Florence, KY
Midwestcon 54 June 28-30, 2003 Ramada Inn - Florence, KY
Midwestcon 55 June 24-27, 2004 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree Andy Porter published The Daily Degler! for this con.
Midwestcon 56 June 23-26, 2005 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 57 June 22-25, 2006 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 58 June 21-24, 2007 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 59 June 26-29, 2008 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 60 June 25-29, 2009 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 61 June 24-27, 2010 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 62 June 23-26, 2011 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 63 June 21-24, 2012 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 64 June 28-30, 2013 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 65 June 26-29, 2014 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 66 June 25-28, 2015 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 67 June 23-26, 2016 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 68 June 22-25, 2017 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 69 June 21-24, 2018 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 70 June 27-30, 2019 Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree
Midwestcon 71 Cancelled (June 25-28, 2020) Sharonville, OH, DoubleTree Cancelled due to Covid-19

See Long-running conventions. The

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
A weekend affair in the early summer, so far held in Ohio... originally at Beatley's on Indian Lake, later at Bellefontaine, and finally at a giant motel in Cincinnati. Don Ford and Doc Barrett covered themselves with much egoboo by organizing this gathering at which program is kept to a minimum and fangabbing runs rife. It was forced to move its site to Bellefontaine after a rather crude affair in 1954 (the blame for which was laid on the 7th Fandomites, with what justice your Herodotus has been unable to determine), then to Cincinnati when the gathering became too big for Bellfontaine's facilities. It has thus far been an annual event to be sought by all knowing fans.

from Fancyclopedia 2 Supplement ca. 1960: The locations were out of order. The first was in Bellefontaine, in 1950; when it became plain that it was to become more than a small gathering of friends in Doc Barrett's living room, larger facilities were sought and found at Beatley's on Indian Lake. In 1954 the convention moved to Bellefontaine, where the door was broken in 1955. in 1956 -- and up to date, -- they've been at the North Plaza Motel in Cincinnati.

The organizers of the Midwestcon include not only Doc Barrett and Don Ford, but Stan Skirvin, Lou Tabakow, and Roy Lavender. Dale Tarr later filled the gap vacated by Lavender.


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