Schedule of Events
Friday:
5PM - 6PM
Opening Ceremony: Library Park - 1000 Block of West Main Street - The Gygax Memorial Fund cordially invites you to the Opening Ceremony of the Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival! Invitees include Gygax family members, friends, former TSR employees, The City of Lake Geneva Mayor and other officials, press, fans, and the general public. Potions & Dragons will be served (refreshments and dragon-shaped cookies).
Saturday:
10AM
Dan the Bard: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Dan the Bard sings original songs about Dungeons & Dragons® and general nerd culture set to Renaissance and Medieval music.
11AM
Beth Stavros, Aerialist: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Beth is an aerialist who specializes in sling. She performs sequences that focus on flow, musicality, and story-telling, with wraps and poses that showcase her strength.
Ruko, The Smallest Samurai: Lake Geneva Public Library - Gary Gygax loved to tell bedtime stories to his five children, just like his father before him. The adventures often involved a small boy named Ruko and his adventures in a fantastic version of Medieval Japan. Your children may gather 'round our Throne of Reading in the Appendix N Alcove for a magical tale about the adventures of the smallest samurai—an unpublished story of “Ruko and the Octopus King” by Gary Gygax!
Noon
Dan the Bard: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Dan the Bard sings original songs about Dungeons & Dragons® and general nerd culture set to Renaissance and Medieval music.
1PM
Beth Stavros, Aerialist: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Beth is an aerialist who specializes in sling. She performs sequences that focus on flow, musicality, and story-telling, with wraps and poses that showcase her strength.
Meet-and-Greet session with TSR personality: Geneva Lake Museum - Enjoy a talk and Q&A session on Gary Gygax, his company, TSR, and Dungeons & Dragons® with gaming legend Mike Carr: TSR personality, GEN CON® personage, and creator of Fight in the Skies.
1PM-4PM
Dungeons & Dragons® Theater: Geneva Theater - 244 Broad Street - This is a great opportunity to kick back and relax while enjoying cartoons and a movie on the big screen!
Dungeons & Dragons® Saturday morning cartoons with 1980’s Dungeons & Dragons® cartoon .
Dungeons & Dragons® Honor Among Thieves (2023): Watch the latest D&D® film, Honor Among Thieves (PG-13) will run approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes followed by a talkback by TSR game designer and artist Steve Sullivan.
2PM
Dan the Bard: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Dan the Bard sings original songs about Dungeons & Dragons® and general nerd culture set to Renaissance and Medieval music.
Guided Walking Tour of Lake Geneva: Mike Carr will take you on a curated tour of Lake Geneva.
3PM
Best Fantasy Character Costume: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Come dressed as your favorite TSR Fantasy literary character: Elminster, Mordenkainen, Count Strahd, Kitiara, Drizzt Do'Urden, Sturm Brightblade, Goldmoon, and more; and enter the costume contest.
4PM
Beth Stavros, Aerialist: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Beth is an aerialist who specializes in sling. She performs sequences that focus on flow, musicality, and story-telling, with wraps and poses that showcase her strength.
All Day (10 am to 5 pm)
The Wizard of Lake Geneva: Geneva Lake Museum - 255 Mill Street - Check out the museum’s newest addition!
The Wizard of Lake Geneva™: Created in cooperation with the Gygax Memorial Fund, Inc., the exhibit is dedicated to Gary Gygax and his legacy of imagination. The exhibit follows the life and times of one of Lake Geneva’s most famous sons, including his world changing game Dungeons & Dragons®, his Best-Selling books, the founding of GEN CON® (North America’s largest tabletop gaming convention), and his launch of the first roleplaying game company and publisher of more than 360 science fiction and fantasy novels—all done in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Creature Column™: See how you and your hobbits measure up to the fantastical creatures of Dungeons & Dragons® at our Creature Column! Are you smaller than a pixie or taller than a goblin?
Fantasy Faire: Library Park - 1000 Block of West Main Street - Hear ye! Hear ye! The Dragon Days™ Fantasy Faire will sweep you into a land of fantasy and imagination! Explore the fine handcrafted wares of our costumed merchants. Delight in the medieval street characters, musicians, and other performers! Wear your own costume or buy one to enter the costume contest. Play games, have your face painted as a fairy or goblin, and trick or treat in our bazaar of merchants!
Dragon Days Castle Maze: Come explore our maze at the Dragon Days™ Castle! Adventurers of all ages are called to seek treasure in the depths of our labyrinthine dungeons. Will you encounter a monster while lost in the maze? Will you find gold? Or perhaps a magic sword or magic wand? Or even a legendary dragon egg? Adventurers beware of delving too deep, for those treasures will have little value if you cannot escape the Dragon Days™ Castle Maze!
Dragon Days™ Gaming: Horticultural Hall: 330 Broad Street - Play your favorite games—including board, card, roleplaying, and war games. Newcomers welcome! We'll demo games and teach you how to play.
The Adventure Begins: New to Dungeons & Dragons®? Never played before? If you would like to learn or if you already play and want to join your friends and family as they learn to play, this is the perfect opportunity! Our D&D® demonstration games are a terrific way to learn as you play. Pick your character and set-off on an adventure! Games last approximately 30 minutes and players get to keep their character sheet and a set of D&D® dice as a souvenir of their first adventure! These games are walk-up games and you do not need to sign-up, just sit down and join in the fun! Suitable for ages 8 and up!
The Adventure Continues: Play your favorite games—including roleplaying and war games, board and miniature games, collectible card and dice games, and more. Newcomers welcome! We’ll demo games and teach you how to play.
Dragon Days™ Game Vendors: Discover games, art, books, dragons, dice, and more from one of our Dragon Days™ Game Vendors!
Dungeons & Dragons® 50th Anniversary Exhibit: View this amazing exhibit on the history of Dungeons & Dragons®! From its humble beginnings at Gary Gygax’s home at 330 Center Street in Lake Geneva, to the game that changed the world!
The Great Kingdom World Premiere (8 pm - 9:30 pm): Join us for a fascinating one hour documentary on Gary Gygax’s rise to prominence as a war game designer and leading figure in the hobby to his founding of GEN CON® and ultimately, Tactical Studies Rules.
The Birthplace of D&D®: 330 Center Street (This site is NOT yet wheelchair accessible.) - Tour The Birthplace of D&D®: Take a tour through this legendary landmark, guided by D&D® historian, Paul Stormberg. (Tours run every half-hour, generally 6-8 persons per tour.) Included in the tour are the following activities:
Watch The Birthplace of D&D® History Video: Watch our short documentary video on the history of this amazing landmark.
Type up a Memory: Type a souvenir postcard for the 50th Anniversary of D&D® in Gary Gygax’s office on the same sort of typewriter he used to type D&D®!
Sit in the Original Dungeon Master’s Place: Sit where Gary Gygax ran his first game of D&D® in his legendary Greyhawk Castle.
Visit the Basement where Fantasy Gaming Began: Descend into the basement where fantasy gaming was born! See the replica sand table and figures in the basement where Gary Gygax ran his first fantasy games!
TSR Worlds of Imagination: Lake Geneva Public Library - 918 West Main Street -
Appendix N Alcove: Visit this mysterious alcove, deep within the library, where you will find collection of 100 books, donated by the Gygax Memorial Fund, that inspired Gary’s design of Dungeon & Dragons®! In addition to the books a magical Throne of Reading may be found here where you can sit for a majestic photo op while reading your favorite sci-fi or fantasy novels.
Pixels & Programs: Geek out on our computer gaming exhibit that features computer games produced and licensed by Gary Gygax’s company, TSR! Millions of fans have played D&D® and TSR worlds through PC computer games!
Character Costume Photo Op: Lake Geneva Public Library - 918 West Main Street - Come dressed as your favorite TSR fantasy literary character and take a photo on our red carpet to be posted on our social media page! Mordenkainen, Elminster, Count Strahd, Kitiara, Drizzt Do'Urden, Sturm Brightblade, Goldmoon, and more: Give us your best look! Don't forget to enter the costume contest, outside in the Dragon Days Fantasy Faire on the stage behind the Library.
Sunday:
10AM
The Game Wizard Alchemy Show: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Scott Douglas will amaze and delight as he transmutes a base metal into a precious metal.
11AM
Dinder Brothers Family Circus: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Come see a live stage show featuring circus, sideshow, fire, comedy, magic, acrobatics, aerial arts, and more! With a twist, a turn, and maybe even a mimic or two! Don’t blink or you may miss the very thing you came to see!
11AM-3PM
The Wizard of Lake Geneva: Geneva Lake Museum - 255 Mill Street - Check out the museum’s newest addition!
The Wizard of Lake Geneva™: Created in cooperation with the Gygax Memorial Fund, Inc., the exhibit is dedicated to Gary Gygax and his legacy of imagination. The exhibit follows the life and times of one of Lake Geneva’s most famous sons, including his world changing game Dungeons & Dragons®, his Best-Selling books, the founding of GEN CON® (North America’s largest tabletop gaming convention), and his launch of the first roleplaying game company and publisher of more than 360 science fiction and fantasy novels—all done in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin!
Creature Column™: See how you and your hobbits measure up to the fantastical creatures of Dungeons & Dragons® at our Creature Column! Are you smaller than a pixie or taller than a goblin?
Noon
The Game Wizard Alchemy Show: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Scott Douglas will amaze and delight as he transmutes a base metal into a precious metal.
1PM
Meet-and-Greet session with TSR personality: Geneva Lake Museum - Enjoy a talk and Q&A session on Gary Gygax, his company, TSR, and Dungeons & Dragons® with gaming legend JeffLeason: TSR personality, and co-designer of C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamachoan.
1PM-4PM
Dungeons & Dragons® Theater: Geneva Theater - 244 Broad Street - This is a great opportunity to kick back and relax while enjoying cartoons and a movie on the big screen!
Dungeons & Dragons® Saturday morning cartoons with 1980’s Dungeons & Dragons® cartoon .
Dungeons & Dragons® Honor Among Thieves (2023): Watch the latest D&D® film, Honor Among Thieves (PG-13) will run approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes followed by a talkback by TSR game designer and artist Steve Sullivan.
2PM
Dinder Brothers Family Circus: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Come see a live stage show featuring circus, sideshow, fire, comedy, magic, acrobatics, aerial arts, and more! With a twist, a turn, and maybe even a mimic or two! Don’t blink or you may miss the very thing you came to see!
Guided Walking Tour of Lake Geneva: Jeff Leason will take you on a curated tour of Lake Geneva.
3PM
Best Fantasy Character Costume: Library Park - 1000 Block of West Main Street - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Come dressed as your favorite TSR Fantasy literary character: Elminster, Mordenkainen, Count Strahd, Kitiara, Drizzt Do'Urden, Sturm Brightblade, Goldmoon, and more; and enter the costume contest.
4PM
Dinder Brothers Family Circus: Library Park - Stage (Patio) behind the Library - Come see a live stage show featuring circus, sideshow, fire, comedy, magic, acrobatics, aerial arts, and more! With a twist, a turn, and maybe even a mimic or two! Don’t blink or you may miss the very thing you came to see!
All Day (10AM-5PM)
Fantasy Faire: Library Park - 1000 Block of West Main Street - Hear ye! Hear ye! The Dragon Days™ Fantasy Faire will sweep you into a land of fantasy and imagination! Explore the fine handcrafted wares of our costumed merchants. Delight in the medieval street characters, musicians, and other performers! Wear your own costume or buy one to enter the costume contest. Play games, have your face painted as a fairy or goblin, and trick or treat in our bazaar of merchants!
Dragon Days Castle Maze: Come explore our maze at the Dragon Days™ Castle! Adventurers of all ages are called to seek treasure in the depths of our labyrinthine dungeons. Will you encounter a monster while lost in the maze? Will you find gold? Or perhaps a magic sword or magic wand? Or even a legendary dragon egg? Adventurers beware of delving too deep, for those treasures will have little value if you cannot escape the Dragon Days™ Castle Maze!
Dragon Days™ Gaming: Horticultural Hall: 330 Broad Street - Play your favorite games—including board, card, roleplaying, and war games. Newcomers welcome! We'll demo games and teach you how to play.
The Adventure Begins: New to Dungeons & Dragons®? Never played before? If you would like to learn or if you already play and want to join your friends and family as they learn to play, this is the perfect opportunity! Our D&D® demonstration games are a terrific way to learn as you play. Pick your character and set-off on an adventure! Games last approximately 30 minutes and players get to keep their character sheet and a set of D&D® dice as a souvenir of their first adventure! These games are walk-up games and you do not need to sign-up, just sit down and join in the fun! Suitable for ages 8 and up!
The Adventure Continues: Play your favorite games—including roleplaying and war games, board and miniature games, collectible card and dice games, and more. Newcomers welcome! We’ll demo games and teach you how to play.
Dragon Days™ Game Vendors: Discover games, art, books, dragons, dice, and more from one of our Dragon Days™ Game Vendors!
Dungeons & Dragons® 50th Anniversary Exhibit: View this amazing exhibit on the history of Dungeons & Dragons®! From its humble beginnings at Gary Gygax’s home at 330 Center Street in Lake Geneva, to the game that changed the world!
The Birthplace of D&D®: 330 Center Street (This site is NOT yet wheelchair accessible.) - Tour The Birthplace of D&D®: Take a tour through this legendary landmark, guided by D&D® historian, Paul Stormberg. (Tours run every half-hour, generally 6-8 persons per tour.) Included in the tour are the following activities:
Watch The Birthplace of D&D® History Video: Watch our short documentary video on the history of this amazing landmark.
Type up a Memory: Type a souvenir postcard for the 50th Anniversary of D&D® in Gary Gygax’s office on the same sort of typewriter he used to type D&D®!
Sit in the Original Dungeon Master’s Place: Sit where Gary Gygax ran his first game of D&D® in his legendary Greyhawk Castle.
Visit the Basement where Fantasy Gaming Began: Descend into the basement where fantasy gaming was born! See the replica sand table and figures in the basement where Gary Gygax ran his first fantasy games!