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Holiday Inn Select Bloomington, MN March 3-5, 2006 |
  
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Holiday Inn Select Bloomington, MN March 3-5, 2006 |
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The holiday season is almost upon us, so here is a scary note to get you in the mood for Halloween and a very frightening MarsCon yet-to-come...
As the sun sets on our pirate ship, the galaxy calms. Tribal drums in the darkness sound a tattoo that is nearly eclipsed by warbling toads and determined crickets who chip away at the quiet. Unicorns shyly peek out of enchanted forests, while fairies twitter maniacally at the werewolves they startle from moon worship. On the dark side of Mars, only the brave venture forth as creatures formerly restricted to childhood fantasies and fears reclaim the landscape.
The monster under the bed is real. Now, the wild things come out to play.
MarsCon 2006: "Things that Go Bump in the Night" will pay homage to the creatures of fantasy, fiction, and horror that we all know and love -- vampires, werewolves, aliens, zombies, slayers, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, skeletons, sand people, sand worms... and scariest of all, the fairy. There will be dancing and singing, great guests with insider stories, panel discussions of every sort, art that will take your breath away, cool stuff to buy, popcorn and movies that will keep you on the edge of your seat, amazing science exhibits, new and long-time friends, challenging games... punch and pie.
MarsCon is an annual science fiction & fantasy convention sponsored by FenSF, Inc., and run completely by volunteers. Our theme for MarsCon 2006 is "Things that Go Bump in the Night," and we will be celebrating our eighth annual MarsCon in spooky style. Huge thanks to those who recently partied with us at Valleycon or pre-registered for our upcoming shindig. It is not too late to register at the cheaper rates. For more info on registering for MarsCon 2006, parties, hotel, programming, etc, read on...
Registration rates go up after October 31st, so if you prefer the cheaper rates, please send in your forms now or register through our web site today. The web registration switches over at midnight.
Current Weekend Rates (through 10/31/05): $32 for adults; $15 for children
ages 6-12; Free for children under 6 years of age; $15 supporting.
Weekend Rates (11/1/05 through 1/31/06): $42 for adults; $15 for children
ages 6-12; Free for children under 6 years of age; $20 supporting.
At-the-Door Rates (after 1/31/06): $55 for adults; $25 for children ages
6-12; Free for children under 6 years of age.
Group Registration: Have a few friends planning to register with you? Groups of 10+ can take $5 off each registration if they register as a group. The registrations must be submitted together and payment must accompany the registration forms. This cannot be combined with other discounts.
Supporting Memberships: Still not sure if MarsCon will fit into your schedule, but want to lock in a lower registration rate just in case? Supporting members pay a reduced rate of $15 through 10/31/05 or $20 through 1/31/06, and then complete the transaction by paying an additional $25 at any time up to and including at the door.
You can register on-line using PayPal at: http://marscon.org/2006/register/index.php. Otherwise, simply mail in a registration form along with your payment to this address:
| MarsCon |
| P.O. Box 21213 |
| Eagan, MN 55121 |
Get your own little slice of Mars, right here on Earth. Register today.
MarsCon takes place March 3-5, 2006, at the Holiday Inn Select in Bloomington, Minnesota, close to the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport and the Mall of America. Room rates at the Holiday Inn Select will be $89 for a standard room and $99 for a suite. These rates apply to the party floor (13) and all other floors. To reserve a sleeping room, call 952-854-9000 or 1-800-HOLIDAY, and make sure to mention "MarsCon" in order to get the reduced rates. To reserve a party room, contact MarsCon directly or submit a party request form at: "http://marscon.org/2006/hotel/parties.php. Keep in mind, in addition to regular party awards, we will be giving an award for the party which reflects this year's con theme in the most creative or unusual way.
That force which binds a convention together is called "programming." MarsCon Programming is geared toward embracing and celebrating all facets of science fiction, fantasy, gaming and fandom. That includes costuming, hard sciences, the music of fandom, television, movies, radio, comic books, fan fic, poetry, novels, sf/fantasy art, and the usual fannish zaniness. Programming will feature our Guests of Honor as well as many individual fans, local fan clubs and distinguished science fiction & fantasy authors who have volunteered to help out. Contribute your ideas for programming at: http://marscon.org/2006/programming/ideas.php. Track wranglers are still needed, so if you are looking for hard work, no pay and eternal glory, please volunteer! Also, keep an eye on this page for programming updates: http://marscon.org/2006/programming/index.php
Masquerade details (including a monthly newsletter, schedule of events, judging guidelines & registration form) may be found at: http://marscon.org/2006/masquerade/
Science Room will feature displays by MN Space Frontier Society, Mars Society (MN chapt), National Space Society (MN chapt), MN Astronomical Society, MN Mad Science, Minnesota Area Radio Control Electric Enthusiasts, MN Planetarium Society and others yet to be determined. Updates will be posted here: http://marscon.org/2006/science/index.php
Information regarding our Dealers Room may be found at: http://marscon.org/2006/dealers/
Karaoke Joe's will be hosting rockin' parties on both Friday and Saturday night during MarsCon weekend. We will keep on singing from 9:00pm until at least 2:00am. The karaoke contest will begin at 10:00pm Saturday night, and the first 15 applicants will be accepted. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. Not planning to enter Saturday Night's contest? We are looking for 3 individuals who would like to serve as judges for the contest. People who have performed at Karaoke Joe's in the past will be given priority. More MarsCon music news will be posted here: http://marscon.org/2006/music/index.php
Planned Guests of Honor currently include Dean Haglund from The X-Files, Artist Beth Hansen, Director Paul Lawrence, and Space Historian Hugh S. Gregory. Several more guests are in the process of being added. Details will be posted to our web site as they arrive.
The U.S.S. Nokomis/Red Cross/MarsCon Blood Drive will be Saturday, March 4th at the Holliday Inn Select. Our goal this year is 30 units. U.S.S. Nokomis members will be on site on March 4th to sechedule your donation time. At our last blood drive, the Klingons stepped up to the plate and saved the day when we were short of our goal. This year, it could be you. If you have questions about the donation process or your eligibility to donate, call 1-800-GIVELIFE to speak to Red Cross staff. If you would like to pre-schedule a donation appointment (this will make people happy at both the Red Cross and the U.S.S. Nokomis), email Mary Pucel at greenmermaid19 "at" msn.com.
MarsCon is run entirely by volunteers. And, guess what? You qualify! Our planning meetings (a.k.a. ConCom meetings) are open to all - would-be volunteers, spectators, representatives from other Cons and even the mildly curious. (You'll fit right in; we're a curious lot.) They generally happen on Sunday from 1-4pm. Here are some of the upcoming meeting dates:
| November 13, 2005 | - - 1 pm | - - Holiday Inn Select | - - Deadline for articles for PR-2 |
| December 11, 2005 | - - 1 pm | - - Holiday Inn Select | - - Holiday party & Collating party for PR-2 |
| January 8, 2006 | - - 1 pm | - - Holiday Inn Select | - - Program book articles & ads due |
To add yourself -- or remove yourself -- from our email list please surf to http://mail.marscon.org/mailman/listinfo/marstoday and scroll down to "Subscribing to Mars Today" (to add yourself to our list) or "Mars Today Subscribers" (to remove yourself). Follow the instructions and you're in (or out). If you have any trouble at all with your Mars Today subscription tell the MarsCon webmaster via web06g@marscon.org.
Thanks once more to volunteers! We could not possibly do this without you! More volunteers are always welcome & needed!
MarsCon 2006: Things that Go Bump in the Night
Holiday Inn Select, Bloomington, MN
March 3-5, 2006 -- All Weekend Long!
Current email: info06g@marscon.org (Our email address changes often due to spam, spam, spam, wonderful spam. Surf to: http://marscon.org/2006/talktous/index.php for how to contact us if ever an address is not working.)
© 2005 FenSF, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This page last revised January 12, 2006 at 01:51 PM
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