Chattanooga observes the sacred geek holiday in style
Mark your calendars, folks! The greatest holiday for gaming geeks is upon us. International Tabletop Day is a celebration of the global tabletop community and the Scenic City will be in on the action with the help of the dynamic duo of local gaming outfitters Infinity Flux and Game On Chattanooga (no relation).
First day of June, head on down to the third annual Chattanooga Tabletop Game Festival at the crazy cool Ridgedale Masonic Lodge 660 on Dodds Ave. The city’s favorite game track coordinators Jason Mink and Meagan Frey of Infinity Flux will be leading the charge for a celebration of tabletop greatness.
“This is going to be twelve solid hours and twenty thousand square feet of tabletop games. The entire second floor of the lodge will be dedicated to RPG adventures written and directed by the finest DMs in the area,” Jason said.
The collection of games that will be running for the RPG floor are put together by the Chattanooga Roleplay Society and range from D&D Fifth Edition to Mutants and Masterminds and even Shadowrun. My good pals Sam Blevins and Raymon Lillard (aka “Cro”) will be among some of the best featured DMs for the event. I’ve personally dungeon crawled with Sam and can tell you from experience that he brings some creative fun to any adventure.
“This will be a one-of-a-kind experience this year. This won’t be a day of Milton Bradley type of games. We are pulling out some of the hottest tabletop games and a few things that may not be played anywhere else,” Meagan said.
There will be a huge library of tabletop games of the more tactical variety on the first floor. Of course, the great Warhammer will make an appearance with HeroClix and just about every other popular title found on game store shelves. So this could be a perfect time to bench test some of those titles you’ve been curious about but afraid to try without some guidance. Attendees are also encouraged to bring along their own favorites as well.
During the twelve-hour extravaganza there will be opportunities for sweet swag and door prizes as well as a silent auction for previously owned games. That’s right folks, you can bring in that tabletop game collecting dust and auction it off for in-store credit for both Infinity Flux and Game On Chattanooga to upgrade to something newer.
The major stipulations are that the games cannot be run-of-the-mill boardgame staples (chess, checkers, Monopoly, etc.) and absolutely must have all the game pieces included. The gamers of this area live by a code of honor and unshakable morality so don’t think of pulling a slick one; the results will earn your game back with no credit and disappointed looks from kittens. So please think of the kittens.
There will be concession foods available for purchase and those hoping to catch a show or two at this year’s Riverbend can also rejoice since CTGF will be using arm bands for reentry. Yes, you will be able to drop in and out to do whatever and then return at your leisure to jump back in the action. The best parts of this all-day festival are that it’s only $10 for adults and $5 for children under twelve years of age and (AND!) parking is absolutely free.
I’ll give you a moment to let all of that sink in.
Okay, ready to summarize: two floors of epic gaming, concessions, prizes, arm bands, free parking, AND it’s all under $20?
I can sense the D20s all over town rattling in anticipation.
The previous festivals have seen extensive popularity and this year looks to be the biggest yet, so be ready and lined up at 10 a.m. to knock the doors down of the Ridgedale Masonic Lodge. Sadly, this will also be the last CTGF that will be held at this unique building so it’s also a bittersweet farewell to an amazingly historic home but hopefully a new beginning as the festival looks for even larger accommodations for the future.
“Our partners at Game On Chattanooga and Chattanooga RPG Society and us are excited to provide a unique and fun experience for the whole family. It’s our hope that people seasoned and new to tabletop gaming will come out to discover or rediscover the sense of bonding, creativity, and adventure that are the true hallmarks of tabletop gaming,” Jason said.
Check out the event schedules on Facebook at @chattanoogatabletopgamefest for the official list of games and activities.
When not vaporizing zombies or leading space marines as a mousepad Mattis, Brandon Watson is making gourmet pancakes and promoting local artists.