Westercon is a convention which moves around the area of the US and Canada west of the 104th meridian. It is selected like Worldcon with bidding, mail and at-con voting, and a 2-year lead time.
Westercon was started in 1948 when Walter J. Dougherty of LASFS proposed that an annual West Coast convention be started for fans who couldn't afford to travel to the East Coast where most Worldcons were held. The first Westercon was held in September 1948 and was a one-day event attended by 77 people. It became a weekend-long convention in 1951 when it settled into its 4th of July weekend date and started moving between cities.
It is a Westercon tradition that GoHs are preferred from the region (west of the 104th W. meridian), having either been born or lived in the zone.
Westercon is formally sponsored by LASFS, though in practice it is completely independent. Nonetheless, in the event that Westercon were unable to function, the LASFS Board of Directors would be responsible for sorting things out.
See Westercon Bids for more on Westercon bidding.
| from Fancyclopedia 2 ca. 1959 |
| An annual conclave for the Western half of the United States — West of the Rockies, that is — begun by the LASFS on Labor Day 1948. It has since become an institution for which other clubs bid also, like the Worldcon, and until the past year [i.e., 1958 was always some place in California. |
| Westercon | Year | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 - Westercon 1 | September 5, 1948 Los Angeles | ||
| #2 - Westercon 2 | October 2, 1949 | Los Angeles | |
| #3 - Westercon 3 | June 18, 1950 | Los Angeles | |
| #4 - Westercon 4 | June 29-July 1, 1951 | San Francisco | |
| #5 - Sou-westercon | June 28-June 29, 1952 | San Diego | |
| #6 - Westercon 6 | May 30-31, 1953 | Los Angeles | |
| #7 - SF Con | September 3-4, 1954 | San Francisco | (held jointly with Worldcon) |
| #8 - Westercon 8 | June 3-4, 1955 | Los Angeles | |
| #9 - Westercon 9 | June 30-July 1, 1956 | Oakland | |
| #10 - Westercon 10 | July 4-7, 1957 | Hollywood | |
| #11 - Solacon | September 1, 1958 | Los Angeles | (held jointly with Worldcon) |
| #12 - Westercon 12 | June 3-5, 1959 | Seattle | |
| #13 - Boycon | Junly 2-4, 1960 | Boise | |
| #14 - Baycon Westercon | July 1-2, 1961 | Oakland | |
| #15 - Westercon 15 | June 20-July 1, 1962 | Los Angeles | |
| #16 - Westercon 16 | July 4-7, 1963 | San Francisco | |
| #17 - Pacificon II | September 4, 1964 | Oakland | (held jointly with Worldcon) |
| #18 - Westercon 18 | July 3-5, 1965 | Long Beach, CA | |
| #19 - Westercon 19 | July 1-4, 1966 | San Diego | |
| #20 - Westercon 20 | July 1-4, 1967 | Los Angeles | |
| #21 - Baycon | September 1, 1968 | Berkeley | (held jointly with Worldcon) |
| #22 - FUNcon II | July 3-6, 1969 | Santa Monica | |
| #23 - Westercon 23 | July 2-5, 1970 | Santa Barbara | |
| #24 - SFCon ‘71 | July 1-5, 1971 | San Francisco | |
| #25 - Westercon 25 | June 30-July 4, 1972 | Long Beach | (held jointly with Mythcon) |
| #26 - SFCon ‘73 | June 30-July 4 1973 | San Francisco | |
| #27 - Westercon 27 | July 3-7, 1974 | Santa Barbara | |
| #28 - Oaklacon | July 3-6, 1975 | Oakland | |
| #29 - Westercon 29 | July 2-5, 1976 | Los Angeles | |
| #30 - Westercon 30 | July 1-4, 1977 | Vancouver, BC | |
| #31 - Westercone | June 30-July 4, 1978 | Los Angeles | |
| #32 - Westercon 32 | July 4-8, 1979 | San Francisco | |
| #33 - Westercon 33 | July 3-6, 1980 | Los Angeles | |
| #34 - Westercon 34 | July 2-5, 1981 | Sacramento | |
| #35 - Westercon 35 | July 2-5, 1982 | Phoenix | |
| #36 - Westerchron | July 1-4, 1983 | San Jose | |
| #37 - Westercon 37 | June 29-July 3 1984 | Portland | |
| #38 - Westercon 38 | July 3-7, 1985 | Sacramento | |
| #39 - Westercon 39 | July 3-6, 1986 | San Diego | |
| #40 - Episode XXXX | July 2-5, 1987 | Oakland | |
| #41 - Westercon 41 | July 1-4, 1988 | Phoenix | |
| #42 - Conosaurus | June 30-July 4, 1989 | Anaheim | |
| #43 - Westercon 43 | July 5-8, 1990 | Portland | |
| #44 - Westercon 44 | July 2-6, 1991 | Vancouver, BC | |
| #45 - Westercolt | July 2-5, 1992 | Phoenix | |
| #46 - Westercon 46 | July 2-5, 1993 | Seattle | |
| #47 - Conozoic | July 1-4, 1994 | Los Angeles | |
| #48 - Westercon 48 | June 30-July 3, 1995 | Portland | |
| #49 - ConDiablo | July 4-7, 1996 | El Paso | |
| #50 - Westercon 50 | July 3-6, 1997 | Seattle | |
| #51 - Concept 1998 | July 2-5, 1998 | San Diego | |
| #52 - Empirecon | July 2-5, 1999 | Spokane | |
| #53 - Conolulu | July 1-4, 2000 | Honolulu | |
| #54 - Westercon 54 | July 5-8, 2001 | Portland | |
| #55 - Conagerie | July 4-7, 2002 | Los Angeles | |
| #56 - Westercon 56 | July 3-6, 2003 | SeaTac | |
| #57 - ConKopelli | July 2-5, 2004 | Litchfield Park AZ | |
| #58 - Due North | July 1-4, 2005 | Calgary Alberta | |
| #59 - Conzilla | July 1-4, 2006 | San Diego | |
| #60 - Gnomeward Bound | June 30-July 3, 2007 | San Mateo | |
| #61 - Westercon 61 | July 3-6, 2008 | Las Vegas | |
| #62 - FiestaCon | July 2-5, 2009 | Tempe AZ | |
| #63 - Confirmation | July 1-4, 2010 | Pasadena CA | |
| #64 - Westercon 64 | July 1-4, 2011 | San Jose, CA | |
| #65 - ConClusion | July 5-8, 2012 | Seattle | |
| #66 - Westercon 66 | July 4-7, 2013 | Sacramento, CA | |
| #67 - Westercon 67 | July 3-6, 2014 | Salt Lake City | |
| #68 - Westercon 68 | July 2-3, 2015 | San Diego, CA | |
| #69 - Westercon 69 | July 1-4, 2016 | Portland, OR | |
| #70 - Conalope | July 1-4, 2017 | Tempe, AZ | |
| #71 - Westercon 71 | July 4-8, 2018 | Denver, CO |
