Carnage Con Remains A Cherished Holiday Tradition In New London

NEW LONDON (WJON News) -- The snow and poor driving conditions couldn't stop hobbyists from traveling to New London on Saturday for an annual event. Carnage Con was celebrating 30 years of bringing people together to play board games and have a good time. Started in 1995 by Peter Mortenson and 11 friends as a way to get back together over the holiday weekend, the event has blossomed into a large reunion of gamers that sees over 50 people attend.

READ MORE: New London’s Carnage Con Is A Holiday Of A Different Kind

Mortenson says he never envisioned the event would still be going three decades later, and it has been great to see it grow:

"I don't advertise, so it's word of mouth, and anybody's welcome to come, and so friends of friends, and now it's friends of friends of friends, and it's really nice. I know people through Carnage Con, and it's great to see them every year."

Mortenson says once people come for the first time, they get added to the mailing list and receive an invite back the next year in the mail. He says he likes to do things the old fashioned way and uses the mail for the invitations, versus a text message or an email.

"It used to be the standard, in the mid-90s you had to send letters to people to get their attention, but I think it's old school, I think it's nice, I like writing everybody's names down, and we're going to keep up with that, but like I said, word of mouth and people are welcome."

Mortenson says he has no big plans for Carnage Con in the future other than to keep holding it and having fun. He says at some point, his kids will take over the con as part of their inheritance.

Carnage Con takes place on the Saturday after Thanksgiving every year in the New London Community Center and runs from Noon until late into the night. Mortenson says the Community Center pencils them in every year to reserve the date and still only charges them 1995 rental rates because they have been holding the con there so long.

READ MORE FROM AUTHOR PAUL HABSTRITT