Happy Midwest Gridfest Day!

For years I've been just one among many asking "sooooo uhhhh when is there gonna be a crossword tournament in the midwest???" And guess what? Sometimes you have to be the person, no matter how unqualified and unprepared you feel, to just make a thing happen. Did I have any clue when we started planning this thing well over a year ago how to just create a crossword tournament from nothing? Absolutely not. But there's no way in crossworld I could have done it alone! I'm so so grateful for everyone who has hopped onto this train with me as it has chugged along to today. Thank you to the people in the small club of tournament organizers who welcomed me with all the faith and support in the world, offering priceless advice all throughout this journey. Thank you to community states(wo)men for providing crucial early advice. Thank you to our amazing editors and constructors who've worked for months to build a slate of puzzles befitting a tournament equal parts inspired by and different from those that have come before. Thank you to the community of nearly 300! solvers joining us online and in-person in Chicago today. Thank you to our sponsors, friends, volunteers, test solvers, and everyone else who has gotten us here. And lastly, thank you to my co-organizer Sally, who since we decided to go all in on that fateful day in May of 2023, has heard all of my wildest whims and tamed them to the point of practicality. It might have been me wanting it to happen, but it's been Sally who has made it happen. I am so utterly proud to present the Midwest Crossword Tournament today. It's been a pleasure and a gift. Thank you all so much for making this thing with me. 

ANYWAY, here's a Midwest crossword by me, a Midwest princess. 

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