PrairieCon Event Details

PrairieCon is a not-for-profit organization that has been promoting gaming in a friendly and non-competitive environment for over thirty years in Brandon, MB!

What is PrairieCon?

PrairieCon is also what we call our weekend-long gaming convention which allows the Brandon and area gaming community (and visitors from elsewhere) to get together for a veritable festival of games, tournaments, workshops, vendors, contests, and prizes every year.

Games and events are suited to all gamers aged ten and up.  We have events to satisfy every gaming appetite, including board games, card games, miniatures games and role-playing games. Every year we host a Dungeons and Dragons Tournament that promised to be an exciting new experience, and you can often find other tournaments taking place, whether they are Warhammer 40k, Magic the Gathering or some other event.

When is PrairieCon?

PrairieCon dates:

Friday, May 26 – Sunday, May 28

Event hours:

  • Friday doors open 12 noon, gaming starts 1pm, facility closes midnight.
  • Saturday doors open 8am, gaming starts 9am, facility closes midnight.
  • Sunday doors open 8am, gaming starts 9am, facility closes at 6pm.

Where is PrairieCon?

PrairieCon takes place in Brandon Manitoba Canada.

This year the event will take place at the Keystone Centre, located at 1175 18th street. On the corner of 18th and Richmond. Right near the Shoppers Mall Brandon.

PrairieCon will take place in the Lower Curling Club Lounge, the Upper Curling Club Lounge, and the Curling Club Ice Surface.

Which entrance should I use?

All Attendees have to use Brandon Curling Club Entrance B, even if you are staying at Canad Inns, you will still need to come around the building, and come in through those doors. We are just inside the lower curling club lounge.

Where should I park?

On the east side by the Brandon Curling Club, Entrance B. Lot 2 is the closest to the Brandon Curling Club entrance.

What Hotels are nearby?

Canad Inns is attached to the Keystone Centre and we have a discount code with them.  Visit the accommodations page for more information.

If you’d like to see what other hotels are available in Brandon, please check out Google Maps

Can I bring in outside food?

The Keystone Centre has a no outside food or drinks policy.
The Keystone Centre will be operating a canteen in the lower curling lounge (the same room as our registration desk and vendor area).from 10am-10pm Saturday and 10am-4pm Sunday.

If you’re looking for restaurants nearby, there are many options right along 18th street, and really nothing in Brandon is a far drive. 🙂

Check out google maps to see what’s around:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/food/@49.8342451,-99.9659635,14.64z/data=!4m2!2m1!6e5

Registration

How does registration work?

We are using Tabletop.events: a registration system that uses badges to enter the convention and you use a ticket to participate in each game/event. A badge is the equivalent of your weekend registration fee and your ticket is the same as registering for a particular game.

Tickets will be free, but you will need to pay for your badge to enter the event.

When can I register?

You can purchase your badge from April 22nd to May 19th.

When this does launch, games will be continually added to the list after that date, so check back often!

Badge pricing

You can either buy your pass online or in person.

If you’re buying your badge as part of pre-registration or online at the event, then you will have to pay in USD currency unfortunately.

You have the option of paying in CAD at the event, but you may miss out on getting into the games you want if you don’t pre-register.

BADGE PRICES:

Adult Weekend Badge
$35 USD – Preregistration or Online 
$50 CAD – in person at the registration desk

Adult Single-Day Badge
$25 USD – Preregistration or Online 
$35 CAD – in person at the registration desk

Kids Badge 
The Kids Badge is good for the full-weekend for Kids 12 and under.
$10 USD – Preregistration or Online 
$15 CAD – in person at the registration desk

We strongly recommend you pre-register and use the online system to give you a better chance at getting into the games you want.

Can I come into PrairieCon and just look around?

Yes, we will have a visitor’s badge! With the visitor’s badge, you can come in, walk around and observe the games being played, plus, you get to visit all the awesome vendors that are showing up.

However, you cannot participate in the auction as a visitor. To get a bidding number, you will need to either purchase a badge or volunteer for a few hours to participate. You are free to watch sit back and watch the fun though!

 

When can I choose which games I want to play?

You can choose your games from April 29 to May 19.

This is an important time! Set your calendar, set an alarm and be ready, some games fill up very fast!

Can I see the current games list?

Can I run a game at PrairieCon?

Yes! We need more games! Anyone can submit a game to run, and there are incentives for you to do so!

How do I submit a game to run at PrairieCon?

You can submit your game to our convention through tabletop.events. View our detailed list of how to submit your games.

Please note that any Role-playing games that previously ran in the evening, will now be on the main floor (curling ice surface) and not upstairs in the curling lounge.

Are there incentives to running games?

Yes there are! You can find them on our Volunteer and GM Incentives page.

The Auction

The auction is a great opportunity to pick up used games and accessories at a fraction of their original cost. Do you have too many games or some that you barely get to play? Place them in the auction. Clean off your shelves and make a little money at the same time!

The Auction will run from 6pm to 9pm, and it will be upstairs in the curling lounge this year so that gaming can continue on the main floor without the excessive noise.

For more information or to submit your items for the auction, please visit our auction page.

Vendor tables

If you would like to book a vendor table at PrairieCon, please check out our vendor information page and contact Kevan.

Are there any sponsorship opportunities?

Yes, there are! If you are a business or vendor who would like to see our sponsorship opportunities, please send an email to info@prairiecon.com

Note to Parents

PrairieCon only accepts players over the age of eight, and any players under twelve years of age must present a completed parental consent form upon arriving at the event.

Visit our parent’s page for more information and to download the parental consent form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bring my own game to run?
Yes. If you want to run a game that is not on the schedule, you are welcome to bring it along and find some space.

What happens when my game gets cancelled?
When your game is cancelled, either check the registration site at tabletop.events or check at the PrairieCon front desk to see what games have room in them. Or feel free to wander around and look for any ‘players wanted’ signs.

Why are there age recommendations and restrictions?
Age recommendations are based on the complexity of the game or, in a few cases, mature subject matter, and are usually determined by the manufacturers of the game – most of our regular games are playable by participants aged 12 and up.

Can I volunteer to either be on the board or help the PrairieCon board?
Yes you can! There is a board of nine people who ensure that PrairieCon happens, and board positions do open up.  There are also other volunteer opportunities if a board position is either not available, or not for you.

What do I do when the game that I wanted to play is full? Is there a waiting list or something?
Sadly, we do not maintain waiting lists for games at PrairieCon. If you desperately want to play a game that is full, you have two options. You can find the game master before the event begins and ask if he or she can include another player, or you can hang around the table when the slot begins in case someone does not show up. The odds of either strategy working are not great, so be sure to pre-register early.

Can I get a refund for my badge if I cannot attend?

Yes, as long as it is before May 12th, 2023.

I have a question not listed here, who do I contact?

There are a few places you can try and get your answer from:

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