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 relaxacon — the 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.
| 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 | Postponed indefinitely due to Covid-19 and never held |
| Convention | |
| 1950—2019 |
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