MJ Overview (omg, it's SOON)
A few reminders as Muskrat Jamboree 2009 draws near! (!!!)
All official Muskrat Jamboree events take place on the mezzanine level of the hotel. The Con Suite will be in the main ballroom (Carver 1) and there will be two break-off rooms for panels (Carver 2 and Carver 3).
Again, a quick overview of the hotel information:
Every room comes with a balcony, SleepNumber bed(s), and are smoke-free. Note: you will not be able to hook up DVD players or VCRs to the hotels TVs.
The guest rooms do have high-speed internet access, but it is wired, not wireless. We will have wireless internet access in the Con Suite, and the public areas of the hotel (such as the lobby and the Theatre Café ) do have wireless internet access as well.
The hotel has an indoor pool, a small fitness room (Stairmasters, treadmill, and free weights), and a business center.
Parking is $28/day for self-parking in the hotel lot and $30/day for valet parking in the hotel lot. There are a couple of other parking lots in the vicinity of the hotel, but the prices are pretty much the same (Motor Mart Garage, across from the hotel, is $31/24 hours, the Boston Common Garage is $27/24 hours) but for the sake of convenience and access, the hotel parking is probably your best bet.
Registration:
Thursday, April 2nd, 7PM - 9PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open in the Theatre Café (located on the Mezzanine level of the hotel). Come meet the con comm, pick up your registration packet, and buy some raffle tickets!
Friday, April 3rd, 8AM - 4PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open throughout the day in the Con Suite, located in the convention area on the Mezzanine level of the hotel.
Saturday, April 4th, 9AM - 4PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open throughout the day in the Con Suite, located in the convention area on the Mezzanine level of the hotel.
When you register, you will receive a registration packet, which includes your badge holder and name tag. You must wear your badge at all MJ 2009 events! It is not replaceable, sharable, or transferable.
Con Suite:
The Con Suite will be open Friday, April 3rd from 8AM - 4PM and Saturday, April 4th from 8AM - 5PM.
We will have a fannish craft table available for your creative pleasure, hosted by the lovely and talented omphale23 and kanzenhanzai!
There will also be a suggestion box at the registration table, so please stop by to fill out a card to tell us your opinion about the con. Or life! Or muskrats!
Reminder: No outside food is permitted in the MJ 2009 Con Suite or panel rooms. But, the following will be provided to you:
Friday, April 3rd, from 8AM - 10AM: coffee and tea (including decaf!)
Friday, April 3rd, from 1PM - 3PM: French Countryside Snack Buffet (cheese, crackers, bread, fruit)
Saturday, April 4th, 9 AM- 11AM: coffee and tea (including decaf!)
Saturday, April 4th, from 2PM - 4PM: French Countryside Snack Buffet (cheese, crackers, bread, fruit)
Panels:
- We will have two panels hourly from 9AM through 4PM on Friday, April 3rd, and from 9AM through 5PM on Saturday, April 4th, with a one-hour break for lunch at 12noon on both days.
- The official panel schedule, including mods, is here.
- Both panel rooms will be supplied with water, flip-charts, markers, power strips, and extension cords.
- Panels run for 55 minutes. Mods, you will get a five-minute heads-up at ten minutes of the hour - please wrap up on time in order to keep things running smoothly!
MJ Raffle
The MJ Charity Raffle to benefit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières will run throughout the weekend, with prizes including fannish items as well as arts and crafts.
Tickets will be available for purchase during pre-registration on Thursday night in the Theater Cafe, as well as at the registration table outside the Con Suite between 8am and 4pm on Friday and 8am and 2pm on Saturday. Tickets are $1 each, with 12 for $10 and 25 for $20.
The drawing will be Saturday at 2:30pm in the Con Suite. You do not have to be present to win! However, you or your designate must present the winning ticket at the registration table by 4:45pm on Saturday.
Vid Show/Jamboree Proper!
Friday, April 3rd, 6:30PM: Join us in the Con Suite (Carver 1) on the Mezzanine level for drinks, food, and the Muskrat Jamboree 2009 VID SHOW!
Cash bar will be open from 6:30PM - 10:30PM. Complimentary appetizers will be served between 6:30 and 8:30 (vegetable crudités, cheese and crackers, and chicken tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce)
Vid Show begins promptly at 7:30 in the Con Suite! The first half will run for 30 minutes, with a fifteen minute break (for more drinks and snacks!) at 8PM. The second half will begin promptly at 8:15 and conclude at 8:45.
Immediately after the Vid Show, our Muskrat Jamboreeing TRULY begins, with a Muskrat Dance Party in the Con Suite, running till 11PM! Come dance to the eclectic music mix of AWESOME, put together by kageygirl and mrsronweasley!
Jacque's Drag Show Outing!
This is an Unofficial, Yet Quite Awesome, Event: Jacque's Cabaret Drag Show Outing! We will have volunteers to guide groups of MJ attendees to Jacque's, located mere minutes from the hotel. There will be a group departing from hotel lobby at 7:15PM and a second group departing at 7:25PM on Saturday, April 4th. If you miss the guided groups, there will be a map in your program with the route plotted out for you.
Important Details:
- Jacque's is a 21+ venue - bring your picture ID! (A license, a passport - anything state official with a picture should do!)
- The cover is $10, cash ONLY.
- There is no food to be had there - only drinks, in plastic cups, served by drag queens.
- It is a CASH BAR, so plan accordingly!
- In order for us to keep our reservation, all MUST be seated by 7:45.
- The seating area of Jacque's is reserved for MJ2009 attendees. (There will be others mingling around the bar/pool area, but where the show actually takes place should be fangirls and fangirls only!)
So! Be sure to eat dinner beforehand, have enough cash on hand to pay the cover, get yourself some drinks, and maybe a few one-dollar bills for the stuffing of the cleavages. (No, really.)
Weather:
It has been really freaking cold this winter in Boston. There's really no telling what it's going to be like once the Jamboree rolls around, but our prediction right now is: COLD. For those of you who attended last time, we were having a very mild winter, and it was pretty damn warm for Boston in March/April. This year, not so much. (Freezing rain, snow, freezing fog: all possibilities in our fair city in March/April FUN TIMES.) Plan your wardrobe accordingly! We'll post links for the Boston weather forecast as the Jamboree gets closer.
Travel:
From Logan Airport via the MBTA:
At your airport terminal, in the vicinity of baggage claim, there will be signs pointing outside for Ground Transportation. You're looking for busses; specifically, the shuttle bus for the T (which is short for MBTA, which is short for Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority). The T shuttle bus will take you to the Airport stop on the Blue Line.
Once you arrive at the Blue Line T stop, $2.00 American will get you a ticket at one of the machines you'll find there (they take cash or credit or debit). You want to go INBOUND four stops to GOVERNMENT CENTER, and then you have to change lines.
(DON'T PANIC.)
At Government Center, you want to go upstairs and get on any inbound GREEN LINE trolley (B, C, D, or E) and take it two stops to BOYLSTON station. Upon exiting the station, Tremont St. should be on your left, and the park on your right--walk straight ahead, towards the Dunkin Donuts, and cross Boylston St. Stay on Tremont St. until the next corner, which is Stuart St. Turn right there (there's a 7-11 on the corner), and the Radisson Hotel will be just past the next traffic light, on your left. It's about a five-minute walk.
From South Station via the MBTA:
Take the Red Line from South Station two stops to Park Street. Change to the Green Line and follow the Subway directions below.
From North Station via the MBTA:
Take the Green Line four stops to Boylston and follow the Subway directions below.
From the Subway, walking:
Take the Green Line to Boylston Station. Upon exiting the station, Tremont St. should be on your left, and the park on your right--walk straight ahead, towards the Dunkin Donuts, and cross Boylston St. Stay on Tremont St. until the next corner, which is Stuart St. Turn right there (there's a 7-11 on the corner), and the Radisson Hotel will be just past the next traffic light, on your left. It's about a five-minute walk.
Driving from the South:
Follow Route 93 North into Boston. Take the Airport/South Station exit, #20. Follow signs for South Station/Downtown Boston. At the end of the exit (about 1 mile) turn left onto Kneeland St. Follow 9 traffic lights to end of street, turn right onto Charles St. Take the first left turn onto Park Plaza, keep left then take next available left turn onto Stuart St. Proceed for one block, the Radisson Hotel will be on the right.
Driving from the North:
Follow Route 93 South Take the Storrow Drive exit #26. Take the 2nd exit, Back Bay/Copley, off of Storrow Drive. At the first traffic light turn left onto Beacon Street and then a quick right onto Arlington Street. Follow Arlington Street along the Public Garden, past the Taj and Boston Park Plaza hotels. Just after the Boston Park Plaza Hotel turn left onto Stuart Street, the Radisson Hotel will be on your right.
Driving from the West:
Follow Route 90 East, the Massachusetts Turnpike into Boston. Take the Copley Square/Prudential exit, #22; stay to the right, following signs for Copley Square. Follow to right, proceeding four blocks on Stuart St. The Radisson Hotel will be on the right.
Driving from Logan Airport:
Follow signs for Boston and the Sumner Tunnel. At the tunnel's end, turn right and follow signs for Storrow Drive. Take the 1st exit, Back Bay/Copley, off of Storrow Drive. At the first traffic light turn left onto Beacon Street and then a quick right onto Arlington Street. Follow Arlington Street along the Public Garden, past the Taj and Boston Park Plaza hotels. Just after the Boston Park Plaza Hotel turn left onto Stuart Street, the Radisson Hotel will be on your right.
A cab ride from the airport to the hotel will cost approximately $25 - $30 US dollars, cash only. There are cab stands at the airport - just follow the signs!
And lastly, a couple of helpful links:
- BostonUSA.com, a helpful tourist site!
- An extremely helpful list of nearby restaurants!
All official Muskrat Jamboree events take place on the mezzanine level of the hotel. The Con Suite will be in the main ballroom (Carver 1) and there will be two break-off rooms for panels (Carver 2 and Carver 3).
Again, a quick overview of the hotel information:
Every room comes with a balcony, SleepNumber bed(s), and are smoke-free. Note: you will not be able to hook up DVD players or VCRs to the hotels TVs.
The guest rooms do have high-speed internet access, but it is wired, not wireless. We will have wireless internet access in the Con Suite, and the public areas of the hotel (such as the lobby and the Theatre Café ) do have wireless internet access as well.
The hotel has an indoor pool, a small fitness room (Stairmasters, treadmill, and free weights), and a business center.
Parking is $28/day for self-parking in the hotel lot and $30/day for valet parking in the hotel lot. There are a couple of other parking lots in the vicinity of the hotel, but the prices are pretty much the same (Motor Mart Garage, across from the hotel, is $31/24 hours, the Boston Common Garage is $27/24 hours) but for the sake of convenience and access, the hotel parking is probably your best bet.
Registration:
Thursday, April 2nd, 7PM - 9PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open in the Theatre Café (located on the Mezzanine level of the hotel). Come meet the con comm, pick up your registration packet, and buy some raffle tickets!
Friday, April 3rd, 8AM - 4PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open throughout the day in the Con Suite, located in the convention area on the Mezzanine level of the hotel.
Saturday, April 4th, 9AM - 4PM: MJ 2009 Registration will be open throughout the day in the Con Suite, located in the convention area on the Mezzanine level of the hotel.
When you register, you will receive a registration packet, which includes your badge holder and name tag. You must wear your badge at all MJ 2009 events! It is not replaceable, sharable, or transferable.
Con Suite:
The Con Suite will be open Friday, April 3rd from 8AM - 4PM and Saturday, April 4th from 8AM - 5PM.
We will have a fannish craft table available for your creative pleasure, hosted by the lovely and talented omphale23 and kanzenhanzai!
There will also be a suggestion box at the registration table, so please stop by to fill out a card to tell us your opinion about the con. Or life! Or muskrats!
Reminder: No outside food is permitted in the MJ 2009 Con Suite or panel rooms. But, the following will be provided to you:
Friday, April 3rd, from 8AM - 10AM: coffee and tea (including decaf!)
Friday, April 3rd, from 1PM - 3PM: French Countryside Snack Buffet (cheese, crackers, bread, fruit)
Saturday, April 4th, 9 AM- 11AM: coffee and tea (including decaf!)
Saturday, April 4th, from 2PM - 4PM: French Countryside Snack Buffet (cheese, crackers, bread, fruit)
Panels:
- We will have two panels hourly from 9AM through 4PM on Friday, April 3rd, and from 9AM through 5PM on Saturday, April 4th, with a one-hour break for lunch at 12noon on both days.
- The official panel schedule, including mods, is here.
- Both panel rooms will be supplied with water, flip-charts, markers, power strips, and extension cords.
- Panels run for 55 minutes. Mods, you will get a five-minute heads-up at ten minutes of the hour - please wrap up on time in order to keep things running smoothly!
MJ Raffle
The MJ Charity Raffle to benefit Doctors Without Borders/Médecins sans Frontières will run throughout the weekend, with prizes including fannish items as well as arts and crafts.
Tickets will be available for purchase during pre-registration on Thursday night in the Theater Cafe, as well as at the registration table outside the Con Suite between 8am and 4pm on Friday and 8am and 2pm on Saturday. Tickets are $1 each, with 12 for $10 and 25 for $20.
The drawing will be Saturday at 2:30pm in the Con Suite. You do not have to be present to win! However, you or your designate must present the winning ticket at the registration table by 4:45pm on Saturday.
Vid Show/Jamboree Proper!
Friday, April 3rd, 6:30PM: Join us in the Con Suite (Carver 1) on the Mezzanine level for drinks, food, and the Muskrat Jamboree 2009 VID SHOW!
Cash bar will be open from 6:30PM - 10:30PM. Complimentary appetizers will be served between 6:30 and 8:30 (vegetable crudités, cheese and crackers, and chicken tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce)
Vid Show begins promptly at 7:30 in the Con Suite! The first half will run for 30 minutes, with a fifteen minute break (for more drinks and snacks!) at 8PM. The second half will begin promptly at 8:15 and conclude at 8:45.
Immediately after the Vid Show, our Muskrat Jamboreeing TRULY begins, with a Muskrat Dance Party in the Con Suite, running till 11PM! Come dance to the eclectic music mix of AWESOME, put together by kageygirl and mrsronweasley!
Jacque's Drag Show Outing!
This is an Unofficial, Yet Quite Awesome, Event: Jacque's Cabaret Drag Show Outing! We will have volunteers to guide groups of MJ attendees to Jacque's, located mere minutes from the hotel. There will be a group departing from hotel lobby at 7:15PM and a second group departing at 7:25PM on Saturday, April 4th. If you miss the guided groups, there will be a map in your program with the route plotted out for you.
Important Details:
- Jacque's is a 21+ venue - bring your picture ID! (A license, a passport - anything state official with a picture should do!)
- The cover is $10, cash ONLY.
- There is no food to be had there - only drinks, in plastic cups, served by drag queens.
- It is a CASH BAR, so plan accordingly!
- In order for us to keep our reservation, all MUST be seated by 7:45.
- The seating area of Jacque's is reserved for MJ2009 attendees. (There will be others mingling around the bar/pool area, but where the show actually takes place should be fangirls and fangirls only!)
So! Be sure to eat dinner beforehand, have enough cash on hand to pay the cover, get yourself some drinks, and maybe a few one-dollar bills for the stuffing of the cleavages. (No, really.)
Weather:
It has been really freaking cold this winter in Boston. There's really no telling what it's going to be like once the Jamboree rolls around, but our prediction right now is: COLD. For those of you who attended last time, we were having a very mild winter, and it was pretty damn warm for Boston in March/April. This year, not so much. (Freezing rain, snow, freezing fog: all possibilities in our fair city in March/April FUN TIMES.) Plan your wardrobe accordingly! We'll post links for the Boston weather forecast as the Jamboree gets closer.
Travel:
From Logan Airport via the MBTA:
At your airport terminal, in the vicinity of baggage claim, there will be signs pointing outside for Ground Transportation. You're looking for busses; specifically, the shuttle bus for the T (which is short for MBTA, which is short for Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority). The T shuttle bus will take you to the Airport stop on the Blue Line.
Once you arrive at the Blue Line T stop, $2.00 American will get you a ticket at one of the machines you'll find there (they take cash or credit or debit). You want to go INBOUND four stops to GOVERNMENT CENTER, and then you have to change lines.
(DON'T PANIC.)
At Government Center, you want to go upstairs and get on any inbound GREEN LINE trolley (B, C, D, or E) and take it two stops to BOYLSTON station. Upon exiting the station, Tremont St. should be on your left, and the park on your right--walk straight ahead, towards the Dunkin Donuts, and cross Boylston St. Stay on Tremont St. until the next corner, which is Stuart St. Turn right there (there's a 7-11 on the corner), and the Radisson Hotel will be just past the next traffic light, on your left. It's about a five-minute walk.
From South Station via the MBTA:
Take the Red Line from South Station two stops to Park Street. Change to the Green Line and follow the Subway directions below.
From North Station via the MBTA:
Take the Green Line four stops to Boylston and follow the Subway directions below.
From the Subway, walking:
Take the Green Line to Boylston Station. Upon exiting the station, Tremont St. should be on your left, and the park on your right--walk straight ahead, towards the Dunkin Donuts, and cross Boylston St. Stay on Tremont St. until the next corner, which is Stuart St. Turn right there (there's a 7-11 on the corner), and the Radisson Hotel will be just past the next traffic light, on your left. It's about a five-minute walk.
Driving from the South:
Follow Route 93 North into Boston. Take the Airport/South Station exit, #20. Follow signs for South Station/Downtown Boston. At the end of the exit (about 1 mile) turn left onto Kneeland St. Follow 9 traffic lights to end of street, turn right onto Charles St. Take the first left turn onto Park Plaza, keep left then take next available left turn onto Stuart St. Proceed for one block, the Radisson Hotel will be on the right.
Driving from the North:
Follow Route 93 South Take the Storrow Drive exit #26. Take the 2nd exit, Back Bay/Copley, off of Storrow Drive. At the first traffic light turn left onto Beacon Street and then a quick right onto Arlington Street. Follow Arlington Street along the Public Garden, past the Taj and Boston Park Plaza hotels. Just after the Boston Park Plaza Hotel turn left onto Stuart Street, the Radisson Hotel will be on your right.
Driving from the West:
Follow Route 90 East, the Massachusetts Turnpike into Boston. Take the Copley Square/Prudential exit, #22; stay to the right, following signs for Copley Square. Follow to right, proceeding four blocks on Stuart St. The Radisson Hotel will be on the right.
Driving from Logan Airport:
Follow signs for Boston and the Sumner Tunnel. At the tunnel's end, turn right and follow signs for Storrow Drive. Take the 1st exit, Back Bay/Copley, off of Storrow Drive. At the first traffic light turn left onto Beacon Street and then a quick right onto Arlington Street. Follow Arlington Street along the Public Garden, past the Taj and Boston Park Plaza hotels. Just after the Boston Park Plaza Hotel turn left onto Stuart Street, the Radisson Hotel will be on your right.
A cab ride from the airport to the hotel will cost approximately $25 - $30 US dollars, cash only. There are cab stands at the airport - just follow the signs!
And lastly, a couple of helpful links:
- BostonUSA.com, a helpful tourist site!
- An extremely helpful list of nearby restaurants!