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Balticon 61 memberships are available for purchase now! Book your hotel stay to enjoy the convention all weekend long without the drive, and get the best rate with our room block. Registration & Hotel Balticon 61 Memberships will be available for purchase soon, through our Registration portal. Buy Badges Full Weekend Memberships These are 2026 prices, 2027 prices will be updated soon. Adult (25+) Young Adult (13 - 24) Child (12 and under) Winter Rate (Through Feb 28) $75 $38 Always free Early Bird Rate (March 1 - April 15) $80 $40 Advance Rate (April 16 - May 15) $85 $43 Full Weekend (May 16 - At The Door) $89 $45 Friday $40 $20 Saturday $50 $25 Sun/Mon $60 $30 Sunday $45 $23 Monday $30 $15 Virtual Only $30 *Age is of the first day of the con. ** Virtual Memberships are included with ALL memberships *** Active Duty military and their family receive $30 off ANY membership ($15 for Young Adults) at the door with valid ID Renaissance Harborplace Hotel Balticon will be held at The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel , 202 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202, USA, inside the Baltimore Inner Harbor Entertainment District. Multiple shops, restaurants and entertainment venues are adjacent to the hotel. Public Transportation: Routes and schedules for bus and light rail are available on the MTA website. Room Parties: I f you wish to host a party in your room, please contact the party coordinator at Party@Balticon.org for party guidelines and how to reserve a room on the party floor. The room rate this year is $167.00 plus taxes. Reservations Toll Free: 1-877-212-5752 Reservations Local Phone: 1-800-468-3571 Hotel Registration Frequently asked questions Registration Accessibility Balticon Anywhere General Questions Am I registered yet? We know how hard it is to keep track of a tiny receipt for an entire year! If you want to check on the status of your registration, you can always visit https://reg.balticon.org/checkReg.php . If you do not want your name to appear on the site at all, please contact registration@balticon.org and ask to be removed from the Am I Registered Yet? feature. Please note that if you opt out, the only way to check the status of your registration will be to email us at registration@balticon.org and have our volunteers check manually. How do I get my badge? All badges will be at Balticon Registration, on the 5th floor of the hotel, in the Maryland Foyer. When you arrive at the hotel, take the elevators or stairs up to the 5th floor, then follow the signs. We are NOT in the same location as Hotel Registration. Which line do I stand in? For pickup of ALL badge types, start at the Check-in line. If you are not pre-registered and are purchasing your badge at the door, you will then head to the Cashier to finish payment. If you are pre-registering for next year and have ALREADY picked up your badge, you can go straight to the Cashier line. What payment methods do you accept? For online registration, we accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. You can also pay by check or money order through our mail-in registration. At the door, we accept cash, check or money orders, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Are there any discounts available? Yes! We have discounts for: Young Adult category, for our members ages 13-25, Children under 12 are free! All children must be accompanied at all times by an adult. Active Duty Military and their family can receive $30 ($15 for Young Adult) off any membership at the door with valid ID. What about one-day memberships? Our early registration pricing is a really great deal if you might want to stay a second day, and a full-weekend membership is cheaper than two single days combined. However, if you really only have one day available, one-day memberships are available for purchase at the door, as well as upgrades from one-day to full-weekend. What if I'm attending with young children? Children 12 and under are free! We provide registration for Child badges along with your online registration, or they can be added at the door. When you arrive, we will provide a wristband with your phone number for your child to wear as well as their badge, since we understand that small children frequently remove their badges (for older children, it’s up to you whether you want one or not). Maryland state law requires that children under age 8 be accompanied by an adult at all times. We have a Children’s Programming track with activities for our youngest fans, including an option for short-term drop off, and the convention space is very stroller-friendly. Can I pick up my spouse/girlfriend/child's membership as well as my own? Maybe! You can pick up someone else’s membership IF one of the following is true: The two memberships share a last name. The two memberships share an address. The two memberships were purchased on the same transaction. You have ID for both memberships. Please double check badge names with the rest of your party before arriving. Do I have to use my real name? Yes and no. We use ID to match up the registration with the person who purchased the badge, so the “legal name” field on your registration does need to match some form of ID that you carry. The legal name field is only visible to Registration staff and is not used in any other capacity. You can use your preferred name for the rest of the registration, and your badge can say anything you want! (We currently cannot print special characters or emojis, and we request that you keep your Badge Name within the realm of good taste.) Do I have to show ID? No. You are more than welcome to pay cash for a badge at the door. However, if you purchased a badge, we would like to make sure that no one else picks up your badge, and that only you get the badge you paid for. We are very reasonable about what we consider valid ID, and your ID information is never stored anywhere; we just need to know the badge is going to the right person. You may also bring your receipt as proof of purchase, either printed or electronically. What happens to my email address if I give it to you? We will email you a copy of your receipt, if you register online or request an emailed receipt in person. We will email your personalized login link to access Balticon Anywhere and our virtual convention. We may use it to contact you individually if we need to (i.e. we found something with your name on it in our Lost & Found, you purchased a piece of artwork, there’s a question about your registration, etc). Our Publicity team will send out an informative email just before the convention to remind you about parking and where to pick up your badge, and we will subscribe you to our email newsletter (with an easy unsubscribe button at the bottom of every email), but we NEVER share your information without your explicit permission. What happens to my phone number if I give it to you? We may use it to contact you individually if we need to (i.e. we found something with your name on it in our Lost & Found, you purchased a piece of artwork, there’s a question about your registration, etc). We NEVER share your information without your explicit permission.

Hotel Balticon will once again be at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel , inside the Baltimore Inner Harbor Entertainment District. We are close to multiple shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues, and accessible by public transit or by car. Reserve your Room ADDRESS 202 East Pratt Street Baltimore, MD 21202 PARKING Balticon has secure discounted parking for our guests. Please visit our Parking page for more information. PUBLIC TRANSIT Routes and schedules for bus and light rail are available on the MTA website . BOOK YOUR ROOM Stay in the hotel and never miss a moment! Our room block keeps you part of the con all weekend long. More info... Balticon Room Block Stay in the hotel and never miss a minute of Balticon! We've negotiated the best room rate possible for you, either a King or Double Queen room. Full details on rooms are available on the hotel's website. By booking through our block, not only do you get the best rate, but you help support us, too. Space is limited! The room rate this year is $167.00 plus taxes. Reserve your Room When you book your room, you can tell the hotel about any special requests for your room. We ask that you also send an email to us at hotel@balticon.org so we can help the hotel pay attention to your request. To make reservations by phone, please use the dedicated Group Reservations number: Reservations Toll Free: 1-877-212-5752 Reservations Local Phone: 1-800-468-3571 and use group code BALTICON 2026. Got Questions? Use this form to submit your addtional room requests, request space on the Party Floor, or any other questions about hotel reservations. You can also email us at hotel@balticon.org Open Room Parties Balticon groups all Room Parties on the same floor to minimize disturbing other attendees and hotel guests. If you're planning a party, whether open or not, let us know and we'll make sure you're on the Party floor. First name Last name Email* I have a question about... Message Submit

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 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. Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade Winners Guests of Honor Guess Who? 2027 Guest of Honor Guess Who? 2027 Guest of Honor Guess Who? 2027 Robert A. Heinlein Award Guess Who? 2027 Compton Crook Winner The PDX Broadsides 2027 Music Guest of Honor Guess Who? 2027 Special Guest Hayley Gelfuso 2026 Compton Crook Winner "Balticon Anywhere" plans to return in 2027! 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 Alan Smale Literary Author Alan Smale writes alternate history, historical fantasy, and hard SF. His novella of a Roman invasion of ancient America, “A Clash of Eagles”, won the Sidewise Award for Alternate History, and his novels set in the same universe, Clash of Eagles, Eagle in Exile, and Eagle and Empire (2015-2017), are available from Del Rey. His “Roman baseball” collaboration with Rick Wilber, The Wandering Warriors, came out from WordFire Press in 2020, and Hot Moon, his alternate-Apollo thriller set entirely on and around the Moon, was launched by CAEZIK SF & Fantasy in July 2022, with sequel Radiant Sky released in November 2024. Alan has sold 50+ pieces of short fiction to Asimov’s, Galaxy’s Edge, Abyss & Apex, and numerous other magazines and original anthologies, and his non-fiction essays have appeared in Lightspeed, Journey Planet, and Galaxy's Edge. Check out his Web site or follow him on social media. Other Socials https://www.alansmale.com

< Back Dr. Pamela Gay Science Scientist I am an astronomer, technologist, and creative focused on using new media to engage people in learning and doing science. Join me as we map our Solar System in unprecedented detail through our citizen science projects at CosmoQuest.org, and learn astronomy through media productions like Astronomy Cast and Escape Velocity Space News. In addition to hosting these shows, I post science articles and essays on Medium, and write articles that have appeared in Astronomy, Sky and Telescope, and Lightspeed magazines. I’ve had the chance to appear on TV shows like The Universe and was part of the Weather Channel's eclipse coverage. Other Socials

< Back C.D. Brown Literary Author C.D. Brown is a writer and filmmaker from New Orleans. He edits and publishes the fantasy magazine Dirty Magick and is the author of the fantasy novels "Fate's Stiletto" and "Vamp City," along with the literary novel "Looking Back On Sodom" and one short story collection (both as Charles D. Brown). He has made two feature films (as Charlie Brown) and his short fiction has recently appeared in the anthologies "Aeon 2020," "Generation X-ed," and "Unicorns vs. Clowns in Hell." Over the past four years, he has directed "Escape From the Secret Lab," a live streaming musical game show featuring local New Orleans bands. He is a full-time instructor of First Year Writing at Tulane University and is a member of the Horror Writers Association. Other Socials

< Back Caleb Gaming Game Master Just a guy who likes running tabletop games. I've run for two years previously, and will be running for the third this year. Other Socials

< Back Lisa Hodorovych Literary Author Writing has always been a constant for Lisa. Ever since she was little, she knew she was going to be an author and now, she is living her dream. When she is not working on her own writing, she is working with others on their stories through her company, Quoth the Writer. She currently lives in New Jersey with her husband, John. When she is not working at all, she is either watching her favorite movies or TV shows, reading, or spending time with her family, friends, and husband. Other Socials

< Back Terra Luna A scientist working alone finds herself in a situation...something is not right... Annie is the lone inhabitant of a lunar research facility with nobody to talk to but the AI robot programmed to monitor her health and annoy her. In the midst of her increasing loneliness, she discovers something on her computer that changes everything. https://www.lentzfilm.com/terraluna Previous Next

< Back Zack Be Literary Author Zack Be is an author, obscure songwriter, and psychotherapist trapped in the Washington, D.C. area gravity well. His fiction has appeared in Analog Science Fiction and Fact, Asimov's Science Fiction, Writers of the Future Vol. 36, and The Science Fiction Tarot anthology. In 2024, he was named the grand prize winner of the Jim Baen Memorial Science Fiction Award for excellence in near-future, forward-thinking science fiction for his story "Locus of Control." He is also the editor of Inner Workings, an anthology of SFF stories and craft writing essays available now from Calendar of Fools. More info about Zack's writing and music can be found at zackbe.com or anywhere @bezackbe. Other Socials

< Back Emily Anne Lewis Filk Musician Emily got hooked on filk as a member of Sassafrass. Having played Baldur in Sassafrass' production "Sundown" at Balticon 2012, Emily has come back to Balticon ever since then, now serving as the second in command for the Music track. Emily is an avid scifi/fantasy fan and songwriter/singer. Other Socials

< Back Martin Wilsey Literary Author Martin Wilsey is a full-time author and creator of the bestselling SOLSTICE 31 SAGA. Mr. Wilsey's first novel, STILL FALLING, was published on March 31st, 2015. Less than three years and over half a million published words later, he retired from his career as a research scientist for a government-funded think tank. As a full-time science fiction writer, Mr. Wilsey still uses his research and whiteboard skills to keep the books flowing. He likes to put science back into science fiction. On his blog, he writes a weekly webcomic and shares his inspirations and views on life. In addition to writing, he has begun to expand his efforts into publishing through Tannhäuser Press, audio narration, and podcasting. Mr. Wilsey has more projects than he has time. Please feel free to email him and distract him even more. He and his wife, Brenda, live in Virginia with their cats, Brandy and Bailey, and his dog, Whiskey. Other Socials