Improv is Magic, Karaoke is Madness, Cosplay Is Who We Are: Midwestria Brony Convention
By Caroline O'Donovan in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 9, 2012 8:00PM
The leaves are rustling in the wind and the temperatures have dropped below 70, and we all know what that means; it’s time for the first annual Midwestria brony convention in St. Charles, Illinois. Not familiar with "bronies"? It's a My Little Pony convention.
If you haven’t already registered for Midwestria, you have unfortunately already missed pre-registration. Lucky you, though, you can still buy tickets day-of at the Pheasant Run resort, or apply to be a Midwestria volunteer. This may be your only chance to meet Head Brony of Ponyville and celebrity fan Mike Holman, so you should probably get on that.
We want to go over some of the highlights of conference rules and regulations, however, so that none of the essentials are lost in the brony shuffle.
It goes without saying that everyone is extremely excited about Midwestria, but it’s important to keep a sense of where you are in mind. Not all of the bronies at Midwestria have the same level of maturity about brony activities, and we want to protect younger, more delicate brony ears from some of the more passionate, torrid elements of bronying. With that in mind:
Keep it PG unless you're in an 18+ area (such as a panel).
There are also a number of rules about what kinds of costumes and props are appropriate for Midwestria. While planning your costume, try to keep the safety and comfort of other convention-goers in mind, and also, please do not bring any actual ponies:
- Only service animals are allowed to accompany human attendees.
More than anything, we want to make sure that physical boundaries are respected at Midwestria, what with the potential for protruding costume pieces and spiked props.
You must maintain the common courtesy of asking if it is okay to take a picture of someone before doing so. This also goes for hugs. If you didn't ask, don't do it!
Safe hugging practices are foremost among Midwestria’s safety policies, and as such, there is also a strict NO Glomping rule. Glomping, of course, is the non-sexual act of “one person lovingly (and dramatically) attacking another with a hug.” It should be clear at this point that only consensual, non-attack hugs will be permitted at Midwestria.
Other than that, stay tuned to the Midwestria forums as things ramp into high gear! You can meet other bronies, and maybe even help this guy find a roommate. Here is a full schedule, which is so jam packed you should probably take a look in advance so you’re not trying to decide between “Bronies Anonymous” and “Behind the Scenes of Pony in a Box” or “Best Pony Discussion” and “Grimdark: How Grim, How Dark?” at the last minute.