Midwestcon
MWC is a relaxacon -- the 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 as West Coast fen do in Westercon or Southern fandom in DeepSouthCon, a fact not always appreciated by Cinci 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.
Some of the early Midwestcons were known as Inlacon.
| Name | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwestcon 0 | 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 | 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 | 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; Buck Coulson and Gene DeWeese left with her. Harlan Ellison expressed outrage, but remained. Randall Garrett exchanged blows with a hotel detective, who caught him in a compromising situation. |
| Midwestcon 5 | May 22-23, 1954 | Hotel Ingalls, Bellefontaine, OH | |
| Midwestcon 6 | June 11-12, 1955 | Hotel Ingalls, Bellefontaine, OH | This is the con where the door was broken. |
| 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 founded. |
| Midwestcon X | June 27-28, 1959 | North Plaza Motel, Sharonville, OH | |
| Midwestcon 11 | 1960 | ||
| Midwestcon 12 | 1961 | ||
| Midwestcon 13 | 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 | 1967 | ||
| 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, 1971 | ||
| 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 | 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 | |
| Midwestcon 49 | June 22-25, 1998 | Blue Ash Hotel | |
| Midwestcon 50 | June 24-27, 1999 | Best Western Blue Ash | 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, Kentucky | |
| Midwestcon 53 | June 27-30, 2002 | Ramada Inn - Florence, Kentucky | |
| Midwestcon 54 | June 28-30, 2003 | Ramada Inn - Florence, Kentucky | |
| 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 |
| 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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