SIU's Saluki Con returns this weekend
Celebrity guests, costume contests, gaming demonstrations and tournaments, artists and children's activities assure Saluki Con 2019 at SIU will be a memorable weekend for all ages Sept. 28 to 29.
Saluki Con takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days this weekend at the Student Center. Some of the gaming and e-sports activities will extend into the evening.
Regular admission is $10 per day. Weekend pass tickets for children ages 9 to 14 are also $5 with the purchase of an adult ticket. All SIU students are admitted at no charge when presenting their SIU ID, as are children ages 8 and under.
Numerous worldwide, regional and local celebrities are slated to appear, headlined by Adrian Paul, Tracee Cocco and David Peterson.
Illustrators, authors, comic artists and creators, designers, publishers, painters, gamers and much more can be seen at Saluki Con, including The Midwest Garrison, the Illinois chapter of The 501st Legion Star Wars Imperial costuming club, and the St. Louis R2 Builders Club.
There will be new game demonstrations, a KeyForge tournament, a Magic the Gathering tournament for newcomers and a Catan National qualifier tournament.
Top finishers are eligible to win a gaming chair just like those seen in SIU's Esports Arena. Other prizes awarded during the weekend include special- edition gaming mouse pads, Saluki Con T-shirts and more.
There's a whole new emphasis on family-friendly at this year's event with myriad activities specifically for children. They can learn to be a Jedi at the Jedi Training Academy, participate in art workshops, and even enjoy life-sized games of Candyland and Angry Birds, where participants are the game pieces.
Kids and families can also participate in an animation workshop, a children's story time, an X-Wing Crawl through space and so much more. Much of the family-style action is centered on the north side of the Student Center's second floor.
Enter the world of costume play by joining in the Cosplay Contest, with judging in four categories: children ages 12 and younger, teens 13 to 17, adults ages 18 and older and groups of two or more people. Prizes will be awarded, and you can register on site by the Student Center Auditorium. Registration closes at noon.
Assorted panels, workshops and films for all ages and interests are planned. SIU faculty, staff, students and community members will be involved in more than 30 different presentations.
There's a Quidditch tournament hosted by the SIU Quidditch Team, a Pokémon Go scavenger hunt and Hollywood-behind-the-scenes panel discussion.
SIU is the eclipse crossroads, with another total eclipse coming in 2024, so quite appropriately the SIU Physics Department and the Astronomical Association of Southern Illinois will team for a series of planetarium shows in SIU's inflatable planetarium.
There will also be about 80 different vendors selling specialty items, collectibles, comics, artwork and assorted merchandise.
Campus sponsors include the SIU Student Center, College of Liberal Arts, Alumni Association, College of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Office of the Provost, SPREKK On Demand Phone Repair and the Student Programming Council.
Carbondale Tourism is sponsoring the Cosplay Contest, and other local sponsors include Insomnia Cookies, JC Penny, Campus Comics, Castle Perilous, Fox Comics, The Game Table, Greyhawke Gaming Guild and RnD Collectibles.
Regional sponsors include Asgard Keep, Dragon's Hoard Gaming, Miniature Market and Nerditure while the national sponsors include Upper Deck, Yeti Gaming, Wizards of the Coast and Catan Studio.
For more information about Saluki Con 2019, visit salukicon.siu.edu, check out the Saluki Con Facebook page, email salukicon@siu.edu, or call 618-453-5714.