Join us on the adventure! We'll cover the history of hotel takeovers, best practices for interacting with others, play area etiquette, give a tour, and more!
ILKW 2026 A Lot Of Everything Under One Woof!
Thursday Sep. 17, 2026 5 PM To Sunday Sep. 20, 2026 2 PM
Thursday Sep. 17, 2026
Join us on the adventure! We'll cover the history of hotel takeovers, best practices for interacting with others, play area etiquette, give a tour, and more!
Friday Sep. 18, 2026
Explore the powerful relationship between media, imagination, and desire. From historical depictions of sexuality and kink to modern film, television, music, literature, pornography, advertising, animation, and social media, the stories and images we consume can profoundly shape how we understand attraction, fantasy, identity, and kink.
This class will take a journey through media across generations, including the unexpected homoeroticism of 1980s cartoons, the Adonises and sex symbols of the silver screen, early and modern representations of BDSM, furry culture and anthropomorphic characters, iconic advertising, literature, and other cultural references that have sparked curiosity and influenced desire.
Together, we’ll explore how media can introduce new possibilities, challenge boundaries, awaken fantasies, and help us recognize desires and interests we may not have previously understood. Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking discussion about the media that has shaped us—and what it reveals about the desires we carry.
Mando (He/Him) is the inaugural Wisconsin Fetish Titleholder. He became reengaged with the kink and fetish community six years ago after deciding that vanilla was a little too ordinary. His interests include Star Wars-inspired cosplay integrated with BDSM, impact play, chastity, watersports and a wide variety of kink and fetish dynamics. Known for flagging more colors than the rainbow (mostly left but occasionally right), Mando embraces exploration, creativity, self expression and community connection. Over the past year, Mando has focused on education within the kink community. His class, Dirty & Nerdy, explores how fandoms such as cosplay, tabletop gaming, and other geek culture interests can be incorporated into kink and fetish play. He has presented at events including Route 66, Indiana Leather & Kink Weekend, and North America Bear, with additional teaching engagements planned this year. He has also served as a contest judge and is proud to be the title parent of Wisconsin’s current Fetish Titleholder, Spartan Halo. During and after his title year, Mando combined his passion for kink community leadership with advocacy and service. He has organized fundraising efforts to support LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing housing instability and continues to be an active housing advocate, working to raise awareness and amplify the voices of vulnerable members of his community.
Dr. Brad Sagarin is a professor of social and evolutionary psychology at Northern Illinois University where he studies social influence, resistance to persuasion, deception, jealousy, infidelity, human sexuality, and statistics. Brad has been published in a variety of scholarly journals, has given radio, television, and podcast interviews, has consulted for radio and television programs, and has delivered invited lectures to academic and non-academic organizations. His research has been cited in newspapers and magazines, including The Economist and New Scientist. He holds Doctorate and Master's degrees in Social Psychology from Arizona State University, and a Baccalaureate degree in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The focus of this class will be on how to do the Florentine technique or using two floggers at the same time. Floggers are one of the hallmarks in BDSM and kink. Bring your floggers to learn how to use them safely, take care of them, and learn how to amplify your scenes by doubling your fun. Bring your floggers and be ready to learn how to Florentine together.
Master Leather Redux and slave Raea, Midwest Master/slave 2026, hail from the Windy City. They are advocates for safety and inclusivity in kink and community spaces. When they are not teaching or playing in the dungeon with Florentine whips or fire flogging, you might see them at the latest food pop-up trying some local delicacies or practicing with bull whips at the local park where they playfully tell strangers “it’s for the Renaissance Faire.”
Master Leather Redux and slave Raea, Midwest Master/slave 2026, hail from the Windy City. They are advocates for safety and inclusivity in kink and community spaces. When they are not teaching or playing in the dungeon with Florentine whips or fire flogging, you might see them at the latest food pop-up trying some local delicacies or practicing with bull whips at the local park where they playfully tell strangers “it’s for the Renaissance Faire.”
Did you know that electro play can be sensual? Have you ever wanted to control a pet like a puppet? What about shock collars and obedience training? Come join the smell of ozone and the crackle of a violet wand and explore the different ways electro play can enhance pet play experience and layer with other kinks to build interactive scenes.
Pup Shock (He/Him/His) is a true switch with a love of predicament and sensual play with a sadistic side. From training submissive tops, to bringing experiences of rubber, drone play, objectification, and restraint play to simply pawing holes, he brings over a decade of experience blending kink into customized scenes to affront the senses. Strike up a conversation about your favorite kinks and find yourself engaged with a no-shame lets-play-a-game dog who can't seem to stop coming up with new ways to play.
Join Kiso Pony for an introductory carting class designed to build a strong foundation before you even hitch up. We'll begin with essential groundwork to establish communication and confidence between pony and handler. From there, we'll explore rein direction basics, body positioning for riders to support and not hinder the pony, and ways to make pulling easier and more comfortable. We'll also go over recommended tack and equipment to help set both pony and handler up for success. Whether you're new to carting or looking to brush up on your fundamentals, this class is the perfect place to start your journey.
My name is Kiso Pony, or my human name is Aspen (He/Him). I am the Indiana Pet of 2025 and a member of House Exemplar. I am a Proud Trans Man, and I have been in the Kink and Leather community since 2016. I have found a home for myself in the pet and leather community and attempt to support both of them every chance I get. I look to ensure that every critter feels valued, regardless of whether they have someone to share their critter soul with.
Xenos the Alien Pup (he/him) is a 28 year old queer verse switch kinkster and leather puppy who landed his mothership in Cincinnati and fell in love with the Leather scene. On any given day, you can find him sharing information and resources, introducing new members to the community, or digging up the Cincinnati regions local leather history. He is also Cincinnati Critter 2024 and the Current VP of Cincinnati Leather.
Who preserves leather, kink, and fetish history? We do. In this class, we trace the Leather Archives & Museum from its founding vision to the institution it is today — why a community decided its own history was worth saving, and what it took to build a home for it. We'll cover how the LA&M was planned, funded and constructed, why it has always been sustained solely by community donations and memberships, and where the museum is headed next. Time is included for questions and discussion.
In this class you will get a bit of history for straight razor shaving, get tips on how to straight razor shave, and show how to make a scene out of it from both a submissive and dominant perspective(since we all know that service doesn't mean submissive :P). Demo probable
Based on prior frameworks by academics; Shock will bring interactive formatted participation-based activities where we experience and talk about the core components of pet play regardless of what type of critter, or handler/trainer/enthusiast you are! You've talked about it, you've thought about it, and now you're going to join in as we explore what it's like for new pets and handlers, the challenges they face, and the obstacles they overcome and how widely it can vary while having fun, and of course snacks! From learning how to identify safety when playing, to how to ask someone you're shy about to play!
NOTE: If you plan to attend this class and have mobility needs that need to be met please reach out to an educational volunteer or Shock ahead of time so that we can tailor and ensure accommodations for you to participate and get the most out of the class!
Pup Shock (He/Him/His) is a true switch with a love of predicament and sensual play with a sadistic side. From training submissive tops, to bringing experiences of rubber, drone play, objectification, and restraint play to simply pawing holes, he brings over a decade of experience blending kink into customized scenes to affront the senses. Strike up a conversation about your favorite kinks and find yourself engaged with a no-shame lets-play-a-game dog who can't seem to stop coming up with new ways to play.
Xenos the Alien Pup (he/him) is a 28 year old queer verse switch kinkster and leather puppy who landed his mothership in Cincinnati and fell in love with the Leather scene. On any given day, you can find him sharing information and resources, introducing new members to the community, or digging up the Cincinnati regions local leather history. He is also Cincinnati Critter 2024 and the Current VP of Cincinnati Leather.
The hanky code, a system to silently signal desire, identity, and belonging, is one of the most recognizable yet least documented traditions to emerge from leather and fetish subcultures. Its meanings shifted from place to place and decade to decade, passed along through whispered conversation rather than written record. Tracking its origins is a frequently asked question, but one that cannot be answered. The hanky code will serve as a starting point for a larger conversation about what is required to collect, document, and research the histories of communities forced to live in the margins.We will explore the practical and ethical challenges that archivists, historians, and community members face when the subject matter has long been hidden, criminalized, or dismissed. How do you build a reliable record when sources contradict each other, when key figures used pseudonyms, when photographs were destroyed for safety, or when oral traditions died with their keepers? How do you honor the privacy of people who never expected to be studied while still ensuring that their contributions are not forgotten? The program draws on archival materials, firsthand accounts, and the working experience of those who do this work every day
From polari to hanky code, from brick-and-mortar taverns to the apps, from the Stonewall uprising to small-town pride, Queer identity has faced many challenges in building strong communities. Through this adversity, the Queer community has forged strong, resilient communities… but how? This interactive, discussion-based course will explore what it means to build strong, resilient communities through the lens of sustainable community development. Participants will explore the three pillars of social sustainability: institutional responsibility, community viability, and individual belonging. Once we gain an understanding of these pillars, we will walk through Queer history, from the cruising park to the ballroom, to understand how these aspects of social communities interact with one another. Finally, participants will discuss their own communities to identify strengths and areas for growth. By the end of our time together, participants will understand how these three pillars interact and take what they learn back to their communities to ensure everyone feels included and seen.
Dr. Aksel Hunden is a nerdy, gym-loving rubber doggo. Serving as Wisconsin Pet 2025, he enjoys traveling and exploring the diverse kink and queer scenes across the Midwest and beyond. Because he is a dog-brained glutton for punishment, Aksel recently received his Doctorate in Education this spring. His research explored how rural and urban queer communities foster belonging, resilience, and socially sustainability in the face of minimization. When not traveling, working out, or in rubber and pet spaces, he can often be found diving into philosophy, queer identity, and the histories of kink and LGBTQ+ rigihts.
This advanced-level class explores service submission as a dynamic system of power, meaning, and relational structure within consensual D/s dynamics. Designed for experienced participants, this course moves beyond task-based service to examine how service functions as identity expression, authority embodiment, emotional communication, and long-term relational architecture.
Participants will learn how to design intentional service frameworks, evaluate sustainability and burnout risk, and develop adaptive service structures that evolve alongside deepening power exchange. The class also explores symbolic, ritualized, functional, and transformational forms of service, along with advanced communication and calibration strategies for maintaining clarity, purpose, and mutual fulfillment.
Ideal for those seeking to refine or redesign established dynamics, this class provides practical tools and conceptual models for creating meaningful, sustainable, and deeply integrated service practices that strengthen both power and connection.
boi ashe has been in the lifestyle for about 10 years. Ashe is a transmasc nonbinary human who uses they/them pronouns. They are in a D/s dynamic with their partner Malechus and a DD/lb dynamic with their partner Baron. Ashe loves all things twisted and morbid and often delves deeper into darker things in kink and vanilla life. Ashe is the 2026 Indiana Leather Pride Person of Leather.
This class will focus on high shine methods for beginners. You'll learn how to thrift good boots for cheap, identify the type of leather, and start an at-home bootblacking kit for under $20. Learn the basic supplies and always keep your boots shiny for the next event!
Hi, I'm Toast! I'm from Louisville, I'm 20, and I solve Rubik's cubes blindfolded for treats. I got introduced to bootblacking at my first pride in 2023. Since then, I've focused on getting the best high shine I can with what I can gather. I've done leather care for several years prior, so I vary my technique from both kinky and non kinky cobblers. In this short time, I've become a few people's go-to bootblack, and even shined a few pairs for the IML stage. I'm excited to share the basics!
Saturday Sep. 19, 2026
Fandom-Style invites you to explore the playful intersection of cosplay, creativity, and kink. Ever wondered how to bring your favorite fandom fantasies to life in a fun, consensual way? This class shows you how.
You’ll learn how to transform everyday fandom gear into inventive play tools, build a costume-inspired toolkit without breaking the bank, and tap into your imagination to create unique, personalized experiences. The focus is on creativity, confidence, and exploring what excites you—without judgment.
Through engaging live demonstrations, you’ll see how these ideas translate into real-world scenarios, sparking inspiration (and plenty of “I want to try that” moments). The session wraps up with an open Q&A and a curated list of resources so you leave informed, empowered, and ready to explore your own Dirty & Nerdy adventures safely and consensually.
Mando (He/Him) is the inaugural Wisconsin Fetish Titleholder. He became reengaged with the kink and fetish community six years ago after deciding that vanilla was a little too ordinary. His interests include Star Wars-inspired cosplay integrated with BDSM, impact play, chastity, watersports and a wide variety of kink and fetish dynamics. Known for flagging more colors than the rainbow (mostly left but occasionally right), Mando embraces exploration, creativity, self expression and community connection. Over the past year, Mando has focused on education within the kink community. His class, Dirty & Nerdy, explores how fandoms such as cosplay, tabletop gaming, and other geek culture interests can be incorporated into kink and fetish play. He has presented at events including Route 66, Indiana Leather & Kink Weekend, and North America Bear, with additional teaching engagements planned this year. He has also served as a contest judge and is proud to be the title parent of Wisconsin’s current Fetish Titleholder, Spartan Halo. During and after his title year, Mando combined his passion for kink community leadership with advocacy and service. He has organized fundraising efforts to support LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing housing instability and continues to be an active housing advocate, working to raise awareness and amplify the voices of vulnerable members of his community.
Come join the social! Snacks a juice boxes? And hanging out with other littles and bigs and other folks into regressive play? Come socialize and enjoy some time to just be you!
Pup Balty
Balty(He/Him/GoodBoy) is a 30-something locked little pup from Cincinnati, OH. This good boy has a kink experience that ranges a wide list but the highlights include, Chastity, Watersports, Musk, Voyerism, ABDL (Littles), Outdoor play, Sniffing butts and so much more! He is currently World Pet 2024 and was Cincinnati Critter 2023! Balty has a passion for kink education that can be found in any space he inhabits and he's alvays open to learning more in a paws on approach. Balty can also be found out and about in his community as his Nun alter ego Sister Ellen Degenerates of The Cincinnati Sisters Abbey of the Immaculate 4-way! As well as serving as an educator for The Titans of The Midwest! Balty travels to many kink and bear events around the country with his Daddy, if you see him don't be a stranger After all, Balty's never met a stranger. Balty can be found online @PupBalty
The workshop will contain a little about my life and experiences. Basics practices of whip play and short history lesson. Learn the parts that make up a whip and different types. Recommendations for setting the scene for mood and risk aware safety. A sensual and whip demonstration at the end. Time for questions and answers and definitely fun!
I was seven and had my first whip. Although there were hints of SM throughout my life, I did not act on them right away. Now, I have over 35 years of experience and am still teachable and want to learn new things. I have taught many classes on whips and other topics. Over the years in the community, I’ve been a part of groups, organizations and even honored a couple of times for the work. I come here with an Old Guard experience and change with today’s environment. I’m so grateful and honored to Knot A Contest to have me back to teach with my boy GD Jarry.
I am relatively new to the BDSM scene, roughly five years, but wow what a ride. Always had thoughts of being of service and sensation play. Started coming out a bit to our local dungeon and had a few exceptional scenes with edge players. I started learning more about whips, paddling and sensation play from My Sir. My Sir and I have taught numerous classes in the Tri State Area of Cincinnati including sensation play, whips, and my favorite abrasion play. The spiritually, connection, and the playfulness. My Sir likes it best when I am snarky and occasionally wear tie dye of some sort. I am so honored to be asked to help teach with my Sir whips again at Knot A Contest, My Sir is Mark O'Keefe.
Are you a butt stuff pro with a hole lot of experience, a total newbie figuring out how to prep the back door, or something in between? And no one told your ass that douching only takes 10 minutes, or how TF to make that happen?! Odds are, you've had to work with a bunch of crap… that is, pop culture misinformation about diet, prep, exercise, and anatomy. Fear not, gentle sphincters, for it does not have to be this way. Join Delta, self-professed butt stuff connoisseur, to pound through the stereotypes and stigma and get plugged into evidence-based techniques maximizing pleasure for all bodies and all buttholes. After all, we've all got one, and they all ROCK!
Delta (he/him) is an easily excited, helplessly extroverted, absurdly kinky leather coyote pup with a passion for studying the history and philosophy of queer and kink communities, focusing on Leather and Pet Play. Not one to stick to theory, he spends as much time honing his skills as an active practitioner. Delta served as Wisconsin Pet 2024 and Route 66 Pet 2025, and still travels around the US teaching Pet Play, BDSM, and Queer History classes whenever he can. Back at home in Madison, Wisconsin, he also teaches Pet Play and related subjects at queer spaces and local events.
Master Leather Redux and slave Raea, Midwest Master/slave 2026, hail from the Windy City. They are advocates for safety and inclusivity in kink and community spaces. When they are not teaching or playing in the dungeon with Florentine whips or fire flogging, you might see them at the latest food pop-up trying some local delicacies or practicing with bull whips at the local park where they playfully tell strangers “it’s for the Renaissance Faire.”
Master Leather Redux and slave Raea, Midwest Master/slave 2026, hail from the Windy City. They are advocates for safety and inclusivity in kink and community spaces. When they are not teaching or playing in the dungeon with Florentine whips or fire flogging, you might see them at the latest food pop-up trying some local delicacies or practicing with bull whips at the local park where they playfully tell strangers “it’s for the Renaissance Faire.”
Queer history and Leather History go hand in hand. Bootblacks are the base and the reason behind why our history has been preserved. How did bootblacking even start? Why is the acronym LGBT? What history is being erased and why? Join BootWitch, a naturally curious bootblack as they show what they have learned through over a decade of Queer and Leather involvement, including gathering stories from the people who lived our history and the words they left behind.
BootWitch is a BootBlack from Cincinnati, OH with over seven years of experience at the stand. They have provided services at events like North American Bear, Cincinnati Leather Weekend, Cincinnati Critter Contest, various community events, and private sessions. They enjoy teaching bootblacking from a perspective of care and preservation of gear and goods. They are experienced in taking care of leather, rubber/latex, and neoprene. BootWitch is always looking to expand their kit and add more information to their knowledge pool!
Pet play often relies on spoken praise, quick responses, physical touch, and unspoken expectations—but those approaches do not work for everyone. This class explores how neurodivergence can affect communication, sensory needs, processing time, consent, and participation in pet play and leather spaces. Pup Spartan will share practical tools for clearer check-ins, recognizing different forms of communication, supporting nonverbal moments, and helping without making assumptions. Attendees will leave with ways to create safer, more accessible, and more affirming interactions for pets, handlers, and the wider community.
Pup Spartan is Wisconsin Fetish 2026, the founder of NeuroPetHQ, and a neurodivergent advocate and educator. Through lived experience, community education, and accessible communication tools, he works to make leather, kink, pet-play, and furry spaces safer and more inclusive. His work centers communication, sensory needs, consent, and supporting people without making assumptions.
In this presentation we will explore personal, interpersonal, social, and cultural ways of experiencing intimacy as people with disabilities. We will touch on a range of topics such as accessibility in sexual encounters, intersectionality within disabled culture, disability politics, demedicalizing pleasure, and finding pleasure while in pain. We will talk about the past, the future, and most importantly what you can start doing today to move forward on your journey to find pleasure and happiness while in a body and a society that may try to disagree.
Fish (he/him) is a disabled trans man with a passion for everything sexual wellbeing. He's spent over eight years living with daily chronic pain, which has only fueled his love for all things BDSM and disability related. He believes in being a strong advocate not just for himself but for all people, because he believes pleasure is a human right. Join him on his quest to make this world a more understanding place, one conversation at a time.
Come join Vixen in learning about the intricacies of caring for complex leather from femme styles, to out of the ordinary pieces with more personality than you can imagine!
"Captain, they've reached the second hole!" radio static "...that's the rectosigmoid junction, private." Realistically sized dicks and dildos are fun and all, but why stop there? Back right up, and let's expand our... knowledge. Join Delta, your silicone sommelier, to slip into in-DEPTH ANALysis of safety, training, and product recommendations for intermediate-to-advanced butt stuff: deep douching, anal fisting, depth play, and anything else we can squeeze in. includes demo, if demo bottom's body permits
Delta (he/him) is an easily excited, helplessly extroverted, absurdly kinky leather coyote pup with a passion for studying the history and philosophy of queer and kink communities, focusing on Leather and Pet Play. Not one to stick to theory, he spends as much time honing his skills as an active practitioner. Delta served as Wisconsin Pet 2024 and Route 66 Pet 2025, and still travels around the US teaching Pet Play, BDSM, and Queer History classes whenever he can. Back at home in Madison, Wisconsin, he also teaches Pet Play and related subjects at queer spaces and local events.
Service isn’t about servitude — it’s about connection, intention, and shared fulfillment. Whether you’re a Dominant who loves receiving service, a submissive who finds meaning in giving, or simply curious about the dynamics behind structured service, this class explores how service functions as a powerful form of power exchange. We’ll cover the emotional, psychological, and practical aspects of service relationships, how to negotiate and sustain them ethically, and how both sides can give and receive in ways that are affirming, fulfilling, and sustainable.
boi ashe has been in the lifestyle for about 10 years. Ashe is a transmasc nonbinary human who uses they/them pronouns. They are in a D/s dynamic with their partner Malechus and a DD/lb dynamic with their partner Baron. Ashe loves all things twisted and morbid and often delves deeper into darker things in kink and vanilla life. Ashe is the 2026 Indiana Leather Pride Person of Leather.
Part two! Come join the discussion about what you learned in the prior class, how disability and intimacy influence us, and take challenging dynamics and make them special! Through methods in accessibility, demedicalizing pleasure in different ways, and sharing how you can find pleasure while in pain. We want to discuss disability in politics, disabled culture, and how we approach these things in our daily lives sharing tips, tricks, and hard lessons that shape us into the people we are today.
Fish (he/him) is a disabled trans man with a passion for everything sexual wellbeing. He's spent over eight years living with daily chronic pain, which has only fueled his love for all things BDSM and disability related. He believes in being a strong advocate not just for himself but for all people, because he believes pleasure is a human right. Join him on his quest to make this world a more understanding place, one conversation at a time.