title: MarsCon (Bloomington, Minnesota)
text: # MarsCon (Bloomington, Minnesota)
  
  MarsCon is a science fiction convention held in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States. It was first held in February 1999 with the goal of appealing to a diverse audience of fans in Minnesota and the vicinity. It is a mid-sized convention with a wide variety of events including panel discussions, guest of honor presentations, music of many kinds, art show, film room (including anime), science room, dealers room, charity auction, and a masquerade. Past guests have included actors, authors, artists, scientists, musicians, producers, and even the occasional pooka. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune describes MarsCon as "for the sci-fi serious nerds".
  
  Since 2003, MarsCon Minnesota has also included a strong presence of the "Dementia" (comedy/novelty/filk) music genre, making the convention one of the largest events in the country to showcase such music.
  
  ## Conventions
  
  ### Past
  
  MarsCon 1999: Celebrating 60 Years of Fandom
  
      Where: Radisson South Hotel
      When: February 26–28, 1999
      Guests of Honor: Carl David, Jeff Grubb, Kate Novak
  
  MarsCon 2000: Don't Panic! (Alternate Subversive Theme: M’00)
  
      Where: Radisson South Hotel
      When: May 12–14, 2000
      Guests of Honor: Mark Allen Shepherd, Lisa Getto, Margaret Weis, Don Perrin, Denise Boie, Jack Borkowski, Donald R. Schmitt, Chesley Bonestell (Posthumous)
  
  MarsCon 2001: A Space Oddity
  
      Where: Radisson South Hotel
      When: May 11–13, 2001
      Guests of Honor: Jane Yolen, Bill Blair, Carl Talliaferro, Christopher Jones, Michael Liebmann, David Arneson, Stanley Kubrick (Posthumous)
  
  MarsCon 2002: The Magic of Fantasy
  
      Where: Airport Hilton
      When: March 1–3, 2002
      Guests of Honor: Lyda Morehouse, Peter Woodward, John Levene, Robin Wood, Harvey (See Harvey (play))
  
  MarsCon 2003: No One Here is Exactly What He Appears
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: February 28-March 2, 2003
      Guests of Honor: Sharon Lee, Steve Miller (science fiction writer), Julie Caitlin Brown, Lev Mailer, John Garner (artist), David Mendez, Douglas Adams (Posthumous)
  
  MarsCon 2004: Let's Play Doctor!
  
      Where: Airport Hilton
      When: March 5–7, 2004
      Guests of Honor: John M. Ford, Richard Biggs, Barry Hansen “Dr. Demento”, Dawn Devine Brown “Davina (costumer)”, Luke Sienkowski “The Great Luke Ski”, David E Romm
  
  MarsCon 2005: Galactic Pirates and Mercenaries
  
      Where: Airport Marriott
      When: March 4–6, 2005
      Guests of Honor: Richard Herd, Jeremy Bulloch, Stephanie Gannaway-Osborn, Timothy Zahn, Todd Coss, The Great Luke Ski, Ron Ross, Herbert Jefferson, Jr.
  
  MarsCon 2006: Things That Go Bump in the Night
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: March 3–5, 2006
      Guests of Honor: Gigi Edgley, Dean Haglund, Beth Hansen, Walter H. Hunt, Paul Lawrence (producer), Tom Smith (filker), Hugh Gregory
  
  MarsCon 2007
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: March 2–4, 2007
      Guests of Honor: Don S. Davis, Patricia Tallman, Todd Lockwood, Eric Larson, Eleanor Arnason, Ookla the Mok
  
  MarsCon 2008: Press Start To Continue
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: February 29-March 2, 2008
      Guests of Honor: Bill Blair, Jeff Easley, Naomi Kritzer, C. Robert Cargill, Hot Waffles
  
  MarsCon 2009: Invasion!
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: March 6–8, 2009
      Guests of Honor: Musetta Vander, Scott Rosema, Suzanne Hiza-Rezema, Jeanne Cavelos, Wally Pleasant
  
  MarsCon 2010: Dark Lords and Femme Fatales
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: March 5–7, 2010
      Guests of Honor: John Garner, Loretta McKibben, Nick Atoms, Gwynyth Walsh
  
  MarsCon 2011: Days of Magic!
  
      Where: Holiday Inn Select
      When: March 4–6, 2011
      Guests of Honor: Lois McMaster Bujold, Joe Rheault, Megan Rheault, Bjo Trimble, John Trimble, Worm Quartet
  
  MarsCon 2012: Rockin' the Apocalypse
  
      Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel and Suites
      When: March 9–12, 2012
      Guests of Honor: Lukas Effinger, Catherine Asaro, Rob Callahan, Consortium of Genius
  
  MarsCon 2013: Ctrl/Alt/Del... Thriving into the future
  
      Where: Crowne Plaza Hotel and Suites, 3 Appletree Square, Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 1–3, 2013
      Guests of Honor: actress Claudia Christian, author Harry Turtledove, science author Gerald Nordley, artist Sarah Clemens, comic artist W.C. Carani, fan/costuming The Thrift Brothers, and music Flat 29.
  
  MarsCon 2014: Time is the Key
  
      Where: DoubleTree by Hilton, Bloomington-Minneapolis South
      When: March 7–9, 2014
      Guests of Honor: J. G. Hertzler, Esther Friesner, Mickie Erickson, Rae Lundquist, Henry Phillips, Dave Duca, Bridget Landry, and the Klingons of IKV RakeHell.
  
  MarsCon 2015: Heroes & Wizerds & Fae OHhh MYyy!!
  
      Where: Airport Hilton
      When: March 6–8, 2015
      Guests of Honor: Spice Williams-Crosby, Antoinette Bower, Robert Odegard, Lyda Morehouse, Richard Tatge, Eric Wile, Rob Paravonian, Dave Duca, and Mike Glielmi.
  
  MarsCon 2016: Parallel Dimensions
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 4–6, 2016
      Guests of Honor: actor William Morgan Sheppard, artist Christine Mitzuk, author Ruth Berman, filmmaker Christopher R. Mihm, game designer Eric Wile, musician Luke Ski, propmasters Dave Brown, Dave Duca, Michael Glielmi, and Ann Neubauer.
  
  MarsCon 2017: Dragons In Space
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 3–5, 2017
      Guests of Honor: actor Jeffrey Combs, artist Ralph Ryan, authors Sharon Lee & Steve Miller, comedy and music Judy Tenuta, sciences Benjamin Higginbotham & Cariann Higginbotham
  
  MarsCon 2018: Robots, Rayguns, & Rockets: The 3 R's of Sci-Fi
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 2–4, 2018
      Guests of Honor: actor Roger Cross, artist Steve Thomas, author MaryJanice Davidson, musician Brent brentalfloss Black, planetary scientist Bridget Landry
  
  MarsCon 2019 “Legends In Our Own Mind”
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 1–3, 2019
      Guests of Honor: actors Bill Blair & J. G. Hertzler, author A. Merc Rustad, artist Luke Ski
  
  MarsCon 2020 "Visions of the Future"
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: February 28 - March 2, 2020
      Guests of Honor: actor Lee Arenberg, artist Darla Ecklund, author Kathryn Sullivan, fan Eric M. Heideman, musician Lauren Mayer
  
  MarsCon 2021 "Forces of Darkness"
  
      Where: Virtually
      When: March 12–14, 2021
      Guests of Honor: Robbie Ellis and Jon Sloan
  
  Marscon 2022 "The Future Ain’t What It Used to Be"
  
      Where: Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Airport/Mall of America, 3800 American Blvd. E., Bloomington, MN 55425
      When: March 11–13, 2022
      Guests of Honor: artist Jon Sloan, author Catherine Lundoff, media guest Michael Moore, musicians TV's Kyle and Lindzilla
  
  MarsCon 2023 “When Books Come Alive”
  
      Where Hilton Minneapolis/St Paul Mall of America
      When: March 10–12, 2023
  