VOLUNTEERS

Core Con 11 is absolutely thrilled to announce a new competition at this year’s convention! The Very Outrageous Legendary Ultimate Non-stop Test of Extreme Endurance and Rad-itude Showdown (or VOLUNTEERS) will begin the…

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Con Survival 101

Whether you are new to conventions or a pro, remember these few suggestions to make your visit to any convention enjoyable and safe. A convention like CoreCon has activities and events galore. Don’t get so busy you forget to take care of you! Here is a helpful guide to enjoy everything to the fullest extent. (more…)

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Core Con Costume Contest and Children’s Masquerade

The CoreCon Costume Contest is the time when convention attendees get to highlight all the hard work that goes into costuming. The fun begins on Saturday afternoon with a masquerade for children. The children’s masquerade is a fun event where anyone under the age of 12 can show off their awesome costumes. There’s no formal judging, just judges who can give you tips and information on how to get into costuming. This is the place where CoreCon Kids can get their feet wet without having to walk through the main competition in front of a large audience.

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CoreCon 2018 Charity

Since CoreCon accepts donations in order to be able to have an event each year, we make a huge effort to give back to the community in various ways. Some of our most recognized events include raising money through the annual Extra Life fundraiser and organizing blood drives. We also select a charity to benefit through a silent auction at each convention.

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Youth Events at CoreCon X

CoreCon isn’t just for adults! In fact, we try really hard to make sure people under eighteen feel like they get just as much out of CoreCon as their older peers do. This is a family event. Most of the people who organize and attend CoreCon have children that they want to make sure feel included as much as possible, even if they can’t attend every panel. So since we have some 18+ rooms and panels, we gave children and young adults their own rooms and events, too!

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Be Different!

There are debates among nerds over all sorts of things. Is Star Trek better than Star Wars? Did Han shoot first? What was up with the ending of Inception? Even though some things can be settled with facts, these fights will still continue because of how passionate we are about our fandoms. And that’s fine. We don’t mind healthy arguments and debates. It’s when you cross into the area of straight up bullying someone that we get really angry. And you wouldn’t like us when we’re angry.

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House Is Where The Heart Is

Character Name: Gary “House” Williams
Class: Orc
Race: Half-Giant
Height: 6’6”
Strength: 24 (used to haul items for CoreCon)
Constitution: 24
Sarcasm: 38
Intelligence: 12 (arguably higher but we docked points for his jokes)
Charisma: 30
Wisdom: 26
Volunteerism: 152

CoreCon began ten years ago with the idea of “By The Fans, For The Fans.” One fan in particular deserves special notice. This gentle orc would give you the chainmail off his back if you needed it, and CoreCon would not be the same without House.

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Becoming Hagrid

One of the costumes people couldn’t stop talking about at CoreCon IX was Hagrid. He was massive and even had a magical pink umbrella! Kevin Ruddy won Fan Favorite and Best in Show during the costume contest, so we asked him to tell us about what it was like to become Hagrid.

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Confidence Through Cosplay

Guest Writer: BBDesign Cosplay

Imagine a world in which you can express your passions and hobbies without being criticized or belittled but rather praised in a welcoming environment that encourages you just to be, well, you! Imagine spending hours upon hours on creating a character that you look up to or share similar personality traits with and showcasing that to a community that you can be comfortable demonstrating that confidence.

Wait a minute. Comfortable showing confidence? Isn’t that kind of backwards?

Not for me, Brittney of BBDesign Cosplay, in the cosplay world and in the Fargo-Moorhead community. Cosplay has given me so much confidence to express who I am in and out of character. Over the years, I have figured out a couple of reasons why.

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Mind Consul: Kim Odegaard

There are three Consuls, or heads, of CoreCon: Mind, Body, and Soul. They make all of the tough decisions that no one else wants to and oversee every department. Mind Consul Kim Odegaard has been a part of CoreCon since the very beginning. Alongside Body Consul Tyler Schara and Soul Consul Sarah “Kitten” Danielson-Ruddy, she does her best to ensure each year is better than the last!

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The Save Point Photo Room: Capturing Your CoreCon Memories

A picture is worth a thousand words, so it might seem a little pointless to write a blog when we could just show you a slideshow. But pictures won’t capture how much effort our volunteer photographers put in each year to make sure that every great moment is captured on film forever.

There are a lot of things that happen at CoreCon each year, and we are blessed to have so many talented photographers who want to make sure that you can remember it all through images. You’ll be able to spot most of them at panels, tournaments, and just walking around, talking to people and snapping photos. In case you can’t find one of them, they also have a designated photography room called The Save Point.

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Panels: Make Friends and Share Knowledge

Panels are one of the biggest parts of any convention. These are scheduled slots of time in which a group of people can reserve a room and do… well, pretty much anything they want (within reason). The panel is advertised in the program guide and heralded throughout the convention, so other attendees can join the fun. They’re the best way for people with common interests to come together and discuss them.  (more…)

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The Registration Team: Making Your First Few Minutes At CoreCon Great!

If you’ve ever attended CoreCon before, you’re at least somewhat familiar with the Registration team. They’re the ones who greet you at the front desk to take your payment in exchange for your badge and a welcome packet. You probably don’t see them for the rest of the convention. So it’s got to be an easy job, right? WRONG!

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Costume Contacts & Circle Lenses: A Long Blog Post That Is Both Fascinating And Good For Your Brain

Don’t lose sight of this post! [We’re starting with an eye-related pun so that everyone knows Doug Beierle had a hand in making this one possible.]

“The words that come out of Doug’s mouth do not necessarily represent CoreCon, DCon, Anime Fargo, Digital Grail, his family or friends. Use caution if listening.” This is the quote written on Doug Beierle’s shirt. He is a walking hazard and requires a disclaimer from our CoreCon staff. However, we are giving you express permission to listen to him today. In fact, we are urging you to heed his advice.

Doug is a Bad Joke Generator, but more importantly, he’s an optician. He’s seen people sacrifice their eyesight and put themselves at risk of future problems for the sake of a good costume. Costume contacts, or circle lenses, can be a really cool addition to a cosplay character, but it’s important to do proper research before getting yourself a pair.

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CoreCon’s Security Team

Our volunteers take many things into account when arranging events for the convention, and the biggest one is safety. We don’t want anyone getting hurt, so we do everything we can to prepare for the worst. While our medical team focuses on any potential medical emergencies, the security team works on arranging emergency safety plans.

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CoreCon’s Operations Team

CoreCon is considered a vacation for some. Even if you live within walking distance of the convention, being able to hole up in the hotel with nothing but your fellow gamers, cosplayers, furries, or whoever else can be the best thing. But just like any other vacation, your entire weekend can be ruined by losing something. When you’re not at home, misplacing an item can feel like an emergency. And if the thing you’ve lost is your medicine, it might actually be one. There’s where Operations (or Ops) comes in. (more…)

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CoreCon’s Medic and The Pickle Juice Incident

The Inner Core team wants to share what they love about Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, and Anime with like-minded fans. That’s why CoreCon was started ten years ago. We want to let everyone have a space where they can really let their nerd flag fly and have an unlimited amount of fun. [Disclaimer: Fun supplies may be limited. Get yours now while supplies last.] You can’t have fun without safety (supposedly), so we have several teams who work hard to do all the serious stuff behind-the-scenes and keep you out of harm’s way! This blog will cover the first department: Medical. (more…)

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WTF (What The Fun) Is A Spark Station?

CoreCon is getting crafty! Beginning in 2018, for the first time ever, we will have our very own craft room! Spark Station will be a place to spark your creativity, learn some new skills, and take home a fun and unique souvenir from the convention! There will be a full schedule of crafting sessions available in the program guide, but if you want to help make this room extra awesome, we’ll tell you how! (more…)

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Extra Life Interview With Steve Dekrey

November 4th is the day when gamers around the country will dedicate 24 hours purely to gaming. While this may not be too different from what these gamers do every day, November 4th is different because they will be raising money for Extra Life and the Children’s Miracle Network. To help people understand how important this event is, we talked to Steve Dekrey, president of the Extra Life Guild of North Dakota. (more…)

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The 4th Annual Worst Human Tournament

The 4th Annual Worst Human Tournament is designed to be as offensive as possible, and it succeeds in doing just that. This is an annual event, and while they have had smaller tournaments throughout past years (like at CoreCon), this will be the only one happening for 2017, so you better be there!  It happens November 11th, and this blog post should provide you with all the information you need to be crowned The Worst Human. (more…)

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CoreCon is Memorial Day weekend!

Emily says, “Join the Rebel Legion. Stop the Empire!”

With all of the heroic or villainous tasks you have to do on a day-to-day basis, maybe you hadn’t heard, but   CoreCon is changing their dates to Memorial Day Weekend. That’s right! Not just a hotel change but dates, too! The Holiday Inn of Fargo May 24-27th is the place to be!
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CoreCon is growing!

CoreCon began with roughly 100 supporters. After almost ten years, we have more than 1,000 regular attendees! With this growth in fan base, we outgrew our old hotel and needed a new place to continue to provide everything the congoers love and expect. The Holiday Inn of Fargo will be the new location for CoreCon X as it has almost double the convention space. (more…)

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CoreCon YouTube Channel

youtube bannerCoreCon has some great panels and guests every year. So many in fact that there is no way a person can attend them all. It’s okay though because our AV team has the talent, the equipment and the drive to cover almost every panel. 2016 Opening Ceremonies, 2016 Costume ContestCurse Like A Pyrate: 2016 With Paul St Peter, Pirates in Literature: 2016 with Terri PrayPutting the Sizzle in the Scene: 2016 with Terri Pray (18+) are a few of the panels from CoreCon VIII: On Ancient Seas that have been edited and are ready to view. More are on the way. (more…)

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Cosplay Focus: Eric Wilme

Wilme PirateIt’s very apparent when Eric Wilme walks into our convention. Everyone begins shouting, “WILME!” His enthusiastic exuberance is a welcome sight and turns the con fun-meter up a few notches. After winning the 2016 CoreCon Costume Contest Historical Captain’s Award with his friend Casey, he has a few things to say about cosplay.
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Read more about the article Why you should go to CoreCon.
CoreCon the Picnic

Why you should go to CoreCon.

DSC_0168You can conquer your video games at home, read comics in your bedroom, game at the kitchen table, and watch movies in the living room. Let’s face it, if someone would bring you food you would never have to leave the house. Our convention is so much more than just doing those things though.  (more…)

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Anime Fargo is turning 3!

Some of the people of CoreCon helped a while back with the birth of Anime Fargo . CoreCon is proud to announce she is running on her own and is going to be three years old in September. Their theme this year is “Kawaii Invasion” which is a type of cuteness factor in Japan which really fits turning three. An entire convention devoted to Anime is just what Fargo needed.

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CoreCon IX: Monsters vs. Mechs

So wrongWhen I first heard of CoreCon IX’s theme “Monster’s and Mechs” I envisioned Danny Trejo using a machete against some werewolves and wondering if this was racist or not. I guess it was Mechs as in short for Mechanical, oops. Now I have that sorted out our project team is going to have fun with this one. (more…)

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CoreCon Cares donates to The Village

13419232_10208119511419111_3998293221519119834_n copyCoreCon is a non profit and likes to help our local community. At CoreCon VIII: On Ancient Seas we raised $1600.00 to help Nokomis Child Care Centers which is a part of The Village Family Services. How did we do that? Selling Pirate ships of course. (more…)

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On Ancient Seas Thanks You

To13419232_10208119511419111_3998293221519119834_n copy all of the volunteers and people who made this years convention happen THANK YOU! CoreCon has always been a “for fans by  fans” run convention. It took unbelievable hours and effort for a four-day celebration. Some people worked on bits and pieces all year-long so THANK YOU. The volunteers in the Inner Core (3 Consuls head the con, Inner Core are the Department Heads and Assistants) did a tremendous job this year and all while working regular jobs and home lives. (more…)

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CoreCon Cares: The Village

CoreCon is a non-profit fan based convention entirely run by volunteers. As if getting ready for CoreCon wasn’t enough work, some of the volunteers do more volunteering within our own group called CoreCon Cares. This year we are collecting toys and donating money to help out The Village Family Service Center and hope you will too. (more…)

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