Octocon: The Fall Relaxacon Classic

Friday, October 25-Sunday, October 27, 2002

Cincinnati, Ohio

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Octocon: The Fall Relaxacon Classic:

nother autumn, and once again, Octocon heaves itself into view... Our friends (and you know who you are) can safely skip to the next section; the rest of you can learn All You Need to Know ^not ™ by reading the following recycled (at least 50% post-consumer) snappy patter and glib puffery.

The second of the Cincinnati Fantasy Group's two annual relaxacons, Octocon is held in late (you guessed it) October. Our first -- and the first ever, anywhere, relaxacon -- is Midwestcon, which has a simple motto: "No boring panels, and no long-winded speakers." Octocon has an even simpler one: "Midwestcon is overprogrammed!"

It's true: there are some people in fandom who find themselves at a loss without a schedule of activities in hand. For these few, Octocon may not prove an entirely suitable experience. But if you don't find yourself intimidated by the prospect of:

a convivial [non-smoking] consuite, nearly bursting at the seams with an overabundant selection of consumables -- and with tables scattered pleasantly throughout to accomodate a few hands of whatever game you can ~~rope a few suckers into~~ interest a few of your fellow attendees in -- that forms the hub around which the weekend revolves;
an enclosed pool beside which to lounge, all the while reflecting contentedly on the beauty of leaves falling gently to earth through the chilly autumn air outside;
a flock of fen from such exotic locales as Toronto, Detroit, Louisville, Chicago -- all eager for the opportunity to entertain themselves and each other;

then we look forward to enjoying your company as we celebrate the simpler -- and, we think, ultimately more pleasurable -- social aspects of fandom.

(Newcomers should be aware that Octocon is widely know for its cut-throat approach to the pasteboards. None of those namby-pamby "playing for money" charades, though; when you lose at our card games, we reach into your chest, rip out your self-esteem, stomp on it, and toss the mangled remnants onto the table so all your friends can watch them shrivel and die. You'll always find a seat waiting for you at one of our tables. And please...enjoy your weekend!)

(One last thing: for your con-going pleasure, we have again made arrangements to add an extra hour to the weekend during early Sunday morning. We ask that our attendees not discuss this publicly, however; these extra hours are in extremely limited supply, and should demand increase, the price would surely rise beyond what we are able to afford.)

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The Hotel:

nce again, Octocon will be at...um...okay, here's the deal. We're at the Harley Hotel of Cincinnati, except it isn't the Harley Hotel any more. It's now a Four Points Hotel of Sheraton. Other than that, things are pretty much the same. 8020 Montgomery Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45236, just east of I-71 at Exit 12 (approximately 12 miles northeast of downtown Cincinnati). The entrance -- marked by a Four Points/Sigee's sign -- is on the right, eastbound on Montgomery Road (US 22/Ohio 3), immediately past a BP station which is itself next to the expressway. Maps can be found below.

Rooms are $79/night (plus tax) for a single/double (including those with a king-size bed) and $10 more for each occupant beyond the second. Room reservations must be guaranteed with credit card or first night's deposit. Cancellation deadline is 4 pm the day of arrival. Check in begins at 3 pm and check out is 12 noon. Extension of check out time is subject to availability.

Reservations must be received by the hotel before September 27th in order to guarantee a room within the convention block. Don't delay, as there is a very good chance the hotel will be sold out for the weekend. The number is (513) 793-4300. Fax: (513) 793-1858. Be sure to let them know you're an Octocon attendee, in order to get the con rate.

In addition to Sigee's (the hotel's own), there are dozens of restaurants within the five mile radius of the hotel's complimentary guest shuttle service (as well as two major shopping areas less than a mile to the west on Montgomery). See the "Local Color" link in the menu at the top of this page for more information.

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Memberships:

he preregistration rate is $18.00, and is good until September 20th (postmark); thereafter and at the door, it'll cost you $25.00.

Make all checks payable (in U.S. dollars, please) to Deborah Oakes, and mail them to:

scribe@cfg.org

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Shuttle Service:

ome of you may be flying into town, and some of those some may need transportation from and to the airport. Not to worry: this is Cincinnati, where folks are always willing to help the other fellow out (and no, we don't mean through the egress). Send us the pertinent details (e.g.: airline, flight number, arrival date and time, number of people to be picked up...but you know the drill) by October 25th, and we'll arrange for the arrival of one of our mobile minions at the appropriate space/time node.

Mind you, there are limits; pre-dawn arrivees will likely have to shift for themselves (or wait until our drivers have put away their garlic necklaces and wolfbane-soaked mosquito netting for the day). Those debarking at a reasonable hour, though, will find us quick to collect them and their luggage and bring both straight back to the fun and frivolity.

	Bill Cavin 3937 Floral Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45212		Deborah Oakes 5627 Antoninus Drive Cincinnati, OH 45238

	(513) 631-2543 dictator@cfg.org		(513) 922-3234 scribe@cfg.org

[WARNING: We all love Bill. Without him, there might not be a con. But he has been known to be just the teensiest bit slow in collecting and responding to email. Might we suggest the Bellophone as your best option in this case?]

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Maps:

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URL: http://www.cfg.org/octocon/index.htm

All material © Cincinnati Fantasy Group, unless otherwise credited.
Last updated: Monday, August 25, 2008
Created for the CFG by Scott Street (scottst@ix.netcom.com).
Maintained by the author.

Comments, questions & broken link reports: (webgeek@cfg.org).