We received the following press release via e-mail.--RL

CastleCon 1 will be held at "The Castle" in Muskogee, Oklahoma on Friday-Sunday, August 20-22, 1999. HMGS standards will be in effect, with no more than 10% non-historical games allowed. Miniatures games from all historical periods are welcome, and there will be tournaments for DBM, Fire and Fury and Axis and Allies. CastleCon is sponsored by the Green Country Historical Gamers and sanctioned by the Tornado Alley Historical Miniatures Gaming Society.

Located in Northeastern Oklahoma's beautiful "Green Country", Muskogee, which has a population of about 30,000, is centrally located for most of the major gaming clubs in the region, including those from Wichita, Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield/Branson, Carthage, Fayetteville/Springdale, Ft. Smith, Shreveport, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Wichita Falls, Oklahoma City, and Amarillo. There are interstates and four-lane highways leading from all directions right up to the grounds upon which The Castle is located. The site is located on U.S. Highway 69 N. just a few miles south of the Muskogee Turnpike. The main entrance leads along dirt roads through the "enchanted forest" before arriving at The Castle. A more convenient entrance, which is paved right up to The Castle itself, is on Fern Mountain Road, which is about 100 yards south of the main entrance.

A focal point of Northeastern Oklahoma, The Castle of Muskogee is a recreation based on actual European castles. Opened in 1995, it provides a family oriented site, both inside and out, for a variety of activities such as weddings, anniversaries, reunions, proms, parties and other social gatherings. It is the site of the annual Renaissance Faire, a reenactment held every May in The Castle and on the 60 acres of land around it, which includes a Medieval village, jousting arena, several stages for musical, magical and sword-fighting demonstrations, and an "enchanted forest". Other annual events held during the year include a Madi Gras Festival, a St. Patrick's Day Festival, a Bridge Cross-Cultural Festival, a Fireworks Sale, a Haunted Castle, a Boare's Heade Festival & Feaste, and a Dicken's Christmas Festival. The CastleCon historical gaming convention is a new event being added to the schedule in 1999.

On the outside are walls, towers and medieval decorations. Gamers enter the main gaming room over a drawbridge. Once inside, however, The Castle is fully lighted and air conditioned. The Great Hall, where most of the games will be played, has 9,000 square feet of open space. The walls are covered with "stone" wallpaper and Medieval decorations, giving the impression that one is inside an actual castle, but without the discomfort of real life in the Middle Ages. The Garden Room, which will serve as the dealer area, is spacious and well lighted, and has a decour reminiscent of an outdoor garden. It is adjacent to the Great Hall, and separated only by heavy doors, which can be locked for security when dealers are not present. The east end of the Garden Room will serve as the auction area. For those with a little extra time on their hands, there is also an authentic "torture chamber" (The devices actually work! - and admission is $1.00 unless you volunteer to be one of the victims, in which case it's free! - Just kidding! :-)

There is also a large "Lounge" with a 32-foot "bar" and restaurant-type seating just off the Great Hall which will serve as the refreshment area. There are tables and chairs there where gamers can relax and visit between games. Next door is the "Chalice Room", which has small tables and chairs which will serve well for the Axis and Allies tournament as well as for board gaming and small pick-up games using miniatures.

There is plentiful parking for both dealers and gamers close to The Castle. Dealers will be able to drive right up to the outside of the Garden Room, making for easy access for loading and unloading their wares. They will also be able to park just outside the Garden Room. This is one of the nicest, most spacious and convenient areas for dealers we've ever seen at a gaming convention!

The "pub" will be selling soft drinks, pizza by the slice and submarine sandwiches during the con. The Castle is located just minutes from Muskogee's "restaurant row", with a wide variety of both "sit down" and "fast food" establishments from which to choose for dinner Saturday evening.

There are also a number of hotels located within a few minutes drive from the site, and several of these offer discounts to participants of CastleCon. A list of these is found below.

Admission for CastleCon, which covers all three days of gaming, is $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door. Gamemasters and staff get in free. Please see below about volunteering to help out with these positions.

For more information and photos of the site, be sure to visit "The Castle's" website at www.thecastle.org.

TENATIVE SCHEDULE

Friday, August 20, 1999
1200-1600 Gaming Session #1
1600-2000 Gaming Session #2
2000-2400 Gaming Session #3

Saturday, August 21, 1999
0900-1300 Gaming Session #4 and Tournament Rounds #1
1300-1700 Gaming Session #5 and Tournament Rounds #2
1700-1900 Dinner Break
1900-2000 Auction
2000-2400 Gaming Session #6 and Tournament Rounds #3

Sunday, August 22, 1999
0900-1400 Open Gaming and Axis & Allies Finals

WE NEED GAMEMASTERS!

Admission is free to anyone willing to put on a game in at least two sessions, and 1/2 price to those who put on a game in one session. Free admission for two gamemasters for a game which accomodates 8+ players. Please use the following form to register your game online:

Name ____________________________________________________________
Street Address ____________________________________________________
City _______________________________ State ______ Zip _______________
Phone ( ) _______________ Email ________________________________
Title of Game:
Historical Period:
Figure Scale (15mm, 25mm,etc):
Rules Used:
Experience Level Required:
Maximum Number of Players:
Length of Time (i.e. number of 4-hour sessions) required to play the game one time:
Sessions Preferred:
Size of Table Needed
Brief Description of Game:

Please email to ckinzer@Juno.com or smail to Cal Kinzer, 2026 E. 140th Place South, Bixby, OK 74008. For more information, email Cal Kinzer at ckinzer@Juno.com or phone (918) 366-4833.

WE NEED STAFF!

Help is needed to man the registration desk, and also to help with running the tournaments and the auction. Admission is free to anyone who serves as a member of the staff. For more information on serving in any of these capacities, please contact Cal Kinzer as above.

TO PRE-REGISTER AS A PARTICIPANT, PLEASE SEND A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER FOR $10.00 TO:

The Castle of Muskogee, 3400 Fern Mountain Road, Muskogee, OK 74401. You may also pre-register by credit card by calling (800) 439-0658. See "The Castle's" website, www.thecastle.org, for more information on online pre-registration.

The pre-registration deadline is August 7, 1999. Please be sure to include your name, address phone number and/or email address with your pre-registration. Information packets, including maps to the site, lists of local hotels and restaurants, and other information will be sent out to all participants as soon as their pre-registration is received.

WE NEED JUDGES FOR THE DBM, FIRE AND FURY, AND AXIS AND ALLIES TOURNAMENTS!

Please contact Cal Kinzer if you're interested in serving in these staff positions.

Participants in the two miniatures tournaments MUST bring their own DBM or Fire and Fury miniatures and playing aids (tables, dice, etc.) Participants in the Axis and Allies Tournament MUST bring their own copy of the game. Rules for all three tournaments, army point values for the DBM Tournament, and OBs for the FnF Tournament will be published in a future edition of this mailing.

WE NEED DEALERS! Those wishing to attend CastleCon as dealers should contact Cal Kinzer, 2026 E. 140th Place South, Bixby, OK 74008. (918) 366-4833 or email . Dealer packets are in development and should be available soon.

HOTEL INFORMATION

(CastleCon discounts are given in parenthesis)

Travelodge 534 S. 32nd Street, Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 918-683-2951 ($30.00 - single with one queen bed) ($35.00 - double with two queen beds)

Econo Lodge 1800 S. Muskogee, Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 918-683-0101 ($40.00 - any room)

Holiday Inn Express 3133 Azalea Park Blvd, Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 918-687-4224 (No special rates given)

Super Eight Motel 2240 S. 32nd Street, Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 918-683-8888 (No special rates given)

Ramada Inn 800 N. 32nd Street, Muskogee, OK 74401 Phone: 918-682-4341 (No special rates given)

Three Rivers Inn 910 North 43rd Street East, Muskogee, OK 74403 Phone: 918-683-6886 (Special rates to be determined)

Crossroads RV Park Phone: 918-686-9104 ($10.00 per night)

Randy's Quick Stop RV Parking Phone: 918-687-5055 ($10.00 per night)

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