About 650 magicians gathered in Columbus Ohio this past weekend, amid sub-zero temperatures, to watch magic and learn from one another. Even David Blaine showed up!
Random moments from around the convention.
Read all about it in The Columbus Dispatch and watch the video.
It seems like we’ve just barely recovered from the excitement of Magi-Fest 2018, but the convention’s intrepid organizers have already announced the dates for 2019. Mark your calendars for a return to Columbus on January 17-19, 2019. If you make your plans quickly, you can save a few bucks too. Register before May 1 for the early bird rate of $150. The regular price after May 1 is $200. The Magi-Fest website has more information about registering for you advanced planners.
Since Magi-Fest has sold out seven years running, it makes sense to plan ahead as much as you can. However, should your plans change, registration is fully refundable until November 15.
Magi-Fest 2018 featured some excellent events and speakers, such as a legal discussion around protecting your tricks and wise words from the Guiness record holder in card throwing. Several YouTubers have also thoroughly documented their experience, from the well-known Chris Ramsay to up-and-comers like Nico Bisesi.
This was my first year attending Magi-fest, and one of the first things I was delighted to notice was how many kids were there. They were into it, too, racing to sit in the front row at lectures and jamming with older magicians every chance they got. Their enthusiasm radiated off them in waves, and it was impossible not to be swept up in it. I got to talk to a bunch of them, and discovered their passion came from a place of pure joy – a happiness they couldn’t wait to share with others. (Let me tell you, there is nothing more charming than a young magician literally jumping for joy when he discovers you’re a layperson he can dazzle with his skills.)
Chris Ramsay, who filmed the above video at Magi-Fest, is an inspiration for the next generation of magicians. His YouTube channel has more than half a million subscribers, some of whom got the chance to talk to him at the convention. But after watching this, it’s tough to say who came away more inspired – the kids or Ramsay himself. If these future superstars are any indication, magic is in very good hands.
And solid shout out to those parents who support their children’s passion. You’re the best assistants a magician could ever have.
2018 is starting off on the right foot with MagiFest, a magic convention hosted by Vanishing Inc. running from Thursday, January 25 through Saturday, January 27. There are going to be tons of great lectures, performances, and interviews throughout the week, and we’ll be on hand to cover it all.
For a full schedule of the event (as well as registration information), you can visit MagiFest.org, but here’s a sample of the kinds of events you’ll get to take part in:
- Lawyer Doug Isenberg will talk about how intellectual property rights apply to magic
- Guiness record-holder for card throwing Rick Smith, Jr. will give an on-stage demonstration (there’ll even be a contest later in the week!)
- Josh Janousky will show off some of his inventions
- A Magic in the Marketplace talk, featuring discussion about internet magic, gimmicks, gadgets, and more with the minds behind several magic retailers
- Lectures by Shawn Farquhar, Woody Aragon, the legendary Max Maven, and many more
- A huge dealer’s room with vendors from all over the world
- Performances by Kieron Johnson, Max Maven, Ben Seidman, and a gala show to close it out
We’ll be wandering the show all week, looking for stories and meeting with magicians, so come find us and say hi!