A side event is a small tournament ran in conjunction with a quiz bowl tournament, usually after that "main" tournament is completed. Typically, a "side event" is partnered with an academic tournament so that it can draw in more players.
Subject tournaments are an example of a side event.
Trash tournaments sometimes have certain attributes of side events (running in the evening or on Sunday after a larger academic tournament, providing 10 or fewer rounds, being unabashedly reflective of the authors' vanity interests) but are rarely categorized as "side events" unless they are further specialized to some subdistribution of trash. Similarly, official History Bowl events are not considered "side events."
The phenomenon of side events being announced without any real plan to actually write or hold them was satirized by the holding of Tricontakaipentagon in 2013.
Side event weekends
The difficulty of attaching side events to any given tournament has spawned side event weekends, in which primarily side events are played. Side event weekends are held routinely in the Midwest, and the NorCal Weekend of Quizbowl has been held since 2016.
List of side events by year
Excluding regular trash tournaments.
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| Summer
|
Chicago History Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Summer
|
Triacontakaipentagon
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2013
|
Collin Parks's Byzantine History Tournament
|
Byzantine History
|
Collin Park
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eyes That Do Not See V
|
Visual Art
|
Mike Bentley
|
|
|
|
2012
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2012
|
Mike Cheyne's Disney Packet
|
Disney
|
Mike Cheyne
|
|
|
|
| 2012
|
Drew Scheeler's Community Packet
|
Community
|
Drew Scheeler
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
Chicago History Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
Dragonball Z Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Visual Trash
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
Ike Jose "ANFORTAS" Myth Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
Mike Cheyne Film Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
Will Nediger "WELD" Literature Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012 Summer
|
"YMIR" Myth Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Eyes That Do Not See IV
|
Visual Art
|
Mike Bentley
|
|
|
|
2011
2010
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| Summer
|
Wild Kingdom
|
Animals
|
Bruce Arthur
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Spring
|
Spring Offensive
|
History
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Summer
|
BELFAST
|
Arts
|
Tanay Kothari
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
Eyes That Do Not See II
|
Visual Art
|
Mike Bentley
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
VAIN
|
Video Games
|
Mike Bentley
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
Eyes That Do Not See I
|
Visual Art
|
Mike Bentley
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
Lully
|
Arts
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Summer
|
Ike Jose Lit Doubles
|
Lit
|
Ike Jose
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Spring
|
Paul Kelson Lit Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Spring
|
Jeremy Eaton "TIDUS" Video Games Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Summer
|
Geography Monstrosity II
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Spring
|
GUERILLA I
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
Saul Hankin Harry Potter Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010
|
Nathaniel Kane Game Show Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Fall
|
Maryland "PERV" Visual Trash Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Fall
|
Minnesota RPG Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Spring
|
Will Nediger "MELD" Literature Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010 Summer
|
Dallas Simons Classics Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
2009
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2009 Spring
|
The Experiment II
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Bruce Arthur Eurofest
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
RMPFest II
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
Cheyne-Berry Comics Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Tommy Casalaspi Lit Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
Mike Cheyne Fake Lit Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Chicago Literature Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Geography Monstrosity I
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Spring
|
Ike Jose Lit Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Gaddis II
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
Minnesota Guerilla Sports Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
"KLEE" Arts Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Fall
|
Lederberg Memorial Science
|
|
Eric Mukherjee
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Summer
|
Science Nonstrosity
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009 Spring
|
"Dream Tournament"
|
|
|
|
|
|
2008
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2008 Summer
|
Mike Bentley Gumpei Yokoi Memorial Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Fall
|
RMPFest I
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Summer
|
Chicago History Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Summer
|
Chicago Literature Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Summer
|
Chicago Movies Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Summer
|
Gaddis I
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Fall
|
Minnesota Impossible Speedcheck
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008 Fall
|
Minnesota Literature Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2007
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2007 Fall
|
The Experiment I
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007 Summer
|
Bruce Arthur History Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2006
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2006 Fall
|
Seth Teitler Myth Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2006 Summer
|
Berkeley Science Monstrosity
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2006 Summer
|
Chris Frankel History Doubles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2005
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2005 Summer
|
"Jacopo Pontormo" Art Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
2004
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2004 Summer
|
Berkeley Movies Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004 Summer
|
Berkeley Science Monstrosity
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2004 Summer
|
"Folly and Glory" Lit Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2003
2002
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2002 Summer
|
Berkeley Science Masters
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2002 Spring
|
Anthony de Jesus Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2002 Spring
|
"S.O.B." Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2001
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2001 Summer
|
Herbert Spencer Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2001 Fall
|
Mark Discordia Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2001 ?
|
"Fleetwood" Mac Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2001 Summer
|
Andy Goss Trash Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
2000
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2000 Summer
|
Chicago Open Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
1999
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 1999 Summer
|
Chicago Open Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1999 Spring
|
Case Western Trash Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
1998
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 1998 Summer
|
Chicago Open Singles
|
|
|
|
|
|
???
| Season
|
Tournament Name
|
Tournament Subject or Gimmick
|
Writers
|
Site(s) held
|
Winner(s)
|
Stats
|
| 2010?
|
Doug Graebner's Painting Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Dan Passner's Judaica Bowl
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Gautam Kandlikar's India Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009?
|
Zach Foster's Military History Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
High Schooler Produced Japanese/Asian Lit Thing
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012?
|
Fred Morlan's Music Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Matt Duchan's Sports Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2013?
|
Nolan Esser's Rock Music Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Nathan James's "Chad C. Mulligan Open" Mini-ACF Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
"Krik? Krak! Moo: Electric Blankets are Optional" Short Literature Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008
|
Andy Watkins's "20th Century Side Event"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Bruce Arthur's "Amazing Planet" Animal Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Shan Kothari's Music Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Andrew Hart's Arrested Development Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Joe Brosch's Anime Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2013 Summer
|
Aidan Mehigan's Architecture Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Michael Hausinger's Engineering Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Andy Watkins's "Science, Dismal and Gay" Tournament of Science, Economics, and Poetry
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012?
|
Isaac Hirsch's Hats Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2009
|
Matt Weiner's "Henry Darger Tournament of the Unreal"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2007?
|
Andrew Ullsperger's Science Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008?
|
Ryan Westbrook's "Varying Difficulty" Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008?
|
Rom Masrour's Movie Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Andy Watkins and Hannah Kirsch's "Uwe Boll" Common Links Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
"The Eric and Ben Myth Tournament"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2025
|
Ted Gioia's "Secret Literature Tournament for Andrew Yaphe"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Jeff Geringer's "Trastastrophe III"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2010?
|
Bruce Arthur's "Your Choice Fest"
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2008?
|
Matt Chadbourne's Math Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011?
|
Fred Morlan's Movie Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2012?
|
Aaron dos Remedios's Board Game Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 2011
|
Ike Jose's "Thought" Tournament
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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