Bloomburrow Open House is from September 13 – 15; this event, positioned the weekend before Duskmourn: House of Horror Prerelease, gives you an opportunity to onboard new players who were hesitant to begin their Magic journey at a Prerelease event.

Let's dive into the details so your store and staff feel well-prepared to make Bloomburrow Open House a success!

Welcome players with the participation promo, Ravenous Squirrel.

You might opt to run your Open House using Jumpstart products, Starter Kits (either Bloomburrow or previous Starter Kit products), or other beginner-friendly product you have on hand. If you have community members looking to teach friends or family how to play, you can run Two-Headed Giant format games to give new players space to learn alongside experienced friends.

Regardless of what you choose, make your store's environment as welcoming as possible. The participation promo may further encourage new and experienced players to join in a game or two—plus, it makes just the perfect centerpiece for the transition from the cuteness of Bloomburrow to the nightmares awaiting in Duskmourn: House of Horror.

Run demos as needed throughout the event.

Bloomburrow's charming woodland aesthetic and adorable critters may have sparked a lot of new interest in fans unfamiliar with Magic—and Open House is the place where they can learn the ropes. Have clear signage in your store and make it clear to those wanting to hop in where they can engage with a demo—whether it's by request to a staff member or at a specific table reserved for demonstrations.

As new players come to your store, encourage them to register for your event with a Wizards Account and download the Magic Companion App while they're at it. With a Wizards Account, future event registration is a breeze, and the Magic Companion App contains loads of beneficial tools for players, including life tracking, adding counters, and rolling dice!

Have staff available to answer questions.

Brand new players will have plenty of questions as they play, so we recommend you have experienced staff available to float between player tables and answer questions as needed, if possible. You're also welcome to encourage experienced players to jump in and answer questions if they're up for it—after all, the Gathering is all about community.

You may also consider playing some of our Learn to Play videos on a display in your store during the event; whether you build out a looping playlist or design your Open House around the learn-to-play experience is up to you!

Recommend new player products to continue learning.

Open House can be the start of a lifelong love of Magic for players in your store, and you'll want to be prepared to capture that interest with a product recommendation. Encourage players to take home the Starter Kit to continue skill-building with family and friends or point them to the Bundle (or leftover Prerelease Packs) for an easy kick-start to their Collection.

Play Boosters help new players build up a collection, and Commander Decks provide a ready-to-play option to those who want to try out Magic's most popular format.

Drive Prerelease pre-registrations at the end of your event.

Before players leave, give them the dates for your store's next event: Duskmourn: House of Horror Prerelease! Equipped with the knowledge of how to play, coming to Prerelease is a perfect next step to experience Magic with even more members of your awesome community.

This set gives players a way to get their Halloween fix right at their favorite local game store, while also allowing new and experienced players to get a taste of the Archenemy format. Archenemy is an approachable way to experience multiplayer Magic, and a fresh way to experience Commander with friends.

Duskmourn: House of Horror takes place in a plane-enveloping House brimming with nightmarish horrors and chilling thrills. If you've yet to get your Prerelease scheduled, make sure you do so now so you can boost pre-registrations at Bloomburrow Open House.