PrairieCon returns to Brandon with dinosaur theme
PrairieCon is returning for its 43rd year in Brandon at the Keystone Centre from May 24-26, bringing together gamers from across the Prairies and the United States in a celebration of fun and community.
Dinosaurs is the theme of this year’s tabletop gaming extravaganza, which offers attendees the chance to mingle with fellow gamers, try out new games and take part in tournaments for tabletop, board, card and roleplaying games.
Highlights of this year’s convention include the Dungeons & Dragons tournament, demos, workshops and an extensive marketplace. For the first time ever, this year’s convention will also feature a cosplay contest for attendees of all ages.
James Hood, president of the PrairieCon board, can’t wait for this year’s event to kick off.
“PrairieCon 43 is shaping up to be another great gaming event,” Hood said. “This year’s dinosaur theme should bring all kinds of new and interesting excitement, costumes and dinosaur-themed board games out onto the tables.”
Since reopening the event in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic, attendance numbers have been steadily climbing, with last year’s PrairieCon bringing in 300 attendees.
“It very much felt like conventions of the past,” Hood said.
Another reason the event has grown is because it moved last year to a bigger venue at the Keystone Centre.
“We’re in the curling rink there, which is a great space for us. It’s quite open, and it’s very easy to go to the curling lounge upstairs and get a view of all the excitement going on at the same time.”
Hood credits the community of Westman — and those who travel from outside the area to attend PrairieCon — for its longevity and success.
“We’ve been able to keep it going now for 43 years, so we’re pretty pleased with that,” he said. “The community here in Brandon and Westman is fantastic, and that’s really what keeps us going every year, are the people coming
back and continuing to have a good time.”
Badge passes for PrairieCon are available now, and attendees are able to choose their desired games starting Saturday at noon. Participants are urged to secure their badge passes quickly to ensure a spot in their games of choice.
Rick Baker has been attending PrairieCon since its inception in 1980 when he was around 10 years old, and marvels at the changes it has seen and the way it has grown from its humble origins as a Dungeons & Dragons tournament during the more than four decades it has been around.
“It went from that one … tournament to card games and board games and miniature games to collectible card trading. There are so many different things now,” he said.
For Baker, the connections he’s made – and continues to make – at PrairieCon are the biggest reason he keeps coming back. The chance to get together with like-minded people and friends old and new is something he looks forward to every year, he said.
“We rekindle our friendships, and we do it in the context of this shared passion. We all enjoy getting to see each other,” Baker said. “It’s about connection. We all have work and drudgery in our days, but for this one weekend, we get to put all that away and we get to gather.”
For more information on this year’s PrairieCon event, visit prairiecon. com.
Miranda Leybourne, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun
