Masquerade Rules and Guidelines The Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade Rules and Guidelines This page contains the rules for the competition, registration and sign-in process, and what to expect during the show (logistics). We are still tweaking some specifications, so watch this space for changes. Please email masquerade@balticon.org with any questions. Balticon strongly recommends vaccination for all eligible in-person convention attendees. Masking requirements will be based on the Baltimore City/County Community Risk Level in the week prior to Balticon. A Yellow or Green Community Risk Level will require masking in Meeting Rooms, Maryland Ballroom C/D, Art Show, and Dealers Room. Masks will not be required in Con Suite, Hallways and Atrium, but are encouraged. If the Community Risk Level rises to Red, masking will be mandated in all public places at Balticon. Masks will only be required on stage if the Risk Level is Red. All entrants must agree to our Code of Conduct to be part of the Balticon 59 Masquerade. Rules The goal of these rules is to facilitate a fair and safe experience for all contestants. 1. The Marty Gear Memorial Masquerade (Masquerade) will be run according to the Costumers Guild “Division System”. The Division Qualifications for Balticon are not identical to those used for Worldcons. The purpose of having this system is so beginning costumers need not compete with an experienced winner unless they want to do so. We can all compete on our own level against our costuming peers. Contestants will be registered according to the following Divisions: Young Fan, Novice, Journeyman, Craftsman, and Master. The Balticon Division definitions are defined in the Divisions section below. 2. All entrants, including all members of a group entry, must be members of the convention and will be required to show their badges in the Green Room. 3. There will be no live microphones for the contestants’ use. You are not allowed to speak from the stage even without a microphone. See the registration information for providing a script or an audio file. 4. The weapons policy of the con will be strictly adhered to. Weapons that are a part of the costume may be displayed only on stage and only in a safe manner. All weapons must be approved by the Masquerade Director before use. 5. Due to hotel fire regulations, no fire, open flame, flash paper/powder may be used. Electronic sealed flashes are permissible for use by the contestants. 6. Nudity. Since you asked, our general feeling is that if you are comfortable with your skin, so are we…with certain reservations: “No costume” is no costume and won’t win any prizes. Our Judges are of all genders, and are artists, authors, or costumers. They will be judging costumes not bodies. There will be children present (also mundanes). If you feel that nudity is essential to your costume, please limit it to the Masquerade, and keep it covered in the public areas of the hotel. 7. NO FLASH PICTURES WILL BE PERMITTED DURING THE MASQUERADE COMPETITION! Not only does flash photography interfere with the enjoyment of the show, but it can also cause injury to a contestant whose vision or concentration is affected by a flash of light during their presentation. An opportunity to photograph the costumes will be available during judging. 8. Each contestant may appear only once in the competition. 9. Costumes presented as Not In Competition (NIC) will not be eligible for judging or awards, regardless of past history for that costume. 10. Be on time for your call. If you have a good reason for wanting to go on early or late, please tell us when you register, and we will try to accommodate you. If you arrive after you have been called, you may not go on. 11. Groups of from one to four contestants will be permitted a maximum of 60 seconds on stage. Groups of five or more will be permitted a maximum of 120 seconds. Short is better than long. Let your costume speak for itself. If you have any questions about the length of your presentation, please discuss it with the Masquerade Director in advance. 12. Contestants in costume must remain in the Green Room until they go on stage. Any contact with the Presentation Judges prior to the masquerade while a contestant is in costume may be grounds for disqualification of the entrant. 13. You must be able to enter and leave the stage without help in order to appear. Our steps are six feet wide, one foot deep and eight inches high. We will have people available to steady you but not to lift or completely support you. 14. TECH REHEARSAL: Everyone appearing on stage must participate in a tech rehearsal. This gives you practice being on stage and lets the Masquerade Team rehearse lighting, pronouncing your name, and other technical details. You can sign up for a rehearsal time slot when you register online or at con. 15. The Masquerade Director and backstage staff will have full authority to eliminate anyone from the competition based on taste, danger to the audience or other contestants, or for any other reason deemed sufficient.

< List of Vendors Mind’s Eye Bookstore, The Dealer's Room used SF&F books

Convention Information 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. To find any information that you need, select any links below. Online Registration In-person and virtual options Hotel Booking Need a place to stay? Parking & Directions How to get here Just the FAQs Frequently Asked Questions Email balticoninfo@balticon.org Call 410-JOE-BSFS (410-563-2737) Please note: this line is not usually answered live! Leave a message and we'll get back to you. Follow

Balticon 60 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 59 Memberships are available for purchase now, through our Registration portal Buy Badges Full Weekend Memberships 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 Registration Hours Friday 1:00 pm – 10:00 pm Saturday 8:45 am – 7:00 pm Sunday 8:45 am – 5:00 pm Monday 10:00 am – 1:30 pm 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. 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 a Young Adult category, for our members ages 13-25, and children under 12 are free! All children must be accompanied at all times by an adult. Active Duty Military and their family can receive $20 ($10 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.

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 Artists Alley, where you can meet the artists behind the tables, browse a selection of fine art and handcrafted goods, and even commission custom art! 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! Dealers Room Hours: Just outside the Dealers Room, you’ll find Artists Alley, where you can meet the artists behind the tables, browse a selection of fine art and handcrafted goods, and even commission custom art! Day Open Closed Friday, May 23, 2025 2 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturday, May24, 2025 10 a.m. 7 p.m. Sunday, May 25, 2025 10 a.m. 7 p.m. Monday, May 26, 2025 10 a.m. 2 p.m. Dealers & Artists (from Balticon 59) Adventures of Cobasfang, The Four family oriented fantasy novels with coloring books and memorabilia Dealer's Room Read More Art By Brittany Cole Original fantasy, sci fi and whimsical art and art prints. Dealer's Room Read More Bayside Books of Maryland Rare and Used Books of all kinds, but specialized in SF, Fantasy, Weird and genre adjacent Dealer's Room Read More Caezik SF & Fantasy An award-winning small press based in Rockville, Maryland. Dealer's Room Read More Crit Harder Imminent Peril; Potions of Fidgeting; Geeky Arts and Crafts Dealer's Room Read More Dealers Wanted Check out our list of confirmed vendors closer to the con! Read more to learn about becoming a Dealer! Dealer's Room Read More Distractia Kilts, costumes, accessories, and the soap with the dice in it! Dealer's Room Read More Fantaminals Designer of free standing jigsaw puzzles, fretwork, and dragons of all types... Dealer's Room Read More Fantastic Books Independent book publisher. Dealer's Room Read More French, John L. John is an author of science fiction, pulp, horror, fantasy, and, of course, crime fiction. Dealer's Room Read More Games By Bee TTRPG accessories - dice bags, dice trays, pencil cases, and more Dealer's Room Read More Greek Gods Giggling Handmade woodburned home decor and novelty items. Graphic designer. Dealer's Room Read More Heroes' Hoard Heroes Hoard sells handmade gear for those of the geek persuasion, including but not limited to: Cloaks, dice bags, trays, plushes, and keychains. All items are handmade using embroidery and/or sewing. Dealer's Room Read More Jolley, Dan I'm an author, but I'll also be offering some laser-cut wood decorative items. Dealer's Room Read More Jones, N. D. Kuumba Publisher, Fantasy Author fantasy novels, coloring books, and notebooks/journals. Dealer's Room Read More Larry Smith Book Seller, LLC New books: science fiction, fantasy, mystery and oddities Dealer's Room Read More Looking for Artists Check out our list of confirmed Artists closer to the con. Read more if you're interested in joining Artist Alley. Artist Alley Read More Magical Mysteries-Fairy Hair Sparkles Fairy Hair-Silk Sparkle Strands are delicate strands of Sparkling Thai Silk which are hand-tied to individual hairs. Artist Alley Read More Mahali Pengine Ent LLC Novels, Graphic Novels, Comics, Art Prints, and Stickers. Dealer's Room Read More Maryland Writers' Association The Maryland Writers' Association (MWA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the art, business, and craft of writing in all its forms. Dealer's Room Read More Mind’s Eye Bookstore, The used SF&F books Dealer's Room Read More Molly's Sundries Fiber Art Dealer's Room Read More Old Earth Books Publicaions of Old Earth Books Dealer's Room Read More Omnihedral Omnihedral is committed to "enriching life, learning, and doing through curated creative play". Dealer's Room Read More Painting Dragon Feathers Stop by Painting Dragon Feathers to find all kinds of real, extinct, and fantastical animals, from mythozoological specimens, fossil reproductions, dioramas and terrariums, original artworks in block print, scratchboard, watercolor, tarot decks and zines, and novels such as CryptoZoo. Dealer's Room Read More Patrick Thomas Author of Fantasy, SF, Horror, and Mystery books inlcuing Murphy's Lore, Dear Cthulhu, Mystic Investigators, and Bikini Jones. Author or YA, Middle Readers and kids' books as Patrick T. Fibbs. Dealer's Room Read More Pink Lotus Company, The We have crystals, fairies, dragons, tarot cards, accessories of mystical and mythical. Dealer's Room Read More Rare Dandy Gothic fashion, handmade with vintage and secondhand materials. Dealer's Room Read More Running2Write Ben Pick is an indie author of several novels and related merchandise - magnets, bookmarks, and stickers. Dealer's Room Read More Sign of the Unicorn Hand made jewelry in Science Fiction and Fantasy themes, mostly one-of-a-kind, in sterling silver and unusual semi-precious stones; commissions invited. Dealer's Room Read More Silver Satyr Designs Fantasy themed crafts including dioramas in glass jars, jewelry/keychains made from wood, resin, and pu leather. Wooden etched items including coasters, cutting boards, and boxes. A few self published coloring books. Hand painted resin figures. Dealer's Room Read More Sol, Jonathan Jonathan Sol is a Science Fiction & Fantasy author Dealer's Room Read More Steampunk Garage Heavy-duty chainmaille jewelry and scalemaille made from stainless steel and titanium. I'll have some scalemaille dice bags as well as a couple aluminum shoulder pieces. Dealer's Room Read More Tadesse, Besu Books (horror novels and short story collections): The Ghosts of Poplar Valley (ISBN: 979-8986302218), Broken Persons (ISBN: 979-8986302225) Dealer's Room Read More Tigereyes Press Books, mostly small press and imports. Specializing in slipstream and post-new wave sf. Dealer's Room Read More Undiscovered Treasures Jewelry and curios Dealer's Room Read More WOW! Fudge and WOW! Spices fudge, truffles, turtles, toffee, spices Dealer's Room Read More Walt's Cards and Games Cards & Collectables Dealer's Room Read More Wendra Colleen Modern fantasy author: books, short stories, and screenplays Dealer's Room Read More White, Richard C. Author of: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dark Fantasy, New Pulp/Noir, Non-Fiction, Fantasy Noir. Dealer's Room Read More

< List of Vendors Greek Gods Giggling Dealer's Room Greek Gods Giggling, LLC is a Maryland based small business located just south of Baltimore right next to BWI airport. Proud to provide items that are 100% hand-burned. We do not use lasers, CNC machines, or direct transfer of any kind. All pieces are hand drawn onto the wood directly, then burned by hand with a wire-nib wood burning pen. Custom orders are accepted, and most of the items we make can be personalized with names, dates, initials, etc. Handmade woodburned home decor and novelty items. Graphic designer. http://GreekGodsGiggling.com

< List of Vendors WOW! Fudge and WOW! Spices Dealer's Room WOW! All about us. Yes, us. The folks behind this fudge. Yeah, WOW! It’s been a journey that started with a love of fudge. A love of knock-your-socks-off, holy moly, melt-in-your-mouth fudge, not the gritty-fake-gas station pretend stuff in the fancy box that SAYS “Fudge” in pretty letters but it doesn’t sing to your taste buds.Ten years ago we started with a few basic flavors made with the very finest ingredients (sugar, cream and butter) and when we shared our fudge something amazing happened, people put it in their mouth and gave us their “Fudge Face,” which basically means their eyes got big, their cheeks sunk in and their mouth squished up into a big kissy-face UNTIL they could talk again, at which point they would say “WOW! THAT’S FANTASTIC FUDGE!” Followed by “I’ll take a pound of four flavors” Thank you all for enjoying what we love to do for you. fudge, truffles, turtles, toffee, spices http://www.wowfudge.com

Baltimore Gamer Symphony Orchestra Music Guest of Honor The Baltimore Gamer Symphony Orchestra (BGSO) was founded by Kira Levitzky in 2013 shortly after she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, after a tenure in the UMD Gamer Symphony Orchestra. The BGSO performs orchestral arrangements of video game music for the enjoyment of the greater Baltimore community. Along with concerts, we have also worked alongside Baltimore City Schools, Gamescape at Artscape, the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, and Freefall Baltimore, among others, to provide musical enrichment programs such as instrument petting zoos and more. < Back

< List of Vendors Undiscovered Treasures Dealer's Room Jewelry and curios

< List of Vendors Tadesse, Besu Dealer's Room Books (horror novels and short story collections): The Ghosts of Poplar Valley (ISBN: 979-8986302218), Broken Persons (ISBN: 979-8986302225)

Programming Friday Night Filk Circle TBA Read More Miniature Painting Workshops TBA Read More

Vendors Magical Mysteries-Fairy Hair Sparkles Artist Alley Fairy Hair-Silk Sparkle Strands are delicate strands of Sparkling Thai Silk which are hand-tied to individual hairs. Read More Pink Lotus Company, The Dealer's Room We have crystals, fairies, dragons, tarot cards, accessories of mystical and mythical. Read More Molly's Sundries Dealer's Room Fiber Art Read More Painting Dragon Feathers Dealer's Room Stop by Painting Dragon Feathers to find all kinds of real, extinct, and fantastical animals, from mythozoological specimens, fossil reproductions, dioramas and terrariums, original artworks in block print, scratchboard, watercolor, tarot decks and zines, and novels such as CryptoZoo. Read More Maryland Writers' Association Dealer's Room The Maryland Writers' Association (MWA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting the art, business, and craft of writing in all its forms. Read More Heroes' Hoard Dealer's Room Heroes Hoard sells handmade gear for those of the geek persuasion, including but not limited to: Cloaks, dice bags, trays, plushes, and keychains. All items are handmade using embroidery and/or sewing. Read More Jolley, Dan Dealer's Room I'm an author, but I'll also be offering some laser-cut wood decorative items. Read More Games By Bee Dealer's Room TTRPG accessories - dice bags, dice trays, pencil cases, and more Read More Caezik SF & Fantasy Dealer's Room An award-winning small press based in Rockville, Maryland. Read More Larry Smith Book Seller, LLC Dealer's Room New books: science fiction, fantasy, mystery and oddities Read More Crit Harder Dealer's Room Imminent Peril; Potions of Fidgeting; Geeky Arts and Crafts Read More Tadesse, Besu Dealer's Room Books (horror novels and short story collections): The Ghosts of Poplar Valley (ISBN: 979-8986302218), Broken Persons (ISBN: 979-8986302225) Read More Wendra Colleen Dealer's Room Modern fantasy author: books, short stories, and screenplays Read More Dealers Wanted Dealer's Room Check out our list of confirmed vendors closer to the con! Read more to learn about becoming a Dealer! Read More Walt's Cards and Games Dealer's Room Cards & Collectables Read More Running2Write Dealer's Room Ben Pick is an indie author of several novels and related merchandise - magnets, bookmarks, and stickers. Read More Art By Brittany Cole Dealer's Room Original fantasy, sci fi and whimsical art and art prints. Read More Sign of the Unicorn Dealer's Room Hand made jewelry in Science Fiction and Fantasy themes, mostly one-of-a-kind, in sterling silver and unusual semi-precious stones; commissions invited. Read More Fantastic Books Dealer's Room Independent book publisher. Read More Patrick Thomas Dealer's Room Author of Fantasy, SF, Horror, and Mystery books inlcuing Murphy's Lore, Dear Cthulhu, Mystic Investigators, and Bikini Jones. Author or YA, Middle Readers and kids' books as Patrick T. Fibbs. Read More Mahali Pengine Ent LLC Dealer's Room Novels, Graphic Novels, Comics, Art Prints, and Stickers. Read More Old Earth Books Dealer's Room Publicaions of Old Earth Books Read More Mind’s Eye Bookstore, The Dealer's Room used SF&F books Read More Adventures of Cobasfang, The Dealer's Room Four family oriented fantasy novels with coloring books and memorabilia Read More Greek Gods Giggling Dealer's Room Handmade woodburned home decor and novelty items. Graphic designer. Read More Fantaminals Dealer's Room Designer of free standing jigsaw puzzles, fretwork, and dragons of all types... Read More Tigereyes Press Dealer's Room Books, mostly small press and imports. Specializing in slipstream and post-new wave sf. Read More Omnihedral Dealer's Room Omnihedral is committed to "enriching life, learning, and doing through curated creative play". Read More Sol, Jonathan Dealer's Room Jonathan Sol is a Science Fiction & Fantasy author Read More Undiscovered Treasures Dealer's Room Jewelry and curios Read More French, John L. Dealer's Room John is an author of science fiction, pulp, horror, fantasy, and, of course, crime fiction. Read More Silver Satyr Designs Dealer's Room Fantasy themed crafts including dioramas in glass jars, jewelry/keychains made from wood, resin, and pu leather. Wooden etched items including coasters, cutting boards, and boxes. A few self published coloring books. Hand painted resin figures. Read More WOW! Fudge and WOW! Spices Dealer's Room fudge, truffles, turtles, toffee, spices Read More Bayside Books of Maryland Dealer's Room Rare and Used Books of all kinds, but specialized in SF, Fantasy, Weird and genre adjacent Read More White, Richard C. Dealer's Room Author of: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dark Fantasy, New Pulp/Noir, Non-Fiction, Fantasy Noir. Read More Steampunk Garage Dealer's Room Heavy-duty chainmaille jewelry and scalemaille made from stainless steel and titanium. I'll have some scalemaille dice bags as well as a couple aluminum shoulder pieces. Read More Jones, N. D. Dealer's Room Kuumba Publisher, Fantasy Author fantasy novels, coloring books, and notebooks/journals. Read More Distractia Dealer's Room Kilts, costumes, accessories, and the soap with the dice in it! Read More Rare Dandy Dealer's Room Gothic fashion, handmade with vintage and secondhand materials. Read More Looking for Artists Artist Alley Check out our list of confirmed Artists closer to the con. Read more if you're interested in joining Artist Alley. Read More