Galacti-can't

[autographedcat]

This weekend, kitanzi and I drove up to Chatanooga for Galacticon.



I had been to the first couple of Galacticons, and the last few Magic Carpet Cons before it, and it had always been a nice low-key little literary based con with a good filk presence, and I had no reason to think it'd be any difference. Boy, was I wrong.

A few years ago, a chapter of the Klingon Assault Group decided to make Galacticon their annual spring break event, and the con played that up. It was a cute little bit of colour in an otherwise strongly lit-based convention, and the Klingons were largely well behaved fen who kept to themselves.

Unfortunately, over the last couple of years, it appears that they've gone from being a sideline attraction to the main attraction, and the primary activity at the convention seems to be getting drunk and partying. Which is ok, for as far as it goes, but it's not really how I enjoy myself. As a result, the convention itself was a bit of a bust.

The trip was still worthwhile, though. We got to spend a lot of time hanging out with catsittingstill and cflute, who were there as the filk guests, and quadrivium, who drove up from Alabama after I told her about the con a few weeks ago. Randy and Diane Walker were also there, and I hadn't seen them since they were Toastmasters at Gafilk a couple of years ago, so that was fun. We had a really good circle on Saturday night, and I picked up some CDs from Southern Fried Filk, who was there as a filk dealer.

On Saturday night, the entire filk presence at the con went out for Indian food, which I'd never really had much of before, so that was a fun adventure (and thanks to cflute for her menu advice!)

We had originally planned on doing a bit of Chattanooga sight-seeing, since kitanzi has never seen the Tennessee Aquarium, and neither of us has ever done the whole Lookout Mountain/Rock City/Ruby Falls area. We had even thought to hook up with cflute and make a day of it, but by the time everyone was ready to go, I was realizing how badly my sleep dep was catching up with me, so we regretfully bowed out and headed home.

I can't say that any weekend which includes filking with Echo's Children and Mary and Randy and Diane is a loss. But it wasn't nearly as much fun as the con had been in previous years, and according to Clara Miller, one of the concom, they are not planning on having a filk guest next year unless "the local filkers want to pay for it themselves". Given that the con is essentially tell us that we're not important to them, and the literary track has also been gutted, we probably won't go back. It's a bit of pity, but what can you do?

Comments

[rms-butterfly.livejournal.com]

Save your money to attend OVFF every year instead! *hugs*

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Oh, fear not, we will always be at OVFF. That's our anniversary!

But still, this used to be a fun little con with a strong filk-friendly concom, and is nearly local -- Chattanooga is only 2 hours from home. This is the con where I first got to meet Dr. Jane and Cindy McQuillen and Heather Alexander and spiritdance and had such a good time chatting with Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley, once upon a time. It's sad to see it....fall so far.