Midwestcon

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An outdoor pool was a big attraction of many Midwestcons. This is the North Park Plaza in Sharonville, OH.

MWC was a relaxaconthe relaxacon — which was run each year from 1949–2019 by the Cincinnati Fantasy Group on the last full weekend in June. (The first few Midwestcons were known as the Nth Indian Lake Convention or Inlacon after the site at which they were held.)

Although it was always held in or near Cincinnati and hosted by the CFG, Midwestcon was considered to be a focal point for Midwest fandom, and regular members took 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 was for a long time a destination for smofs, and you were 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 didn’t throw a bid party at Midwestcon.

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

See Long-running conventions.

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.

From Fancyclopedia 2, ca. 1959
Inlacon The Midwestcon at its earliest location, at Beatley's Hotel on Indian Lake, Ohio.
Name Date Location Notes
Midwestcon 0 September 9–11, 1949 Near Indian Lake in Ohio 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 May 20–21, 1950 Bellefontaine, OH The first official relaxacon ever, anywhere.
Midwestcon 2 May 19–20, 1951 Russells Point, OH Attendees included Arthur C. Clarke, Hal Shapiro, Randall Garrett, Dean Grennell, Howard DeVore, Don Ford, Margaret Ford.
Midwestcon 3 May 10—11, 1952 Russells Point, OH
Midwestcon 4 May 16—17, 1953 Russells Point, 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. Harlan Ellison led 7th Fandom’s uprising.
Midwestcon 5 May 22–23, 1954 Bellefontaine, OH Bob Bloch was MC. This is the con where the door was broken.
Midwestcon 6 June 11–12, 1955 Bellefontaine, OH
Midwestcon 7 May 24–27, 1956 Sharonville, OH First of many at the North Park Plaza.
Midwestcon 8 June 28–30, 1957 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 9 June 28–29, 1958 Sharonville, OH First Fandom, the club, founded.
Midwestcon X June 27–28, 1959 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 11 June 24–26, 1960 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 12 June 23-25, 1961 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 13 June 22–24, 1962
Midwestcon 14 June 29-30, 1963 Sharonville, OH Pat Sims's first Midwestcon
Midwestcon 15 June 26-28, 1964
Midwestcon 16 June 25-27, 1965 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 17 June 24-26, 1966 Carrousel Inn, north side of Cincinnati
Midwestcon 18 June 23-25, 1967 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 19 June 29-30, 1968 North Plaza Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 20 June 28-29, 1969 North Plaza Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 21 June 26–28, 1970 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 22 June 25-27, 1971 Quality Courts Motel, Cincinnati
Midwestcon 23 June 23–25, 1972
Midwestcon 24 June 22–24, 1973
Midwestcon 25 June 28-30, 1974 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 26 June 27-29, 1975 Cincinnati GoH: Andy Offutt. First FAAn Awards given.
Midwestcon 27 June 26-27, 1976 Cincinnati A record 350 members, due in part to the collapse of SF Expo; Bob Tucker was MC.
Midwestcon 28 June 24-26, 1977 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 29 June 23-25, 1978 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 30 June 22-24, 1979 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 31 June 27-29, 1980 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 32 June 26-28, 1981 Ft. Mitchell, KY
Midwestcon 33 June 25-27, 1982 Ft. Mitchell, KY
Midwestcon 34 June 24–26, 1983
Midwestcon 35 June 22-24, 1984 Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 36 June 27-30, 1985 Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 37 June 26-29, 1986 Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 38 June 26-28, 1987
Midwestcon 39 June 23-26, 1988 Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 40 June 22-25, 1989 Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 41 June 21-24, 1990 Glendale, OH
Midwestcon 42 June 27-30, 1991 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 43 June 26–28, 1992
Midwestcon 44 June 25–27, 1993
Midwestcon 45 June 23-26, 1994 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 46 June 23-25, 1995 Cincinnati FanHistoriCon 3 was held in conjunction.
Midwestcon 47 June 27-30, 1996 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 48 June 26-29, 1997 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 49 June 22-25, 1998 Cincinnati
Midwestcon 50 June 24-27, 1999 Cincinnati FanHistoriCon 9 was held at Midwestcon on June 26.
Midwestcon 51 June 22-25, 2000 Springdale, OH
Midwestcon 52 June 21-24, 2001 Florence, KY
Midwestcon 53 June 27-30, 2002 Florence, KY
Midwestcon 54 June 28-30, 2003 Florence, KY
Midwestcon 55 June 24-27, 2004 Sharonville, OH Andy Porter published The Daily Degler! for this con.
Midwestcon 56 June 23-26, 2005 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 57 June 22-25, 2006 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 58 June 21-24, 2007 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 59 June 26-29, 2008 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 60 June 25-29, 2009 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 61 June 24-27, 2010 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 62 June 23-26, 2011 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 63 June 21-24, 2012 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 64 June 28-30, 2013 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 65 June 26-29, 2014 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 66 June 25-28, 2015 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 67 June 23-26, 2016 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 68 June 22-25, 2017 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 69 June 21-24, 2018 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 70 June 27-30, 2019 Sharonville, OH
Midwestcon 71 June 25-28, 2020 Sharonville, OH Postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19 and never held



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