2023 Miss Fisher Con sessions

This schedule is subject to change, but we're excited about how it's shaping up.

Thursday, July 27, 2023

Noon - 2:00 pm	Registration & check-in \|\| Lobby
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Registration & check-in \|\| Drake Landing
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Welcome reception \|\| Drake Landing
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm	Charades \|\| Drake Landing
	Kick off the festivities with a fun and friendly game of Charades! With topics drawn from the life and times of our favorite lady detective, you’re sure to have a thrilling time. Phrases will be drawn from the Miss Fisher Mysteries (books and/or series) as well as the history and culture of the Jazz Age. Come along, form a team, and get to know your fellow Miss Fisher fans through some friendly competition.

Friday, July 28, 2023

8:00 am - 9:00 am	Registration & check-in \|\| Lobby
9:00 am - 10:15 am	Saints & Sinners: St Paul’s Gangster Past \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	Starting in the early 1900s and lasting into the ‘30s an unofficial contract between St. Paul Chief of Police John O’Connor and criminals turned the city of St. Paul into a “crook’s haven.”. Gangsters stopping in the city agreed to check in with police, commit no crimes within city limits, and pay a bribe in exchange for safe harbor. Bootleggers, gangsters, and bank robbers from all over the midwest ran their operations from St. Paul. Famous gangsters such as John Dillinger and Ma Barker used the city and surrounding suburbs as a hideout. Learn about the Layover Agreement (aka the O’Connor System) and its role in the rise of organized crime. The speakers will introduce key players, including notable women, categories of crimes committed, and places of significance—including the St. Paul Hotel and Wabasha Street Caves.
10:15 am - 10:30 am	Break
10:30 am - 11:30 am	Melbourne’s Black Day: The 1923 Victoria Police Strike \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	“I’ve seen my share of strike action.” “What, the police strike of ‘23?” “Shoulder to shoulder. A lot of good men lost their jobs.” In November of 1923, a large group of constables and senior constables refused to go on duty in protest of what they called the “Spook System”—a group of plain-clothes officers sent out to spy on constables on the beat. As more and more officers joined the strike, Melbourne took to the streets, rioting and looting in what newspapers called “disgraceful lawlessness.’
11:30 am - 1:00 pm	Lunch break \|\| On your own
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm	Interview with Marion Boyce \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	Join us for a conversation with Costume Designer Marion Boyce, who designed the costumes for all three seasons of the original Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries TV show! Her genius at historical style and attention to detail were instrumental in igniting the fans’ passionate love of the show. Her designs incorporated vintage pieces, hand-built millinery, and a distinct “look’ for each character. Marion won an AACTA Award for Best Costume Design in a Television Series for series 2 and she was nominated again for series 3.
2:00 pm - 2:15 pm	Break
2:15 pm - 3:15 pm	Queens of Crime: Christie, Sayers, Marsh, and Allingham \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	Phryne Fisher as written by Kerry Greenwood follows in the footsteps of many famous writers and their equally famous detectives. The “rules” of detective fiction were established in part by a group of four writers known as the Four Queens of Crime: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham. Christie is the most famous, but all four women contributed in their own way to the rich traditions and history that today’s detective fiction builds upon.
3:15 pm - 3:30 pm	Break
3:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Rusty Planes and Navigating Them \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	Phryne Fisher flew a de Havilland Tiger Moth across continents and an ocean without the assistance of navigational systems… but maybe she had a system after all. Learn about this aircraft and what the journey may have looked like, sans windscreen.
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm	Break & masquerade prep
6:30 pm – 10:00 pm	Cocktail reception \|\| Promenade Ballroom Lobby
7:00 pm – 10:00 pm	Dinner, Masquerade, and dance lesson \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	It’s Christmas in July! This year’s masquerade celebrates with all the festive cheer of the episode and none of the deadly consequences. Wear your finery, enjoy a delicious banquet feast, and finish the night learning some of popular dances of the day. There will be a chance to parade in your finery. Costume awards details to come.

Saturday, July 29, 2023

9:00 am - 10:00 am	Group rewatch: Murder and Mistletoe (s2e13) \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	Our theme this year is Christmas in July, so what better episode to watch as a group? Phryne's Santa outfit, Jack and Hugh's sweaters, and murders themed after the 12 Days of Christmas. It's going to be great!
10:00 am - 10:30 am	Annual Members’ Meeting \|\| Promenade Ballroom
	All attendees, virtual and remote, are welcome to attend. We will discuss the location for the 2024 Miss Fisher Con and cast votes for new board members.
10:30 am - 11:00 am	Break
11:00 am - 1:00 pm	Cocktail Culture of Old Shanghai and High Tea \|\| James J Hill Ballroom
	We’ll have tea while we step into the world of Miss S, when Shanghai was the Paris of the East and even familiar cocktails became somehow more exotic.
1:00 pm - 1:15 pm	Closing remarks \|\| James J Hill Ballroom
1:15 pm - 3:30 pm	Break
3:30 pm	Meet to carpool or rideshare to the Speakeasy Event \|\| Lobby
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Speakeasy Event \|\| Wabasha Street Caves
	Join us at the Wabasha Street Caves for an afternoon of elegance, fun, and history. Ticket purchase prior to con required. Your ticket includes entrance to the club, complimentary hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, tours of the historic caves led by a costumed guide, and a chance to socialize with others in the Miss Fisher community.

Sunday, July 30, 2023

At your own pace

Explore the city || Get together with your friends to explore St Paul - from museums to outdoor adventures, there’s plenty to see and do!

One Con, Two Ways to Attend

In 2023, we'll be offering both in-person and virtual sessions.

All in-person sessions will take place at the Saint Paul Hotel in St Paul, Minnesota.
In-person registration will include access to all virtual sessions.
Virtual registration will not include all sessions and activities.
Archived recordings of virtual sessions will be available on an attendees-only page on our website

CONTACT US

The Adventuresses’ Club of the Americas is a 501(c)7 nonprofit social club || Tax ID 82-3221139

Miss Fisher Con, The Miss Fisher Con logos, The Adventuresses’ Club of the Americas, ACotA, and the ACotA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of the Adventuresses' Club of the Americas in the US and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.