SURPRISING STUFF
The very first Dragon Days Festival of Fantasy will take place this weekend.
The event will occur on October 13th, and run through the 15th, and will be located in Lake Geneva Library Park, with attractions at Horticultural Hall, the TSR Museum, and the library (TSR, the name of the original gaming company, letters standing for Tactical Studies Rules). Dragon Days is a non-profit organization sponsored by the Gygax Memorial Fund and is being chaired by a local businessman named Harold Johnson. This event will highlight the creation of the very popular role play game Dungeons and Dragons. Gary Gygax, the creator (along with Dave Ameson and eventually Brian Blume) was a lifelong resident of Lake Geneva, creating the game in his home, with Gary opening an office and eventually employing over four hundred people. Since the games creation and the death of Gary Gygax the game has continued to grow and so does the number of participants all over the world.
The game is now owned by Hasbro, the giant toy company. Lake Geneva has recently started highlighting the significance of Gary Gygax and what he accomplished. The TSR Museum, which shares the history of Gary and the game, has been opened on Williams Street (right across from Kwik Trip). Library Park now has a bench located within it dedicated to Gygax and will eventually have a sculpture of Gary sitting at a gaming table. Fans will be able to visit and play the game in Gary’s immortal ‘presence,’ July 17th has been declared Gary Gygax Day inLake Geneva.
The Dragon Days Festival is a very appropriate event for Lake Geneva to hold and the hope is that the event will grow every year. Businesses downtown are encouraged to participate with merchandise and specialty menu items and drinks. Renaissance dressed characters will stroll through Lake Geneva, along with many participants and interested tourists. Not everyone is a diehard fan of Dungeons and Dragons but even those not involved, or gamers, will enjoy a weekend full of fun and fantasy. More information and how to purchase tickets for some of the venue events: www.dragondays.org.
Place of the Week
The Dungeon Hobby Shop on Williams Street is the place to go for anything Dungeon & Dragons related. Stop in and check it out during Dragon Days.
