< Back Board Gaming We will have a wide selection of board games to play and over two dozen scheduled games to join. You can also bring your own games and sit down at a table. Our staff will be familiar with most of the available games. In addition to our scheduled game demos, we can usually teach or demo almost any of our games if you’d like. The Game Room hours are: We Also Have Two TCG Tournaments: Balticon 60 will continue it's two Open Draft Tournaments: BattleTech Gothic (Saturday) and Magic: The Gathering TCG (Sunday). Entry for these tournaments is included with your Balticon membership! We have 16 seats for the BattleTech Gothic Tournament and 24 seats for the Magic: the Gathering TCG Tournament. This is an open draft tournament, which means WE provide all the cards and YOU get to take them home with you ! The top three players receive prizes, and ALL participants receive extra card packs. Spaces are limited! Programming change: *Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of our control, we were unable to secure the requisite Pokémon Cards for a Pokémon TCG Draft this year. We will be replacing this event with a BattleTech Gothic One-on-One Duel Draft Tournament instead. We apologize to our attendees who were looking forward to this event, and hope you will join us for BattleTech instead. Select the card to go to their respective sign-up form! (Reg. will open soon!) Registration: Battle Tech Gothic Draft Registration: MTG Draft Tournament: Board Game schedule All games are held in the Hal Haag Memorial Game Room (Watertable B) unless otherwise noted 8 Tables 25+ Scheduled Demos 150+ Games in Our Library

< Back Video Gaming We're still working on the full details of our video gaming room this year. Unfortunately, there will be no video game tournaments this year. But that doesn't mean that we wont have any video games, we do. Get your game on! Balticon 60 will feature 10 consoles this year, and our game library has approx 350 games , with both modern and retro consoles available. Reach out to gaming@balticon.org if you have games you really want to see! Tables Scheduled Demos 350 + Games in Our Library

Gaming RPG Gaming Balticon 60 will have 3 tables now, 40+ game sessions, and round-the-clock tabletop role-playing games (RPG) where attendees can join one of our scheduled sessions. We also have a rpg library that has over 650 rpg books available. Games will take place between 4 p.m. Friday and Noon Monday. Throw for damage! Read More Board Gaming We will have a wide selection of board games to play and over two dozen scheduled games to join. You can also bring your own games and sit down at a table. Our staff will be familiar with most of the available games. In addition to our scheduled game demos, we can usually teach or demo almost any of our games if you’d like. Read More Video Gaming We're still working on the full details of our video gaming room this year. Unfortunately, there will be no video game tournaments this year. But that doesn't mean that we wont have any video games, we do. Read More

Whether you love science with your fiction or costumes with your books, at Balticon we do too! Join 1500+ fans of all backgrounds to celebrate Science Fiction and Fantasy with 300+ hours of diverse programming: meet authors, publishers, editors, cosplay experts, Twitch live-streamers, renowned scientists and tech innovators. Sing along with our filkers, see our stunning Art Show and Masquerade, laugh and cry at our Film Festival. We’ve got something for everyone A four day celebration of Science Fiction and Fantasy! Get your geek on Profoundly uncool since 1967 Balticon 59 Testimonials: We are already planning our return in 2026 for your 60th Balticon! ~ Matt B. I had an amazing time at Balticon this year. ~ Ann P. Thank you for all the hard work to make Balticon 59 happen. ~ Helen J. I had a great time. ~ Charles R. I hope you invite the BGSO back again! ~ Dan R. My wife and I have attended every Balticon since 2008 and this year's con was one of the best. The programs were nicely mixed between Writing, Science, History, and Miscellaneous. The speakers and panelists were almost all extremely well informed. We are already registered for next year. ~ George Whether you love science with your fiction or costumes with your books, we do too! While our central theme is writing, literature, and authors, our dynamic program has something everyone can appreciate. Join over fifteen hundred fans of all backgrounds as we gather to celebrate Science Fiction and Fantasy with more than 300 hours of diverse programming, from award-winning authors and publishers to twitch live-streamers, from cosplay experts to renowned scientists and tech innovators. Sing along with our filkers, soak in our stunning Art Show and Masquerade, laugh and cry at our Film Festival. We’ve got something for everyone.Balticon exists to celebrate the creation and appreciation of science fiction and fantasy in all its expressions, by bringing together fans of all backgrounds in a warm, welcoming environment. Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade Scroll through our gallery to view our judges and contestants. A list of this year's winners can be found here. Balticon 60 Program Schedule Guests of Honor Jim Butcher Author Guest of Honor Frank Wu Artist Guest of Honor Andy Weir 2026 Robert A. Heinlein Award Hayley Gelfuso 2026 Compton Crook Winner The Faithful Sidekicks Music Guest of Honor Jennifer Blackstream Special Guest Samantha Mills 2025 Compton Crook Winner "Balticon Anywhere" plans to return in 2026! Buy your Membership Adult (25+) $89 Young Adult (13 - 24) $45 Child (12 and under) ALWAYS FREE Virtual Only $30 Workshops FOUR DAYS OF EVENTS TRINKETS FOR SALE Dealers Room & Artist Alley Balticon’s Dealers Room is like a pop-up mini mall of geeky goodness. You’ll find an assortment of vendors with all sorts of fannish delights, including books, games and gaming accessories, collectibles, clothing, jewelry, and more! Just outside the Dealers Room, you’ll find Artist Alley , where you can meet the artists behind the tables, browse a selection of fine art and handcrafted goods, and even commission custom art! GAMES TO PLAY RPGs, Board Games, and Video Games With three full rooms of gaming, there's sure to be something you'll like! Our RPG room has drop-in round-the-clock tabletop role-playing games, including demos of new systems and scheduled games with old favorites. The Board Games room has scheduled drop-in games as well as our game library where you can pick for yourself. And our Video Game room brings you both modern and retro video gaming! COME IN COSTUME Cosplay Contest The Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade is a cosplay contest with history! Individual and Group contestants take the stage for a short presentation showcasing their costuming skills. We'll also have panels all weekend long on how to craft your own costumes, and a chance to interact with some of our cosplay experts! Partners STAY IN THE KNOW Enter your email here Sign Up Thanks for submitting!

< Back RPG Gaming Balticon 60 will have 3 tables now, 40+ game sessions, and round-the-clock tabletop role-playing games (RPG) where attendees can join one of our scheduled sessions. We also have a rpg library that has over 650 rpg books available. Games will take place between 4 p.m. Friday and Noon Monday. Throw for damage! What's your AC? Our GMs has diverse interests and broad experiences running various game systems. You can expect that the offerings this year will run the gamut of genres, settings, and historical epochs! GMs may prepare a single drop-in session, or plan a game over multiple days and times. Our volunteers will manage the RPG room. Responsibilities include keeping track of game sign-up sheets, letting GMs know when their session is almost over, helping to make sure tables are ready for the next game, and having fun. Thanks and “may all your hits be crits!” — The Balticon 60 RPG Team RPG Player Sign-Ups 3 Tables 40+ Scheduled Demos 650+ Games in Our Library

< Back Evelyn Lewis Costuming, Science, Content Creator Cosplay Evelyn Lewis is the producer, editor, and one of the hosts for the podcast Tolkien About It. Evelyn's father, Professor Robert Lewis, has used Tolkien and Lord of the Rings in his masters and doctorate publications, along with now using it in the college courses he teaches. Evelyn, despite reading many fantasy books, never read Lord of the Rings before. Starting as a pandemic project, Evelyn and Robert started the podcast discussing the Lord of the Rings chapter by chapter as Evelyn reads it for the first time and Robert for about the Hundredth. Now, Evelyn has been converted into a Tolkien fan and the Podcast continues talking about all things Tolkien with the aim of having interesting topics for new and seasoned fans from a multi generational perspective. Evelyn is also a comic and fandom historian, as well as part of the LGBT+ community and works for inclusion of everyone in fandom. She also is a multi-award winning cosplayer and an experienced GM for ttrpg. Other Socials

< Back Evelyn Lewis Science Scientist Evelyn is an evolutionary and environmental biologist currently working at Owl Moon Raptor Center, a bird of prey rescue and rehabilitation facility. She earned her degree from Old Dominion University and previously worked at the Virginia Zoo in Norfolk, VA. Her research spans various topics, with published papers on bacteriophages, mating and breeding behaviors of animals in captivity, a conservation reevaluation of the Asian saltwater crocodile, and, her proudest work, a study on public education and engagement in zoo conservation efforts. Passionate about wildlife conservation and education, she is dedicated to bridging the gap between research and public awareness. Other Socials

< Back Robert Lewis Literary Author Robert has been a Geek since elementary school. It began with comics (and he still collects them) and Sci-Fi books. In high school, he discovered great fantasy writing. He is the co-host of the podcast Tolkien About It. Robert is also on the editorial staff with The Tolkien Society. He is the owner and operator of The Comic Appraisers. Robert presented "The Personification of Evil in Comics" at Doxacon. He teaches two Art History classes at a University of Maryland campus - Understanding Movies and Film & American Culture Studies. In addition, he also teaches philosophy and ethics. Robert is also a moderate-liberal theologian, having studied at Boston University and Loyola University New Orleans. Robert considers his crowning achievement to be raising two children, now adults, who can rattle off more Geek trivia than he can. Other Socials

< Back Jana Brown Literary Editor Jana S. Brown entered the world of publishing in the mid-90s and has never looked back. She’s worked as a fiction writer, technical writer, editor, presenter, author coach, and a host of other positions. In the last several years, she’s assisted in the creation of bestselling and award-winning novels in the self-publishing space as well as working as an editor with small presses and as an acceptance editor for Book Cave, a book promotion company. She has twenty books published across three pennames, as well as a host of articles and award-winning anthology tales, and adores helping other creators reach their goals. Her amazing family and fuzzy sidekicks provide her with support, inspiration, and amusement, sometimes not in that order. Other Socials

< Back John Appel Literary Author John Appel is a science fiction, fantasy, and RPG adventure writer. Now retired from the IT trenches, he lives with his wife and two adult children smack between downtown Baltimore and downtown Annapolis and makes daily trips to the word mines. His debut novel ASSASSIN’S ORBIT was published by Rebellion in July 2021 and was a finalist for the 2022 Compton Crook Award. John is a graduate of the Viable Paradise workshop and a founding member of the Maryland Space Opera Collective writing group (MD SPOC). Other Socials

Guests of Honor Jim Butcher Author Guest of Honor Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. Read More Hayley Gelfuso 2026 Compton Crook Winner Hayley Gelfuso won the 2026 Compton Crook Award for her novel The Book of Lost Hours Read More Samantha Mills 2025 Compton Crook Winner Samantha Mills won the 2025 Compton Crook Award for her novel The Wings Upon Her Back Read More Frank Wu Artist Guest of Honor Frank is a two-time AnLab Award winner for outstanding science fiction writing, six-time Analog contributor, and a four-time Hugo Award winner. Read More The Faithful Sidekicks Music Guest of Honor The Faithful Sidekicks are the husband and wife Geek Rock duo of Eric and Jen Distad. Read More Andy Weir 2026 Robert A. Heinlein Award Andy Weir, novelist, is the 2026 winner of the Robert A. Heinlein Award. Read More Jennifer Blackstream Special Guest Jennifer Blackstream is a USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and fantasy romance. Read More

Programming Miniature Painting Workshops By Kron! Come learn to paint miniatures of all kinds with our esteemed Master miniature painter, Lord Kron! Read More Friday Night Filk Circle TBA Read More