Update! The Welcome Reception will now be in the hotel ballroom.
Drift in to fair New England – our contacts suggest passage through South Station or Logan Aiport – head to the hotel, and pick up your Full Weekend Pass.
Thursday 9/9
Browncoat Bowling – for those folks arriving early, we plan to gather at King’s Bowling for some casual fun – especially for those who want a rematch after 2019’s Battle in Las Vegas! (Optional, pre-Ball activity)
Friday 9/10
10am – 6pm
Join us and visit with Browncoats from all around the ‘Verse, get snacks, play Firefly games, or just hang out and relax! Registration will open at 10:00am in our Hospitality Suite at the Four Points Sheraton. The suite is for the exclusive use of Browncoats and is your home base for the weekend.
Upon check-in you will receive your program, swag, tickets and other goodies to start a weekend of adventure! If you bought a T-shirt, you will pick it up here. You can also buy your raffle tickets and start staking your claim for the various raffle prizes.
We will not be selling BCB passes at the door, this is a pre-reg only event.
Our hospitality suite will be open all afternoon, and people are welcome to come hang out after handling registration. A variety of games will be available. If you’ve always wanted to learn some of the fun Firefly games, now’s your chance. This is also a great time to compare notes for various Salem activities and plan for a great Saturday.
10am – 6pm
Once your gear is stowed and your Ball ticket acquired, we suggest heading off to the MarketStreet Lynnfield to enjoy some shopping or lunch. You can also take an early trip to Salem. Stay shiny, there’s nothing to fret, local Browncoats will be around to make sure you have and know everything you need to maximize your time and fun!
Since Browncoats will be drifting in at different times you can head out with crew you meet at the hotel, hang out in the suite or lobby, or head out on your own and link up as you spot each other. Full Weekend tickets come with a special Browncoat Ball identifier. We suggest wearing your Browncoat Ball shirt or other eye-catching Firefly gear (Jayne Hat) so you can find your group or a new group if ever you get separated or want to find some new mischief, er, enlightening activities.
Don’t be shy about joining a group. We’re all one crew and the Browncoat Ball is 100 new best friends you just need to meet. Introduce yourself and make some new Browncoat friends and memories.
Hours TBA
We will also have an incredible gallery of real props from Firefly and Serenity courtesy of local collector Dan Devitt! This gallery will be open at various times throughout the weekend. Most of the props are screen-used.
6pm – 8pm
We officially kick off the 2021 Browncoat Ball weekend with an evening welcome reception at the hotel. This is a favorite BCB tradition where you can meet and mingle with Browncoats from all around the ‘Verse – both old friends and new.
We will have refreshments, games and starting about 7pm some live entertainment (possibly involving monkeys 🐒). We will be in the hotel ballroom, located on the lower level, with a bartender.
Open to all Weekend ticket holders. Please check in at the Hospitality Suite beforehand if you can.
9:00pm – Late
After the official party is over, be on the look-out for unofficial fun and shenanigans at strategic locations in the hotel (ie, the hospitality suite).
There will always be Firefly games (and more), conversation, light snacks, and fun with your fellow Browncoats in the Hospitality Suite. The hotel bar will also be open, as will various venues at MarketStreet.
Enjoy, chill, and share tales of the day’s adventures and make plans for tomorrow’s excursion to Salem!
Saturday 9/11
This is the big day, full of activity from morning to night. Hope you got a good night’s sleep!
7:00am – 9:00am
Saturday is a day full of exploration and wonder, so get it started with a delicious, hearty breakfast. Hotel guests get a complimentary continental breakfast. Exact details are still to be determined.
Keep your eyes open for Browncoat Ball T‑shirts and other Firefly-themed garb. Introduce yourself and make some new friends, trade stories, maybe even form a crew before setting off for your Salem adventures.
9:00am – 4:00pm
In the morning we will take a bus from our hotel to historic Salem. First bus leaves at 9am, second bus leaves at 10:30am. Please choose your bus at registration if you didn’t already fill out the online tour selection form you were emailed. Do not be late, the bus will leave on time.
While in Salem, we’ve organized various group tours and activities, including:
- Walking tour with a local guide who knows the real history of Salem 🎩
- High Tea 🇬🇧
- Scavenger Hunt – can you find Inara’s shuttle? 🔎
Attendees are free to explore Salem on their own. Derby Square has many great shops and restaurants. We can also recommend some of the main attractions in Salem, they may not offer group tickets but such things are usually better with friends.
- Visit to the Salem Witch Museum
- Visit to the Witch Dungeon Museum
- Explore the Peabody Essex Museum
- Tickets to ride the Salem Trolley (hop-on hop-off tour)
- The House of Seven Gables
- Salem Heritage Trail
- National Maritime Historic Site
The bus will return mid-afternoon (2:30pm or 4:00pm) so you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for the Ball. Do not be late, the bus will leave on time.
9am – 5pm
Registration will open at 9:00am in our Hospitality Suite. The suite is for the exclusive use of Browncoats and is your home base for the weekend.
Upon check-in you will receive your program, swag, tickets and other goodies for your shiny Browncoat weekend! If you bought a T-shirt, you will pick it up here. You can also buy your raffle tickets and start staking your claim for the various raffle prizes.
You are welcome to hang out if arriving late or aren’t up for a visit to Salem. A variety of games will be available.
The hospitality suite will be open until 6pm to handle registration for those who bought Ball-only tickets.
Hours TBA
We will also have an incredible gallery of real props from Firefly and Serenity courtesy of local collector Dan Devitt! This gallery will be open at various times throughout the weekend. Most of the props are screen-used.
4pm – 7pm
There are no official activities for the few hours preceding dinner. So get ready for the Ball! Slip into those fancy duds or slinky dresses, primp and powder, get an extra-close shave or trim that beard, style your hair, and prepare to make a grand entrance at the Ball. We are looking at some stylist options.
💃 🥻 👗 There will be a Ladies’ Primping Room next to the Hospitality Suite, with extra mirrors, and accessories will be available to borrow (please return them after the Ball). Check the thread on Facebook if you’d like more details.
And yes, “Kaylee dresses”, Miss Persephone sashes, pretty floral bonnets, tight pants and tuxedos are all welcome. Modern, historical, and cross-cultural attire all fit in, just like in the ‘Verse. Check our guide if you need some ideas for what to wear. Also check the pictures from past BCBs.
If you just naturally look this good, you can find some camaraderie at the bar.
Saturday Evening – The Browncoat Ball
Saturday evening culminates with the Big Damn Shindig!
6pm – 7pm
🍷 🍸 Gather outside the main ballroom to show off your pretty dresses and sharp suits. Grab a drink (or two) and catch up with friends you made on Friday or earlier today. Take some pictures at various nice vantages in and around the hotel.
7pm – 11pm
First there will be a fun ’Verse-themed icebreaker activity. Next, indulge in a mighty fine banquet dinner – don’t forget to interrogate the buffet – maybe there will be hot cheese or strawberries.
After a tasty dessert course, there will be ballroom dancing, music, anything-goes dancing, live music from The Fallen Stars 🎶, and a raffle of some very shiny prizes! (All proceeds go to support the event; any overage will be passed along to the 2022 Browncoat Ball.)
If you would like to have your name announced when you enter the room (as in “Miss Kaywinnet Lee Frye and escort”), be sure to fill out one of the name cards provided at the entrance, and hand it to the announcer when you walk in. Smile for the photographer!
We will have an instructor to lead us in the dances, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t know the steps. We don’t care if you have two left feet or want to wave your arms around like the Eleventh Doctor, so long as you’re having fun! Videos showing the dances have been posted to our Facebook page.
For those of you on a budget or on a tight schedule, we do have a Ball-only ticket available.
approx 9pm
After our formal dancing, you will be treated to a not-so-short concert by The Fallen Stars! Folks from the west coast may have seen them at various CSTS events.
🎶 These fine musicians agreed to come all the way from California just to be a part of the Ball. Our friends in the California Browncoats tell us we are in for a treat. You will tap your feet, you may even shed a tear.
11pm – Late
Lastly, repair to the hospitality suite for socializing and fun into the wee hours as we dream of Earth That Was. The suite is open to Weekend and Ball-only ticket holders. Who knows when the party will end? Stay up late, play a game, you’re on vacation!
TBA
If there is interest, at some point on this day we will make room for people to have a brief memorial moment recognizing the significance of this date.
Sunday 9/12
7:00am – 9:00am
Sunday is a day rest after our night of reverie, so recharge with a delicious, hearty breakfast. Hotel guests get a complimentary continental breakfast. Exact details are still to be determined.
Keep your eyes open for Browncoat Ball t‑shirts and other Browncoat gear. Chat with friends before setting off for home or other local adventures. Introduce yourself and make some new friends you missed talking with at the Ball.
North Shore?
More Salem?
Local Hike?
We can help people organize trips into Boston or out to other nearby locations — please let us know what you’re interested in! We will be fairly close to bus/rail into Boston, and many many great places to visit are a short drive. Feel free to make your way to Salem to check all the places you didn’t get a chance to visit on Saturday. You can also head over to nearby MarketStreet Lynnfeld, or check out one of the numerous state parks in the area for a hike.
10am – 5pm
Home base is always an option. Repair to the hospitality suite for socializing and fun as people say their au revoirs and we start making plans for next year’s Ball. The suite is open to Weekend ticket holders.
We’re also exploring bringing in some entertainment for the early afternoon if you’re staying for the day or have a late flight home.
Morning TBA
You may also have one last chance to check the incredible gallery of real props from Firefly and Serenity. Most of the props are screen-used.
This will be your last chance to see them before they are packed up.
If enough people are around on Sunday evening we can organize a group dinner or other activity to have one last hurrah before folks have to head home.
Sound good? Well, then go buy your ticket if you haven’t already.
And remember to update your RSVP to the Facebook event when you buy your ticket.