Again... TARcons Twelve will again be held from on 1/20 at Stitch, beautiful, spacious bar/lounge in the Garment District. Stitch is located at 247 W 37th St (@ 8th Ave).

You all know by now...

Charges are as follows:
$75 - 3 hour plan - Sold out! - Open (Top Shelf!) Bar 6:00PM to 9:00PM and new, revamped, a la carte menu. Check in will start at 5:45 PM
Maximum: 75 people

$50 - 2 hour plan - Open (Top Shelf!) Bar 7:00PM to 9:00PM and new, revamped, a la carte menu. Check in will start at 6:30 PM, Entrance at 7:00 PM.
Maximum: 225 people

"Top Shelf" is everything but shots including their "designer cocktails" mmmm.

Checking In: Bring your Paypal receipt (email or printout from Paypal) for admission. Meg20 will not hesitate to throw you to the back of the line for not bringing your Paypal receipt.

Again, we're requiring shipping addresses with your Paypal payment. But remember, No ticket of any kind will be issued. None will be mailed to you and none will be handed out to you. Your valid paypal receipt is your "ticket."

Deadlines for all are 1/13, but please pay early. We have to give a pretty big deposit ASAP.

Gratuity for your prepaid drinks is included; please tip appropriately after 9:00 PM and for any a la carte food or drinks. The bar will stay open (l-a-t-e) on a cash basis. They said as long as we're drinking, they'll stay open. The kitchen will close around midnight.

There will be a bag/coat check.

There will be no goodie bags.

If you plan to drink to the point of puking, don't forget to bring someone to get you home safely and it's BYOB (Bring Your Own Bucket).
The TARcon and bar staff and don't want to have to baby-sit you. Furthermore, if you plan to drink to the point of berating people, don't be surprised when you get thrown out. If you get thrown out, please leave (go home/elsewhere). Please don't stick around and harass people. If you do get asked to leave, you will not be allowed back to another TARcon. This is a private event and we can exclude you if necessary. Please don't make me do it. Bottom line? Bring a sober buddy if you plan on being out of control.

Your entrance does not guarantee you a seat, a picture or anything else other than open bar and race viewing during the paid time. Of course, you'll have a better chance at a seat if you are on the three hour plan.

There are no refunds. If you can't go, try to sell your spot to someone else.

Comps: Because of budget, comps can only be admitted after 9. If any comp would like to come before 9, they will have to pay the cover charge (email me for more specific details). If you are a comp or know a comp and will be coming after 9, please email me directly. I need the names for the count.

Wheelchairs: The venue is accessible at the main bar area.

Donations for overhead are welcome.

Information about DimSumCon, our traditional post-TARcon brunch is here.

I'm going to reach out to Sephora this week to see if they're interested in having us for post-party makeovers.

Meg20 is empowered to answer all questions, so ask her if you need anything.

New York is waiting for you... Go!

Whoo! I'm in for the 2 hour. I've been staking out the boards in wait for this :-) Much thanks to missdona and Meg20

I just need to figure out if I'm gonna wear my traditional "Department of Redundancy Department" shirt or my brand-new "I Have My Own Pros and Cons" shirt...

Whoooo!! Paid in for the 3 hr plan (yay open bar)!

Thanks for the awesome planning... I'm excited!

3 weeks (left), 3 hours, and 3-day weekend! Good times! Thanks guys!

Thank you Missdona! I'm booked and ready to go.

Must remember to bring thick socks for January in NYC (it's 70 deg in LA toady).

Yippee! The 3-hour tour bought and paid for. Can't wait to see everyone.

I am in for the 3 hour plan. Can't wait to see everyone again:)

Newbie here to TARcons. Is there a recommended hotel or two for those of us who will be staying in the city?

I'm sorry to miss for the first time since my first season (4). But I'm taking solace in the fact that 13 is just around the corner. I'll be thinking of all of you!!!

Thanks to missdona and crew for organzing the event again -- and during the holidays, no less.

I'm in for the 3-hour plan, and I'm already visualizing snacking on a few items off the new menu, the table before me loaded down with a forest of empty Corona bottles.

Just went in for the three hour. Merry Christmas, God bless us all, and may Nathan and Jennifer not win the damn thing!

ETA: "TARcons"? Why the plural?

You know that I'll be there as usual, but I was just wondering how I would go about paying for admission for someone else as well (i.e. since there are no tickets, would I just let you know that I'm paying for myself and so-and-so)?

You can just pay for two and give them a copy. We check off one when you come in and the other when they come.

It was supposed to be posessive and not plural. It was the only thing I could think of that goes with 12. Oh well

I have one ready to go for 13, though.

missdona...gotcha. If you'd like, you could get a giant picture of a muddy Donald and the caption, "TARCON: The Dirty Dozenth." I know...that's not a word. Just throwing it out there.

I am so happy you are coming back to the east DoubleTee. This will be three ina row that we weill get to hangh out. As far as food, I second the above thought of yours, but my side of the table will be filled with probably Coors Light bottles that are empty.

...and I'm so happy we get you for an extra hour this time Double Tee!

Hey y'all. I'm all paid up for the 3-hour plan and am looking forward to sharing many drinks with all of you :)


edited to say... WHOOO-HOOO!!!! So glad you're throwing caution to the wind Frenchteacher

I'm gonna do my best to get there as well, even though I live in Tucson now. (Yes, THAT Tucson.) I'll buy the admission now and worry about flights later. Caution to the wind!

See all of you soon. I'll bring you all cactus.

Any past racers confirmed to be there?

missdona, could you make it work with 12 Days of Christmas or something?

Thank God your coming Frenchteacher. I couldn't picture TARcon without you:)

I'm sure I could... but that would involve more thought than I'm willing to put forth.

Fair enough, missdona. <grin>

I'm in! Tickets bought, I've had hotel reservations for months, and flights to follow!
But oh my...NYC in January?!

Can't wait to see everyone!

Wow. I was all freaked out about missing work the next day, and the next day is Martin Luther King Day!

It's fate. I am destined to be at TARCon. That's all there is to it.

Such things are never confirmed. We are only guaranteed good drinks and good TARfan company. Which is more than enough.

"Top shelf" drinks, that is! That alone would be more than more than enough! For me, though, these days I'm satisfied with great TARfans and a pepsi (or a glass of water).

I'm in for the 2 hour, as I can't get there early enough for the 3 hour. I have tickets to see Young Frankenstein that I bought many many months ago for that date, never suspecting it could/would coincide with TARCon.

And this time, I doubt the show I have tickets for will be cancelled. I think for TARCon 10, I had tickets for a show that closed.

Woo Hoo! And I'm off from work the next day, too.

As to hotels, the upside to TARCon in January are many inexpensive hotel options. I've stayed at Hotel Grand Union and while it's not fancy, it's clean and cheap. How cheap? A quad room (I think with 4 single beds, or else two single beds and a double) is $160 a night. A single or double is $110. I'm debating going for an upscale hotel, which most likely will cost what the cheap ones usually do at other times of the year.

And, head's up. It's a scant week before my big 50th birthday, so I'll be in a happy mood.

After 3 in a row and 6 overall, I can't go this round. I shall miss you all terribly. Send my regards to Nate/Jen & Marianna and Julia for me if they show up.

Yup. A friend and I are splitting a deluxe (read: standard) room at the Waldorf=Astoria for $299/night. Which is what the New Yorker was asking for a decidedly standard standard back in May.

I'm in town from Friday through Monday, so I'm looking at fitting in a couple shows, too. I'll probably bundle up and hit the TKTS booth for Xanadu (poor reviews, but I love me some Cheyenne Jackson) and Mary Poppins.

jer2002, oh, fear not: I'll definitely be happy to give your regards to Nathan. Oh, okay, and Jennifer.

I'm gonna make my reservations right now.

I'll gladly give your regards to Marianna & Julia, Jer2002. Win or lose, I think I'll be avoiding Nathan & Jennifer like the plague, though.

Missdona, Meg, et al, it can't be said enough -- you just plain freakin' rock. MsMonkey and I will be there, looking very much forward to meeting several of the resident snarksters we missed last time. And re-meeting the ones we didn't.

We've had a rough couple of weeks at work (it's the busiest time of the year for my industry) and it was supposed to lighten up today but, much to my dismay, it didn't. Therefore, seeing this thread on my lunch break lightened my mood considerably. I'm paid for the 2-hour package as usual (mostly non-drinker).

Speaking of which, this always comes up so I will be the first to address it. If your excuse for not coming to TARCON is "I don't drink", "I don't have anyone to go with", "I won't find anybody to talk to", or "It's too cold in New York in January" don't let any of those thoughts stop you. I came to TARCON 7 as someone who only drank beer (and even that I drank very rarely), not knowing anyone and extremely shy and had a BLAST. TARCONners are some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet and we all have one thing in common-we love the show. Just start talking about how much you want to do that bike thingy Roadblock from Ireland and you'll have instant conversation material. As for the weather, I'm from Tampa and couldn't wait for this thread to open. I came to TARCON 8 which, besides being the Family Edition (with apologies to banredbeans and clan), featured temperatures that didn't get out of the teens the whole time I was there. Remember, you'll be inside and getting so drunk you won't notice the weather when you leave. And besides, as long as it's coming straight down it's not bad. It's only when it starts snowing sideways that you have a real problem.

Can anyone who's been to TARCon since they moved to Stitch explain the pros and cons about using the 2hr vs. the 3hr option-besides the obvious MORE BOOZE ;-)? Hey, that may make a good Detour.....

More of a chance to eat, put your food order in and receive it in a timely fashion, more of a chance to get a seat, more of a chance to mingle with people before the show begins & shorter line waiting to check in are among the advantages of the 3 hour plan in my opinion.

As for the "pros" toward the 2hr option, besides the obvious cost: You won't have to rush to get your preferred seat (that you might not get anyway), you can finish watching the Pats win (or whomever) the AFC game and then head over, and in the event that you can't go, it's easier to give up a 2hr to someone else (depending on whether the event is sold out or not).

Overall, it's a rather easy call, with the 3hr being the way to go, as mentioned. As much as I loved MSG (with the VIP dinner and everything else), Stitch is a much better deal between the two. Instead of playing twice as much for the more expensive option, if you want to go, you're adding 50% of the already invested minimum of $50 (getting you to $75). It may go one of two ways, but for the most part, one could either afford both or neither (given whatever else).

Finally, I think you could buy the 3hr and then show up late, like 6:30, thus again not rushing, and also be able to walk ahead of everyone else that paid the 2hr and has to wait until 7:00 to get in. Not 100% sure about that one, but I couldn't make it to Planet Hollywood on time when the VIP folks were allowed in; I just showed up, no lines, and walked in.

True. If you have a 3 hour, you'll be let in before any of the 2 hour folks.

Thanks to Miss Dona !!!!!

Can't wait ... but I'm getting cold just thinking about NYC mid January. brrrr

My advice: if you're opting for the 2-hour plan, eat before you get there. Stitch does great food, but their waitstaff is going to be totally swamped during the party owing to the crowds. I learned this the hard way last time when I came in from a 50+ mile bike ride having eaten nothing but power bars all day, promptly ordered a gin and tonic to go with what I thought was a soon-to-arrive burger, and nearly fainted before the show even started.

This time 'round, the weather will not permit me to commit such acts of foolishness, so I'll be able to devote the entire day to properly preparing for TARcon's awesomeness.

As with last time, this longtime New Yorker is happy to answer any and all questions pertaining to navigation, restaurant recommendations, sightseeing, and anything else you can think of. Drop me a private message!

I'm in for the three-hour plan! Probabilistically, this may be my coldest TARcon ever, but I'm not scared; I grew up in New Jersey and I lived in Pittsburgh for four years. Bring it on!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on the 20th!

New York in January will seem balmy to those of us who will be (hopefully!) coming from the frozen land of Minneapolis. I'm looking forward to meeting our former citizen and wonderful recapper, Miss Alli!

After some dithering from my family about who wanted to go last time, I ended up missing it when the whole thing sold out. I'm definitely in for this one though. Maybe I'll get to repeat my performance of jumping up to cheer the winners, and missing my chair on the way down. Hey, you try aiming for those cube things on Stitch's upper floor!

I concur that don't let non-drinking or shyness stop you. I don't drink and am usually pretty shy, but everyone that shows up is totally cool and easy to enter a conversation with. Kind of like these boards without having to wait.

I have only been to one TARCon, and that was when Colin's ox was broken. I've jumped in with both feet and bought the 3 hr package. To those worried about the cold, if you drink enough you don't feel it!

Snim Xis, I found a great little hotel on TripAdvisor call the Chelsea Lodge, are you familiar with it? Single rooms $119 and doubles for $129. Right on the red line, and only about a mile from Stitch! Rooms are tiny, but very clean and quaint. Are the subways safe to ride at night? I got a Saturday night ticket to see Blue Man Group and wondered if it was safe to ride home?

If sober enough to be alert, I've always felt safe on the subway.

Oh, snickies! (as Nate might say)... I was sure that this was the TARcon I'd finally attend, but alas, I will already be away from home (still on the East Coast, but south of home instead of north) and can't make it. I didn't realize we were this close to the end of the season.

If you don't mind a place with lots of Kynt/Vyxsin and TK/Rachel types, I've always found the Carlton Arms Hotel (aka "The Artbreak Hotel") to be a fun and inexpensive place to stay. The rooms are decorated by artists. The Union Square Inn is another good budget choice--more conventional than the Carlton Arms.

(Man, I love New York.)

DimSumCon info will be up after January 2nd, after I get home from my Luddite family's place. :P As it is I right now I can barely stay connected to post this.

JRT Mom - I'm not specifically familiar with the Chelsea Lodge, but I checked it out on TripAdvisor and it looks pretty nice. Just about any hotel room in Manhattan is going to be smallish, I'm guessing, but hey, it's just a place to keep your stuff while you're out seeing the world, right?

Subways are safe just about any time of day. They get the scariest between 3 and 5 a.m. when there are far fewer people riding them, but in midtown and downtown Manhattan they'll never NOT be safe (and they'll never NOT be deserted). After Blue Man Group, you should be just fine, though if they're still at Astor Place, there's not really an easy subway route to get there, so you might be more comfortable taking a cab back - it'll probably run less than $10. To get there in the evening, you should just walk, I'd recommend down Broadway and turn east around 8th Street - it's about 3/4 of a mile and that neighborhood's quite fun. (Not to mention Astor Place houses a TAR10 landmark - the cube!) (You'd probably even be fine walking back afterward, but if you're alone, you'll probably be more comfortable in a cab.)

Note the cross avenues of your hotel for ease of navigation (i.e. when asking or giving directions say "it's on 20th Street between 7th and 8th Avenue" not "it's at 123 20th Street" or wherever). And be careful about "red line" distinctions, too - only the 1 train is going to stop at 18th Street (your closest stop), not the 2 or 3.

For those wondering about the getting around, there's a nifty metro transit tool here.

I'm in and looking forward to seeing all of you again. This will be the 5th one for me. Jer2002, I am broken hearted you won't be there! Thanks to Miss Dona and Meg20 and all!

I'm in for three hours of Tarcons Twelvitude. Cincinnati representing. Making my first trip back to NYC since TARcon10 (how can I have stayed out of the city so long?) and am way excited to get back to Stitch and see all you friends I've never (or only rarely) met, in addition to the few of you who got me into the show in the first place. Miss Dona et al, much gratitude for making this event happen again. You rule and I've finally figured out there is only one n in your name, so you won't have to yell at me this year. While I rarely post anything hereabouts, I've become a giant fan of the show and an even bigger fan of TARCon since my first at Planet Hollywood for the Family Edition. I heartily encourage any other lurkers or faithful-but-frightened fans to join the party. You're going to be watching the show that Sunday night anyway. You might as well do it with a cocktail (or six) and a fun, festive crowd of people who dig the show as much as you (or more). C'Mon. Get over there and enjoy it.