Sep 01 2009
10 Reasons Why You’ll Wish You Were Attending Dragon*con 2009
For us die hard Dragon*con attendees, this is a convention we plan for a full year advance (no lie, I’ve had my hotel reservation since September of 2008). If for some reason you have been on the fence about attending this incredibly AWESOME convention, let me give you 10 reasons why you’ll wish you decided to go this year.
1. THE SHAT, Nimoy, and Stewart of Star Trek
Yes, William Farking Shatner (as Wil Wheaton would say), Leonard Nimoy, and Patrick Stewart. Three of the most sought after Star Trek guests in the history of the franchise. They rarely do conventions. They rarely sign autographs. And all three of them will be at Dragon*con 2009. And let us not forget the panel/Q&A that everyone is talking about, where Nimoy and THE SHAT will take the stage together. It’s first thing Friday morning, and it’s already been moved to a bigger ballroom, er, ballrooms. Find it in Hyatt Cent. I-III at 10 a.m., not the Marriott Atrium as the original schedule states.
2. Adam Savage of Mythbusters
It was cool to have the three Mythbusters assistants in years past, but Dragon*con has never managed to attract either of the stars… until now! Adam Savage (the one without the bushy mustache), will be attending this year! I think he and ArcAttack should get together, what a combo that would be!
3. Terry Gilliam of Monty Python
Dragon*con has gotten so damned big and awesome that they managed to get a member of Monty Python to attend as a guest. I suspect there will be lots of Ministry of Silly Walks t-shirts at this year’s con. But seriously, this is huge! Please note that Terry will be appearing at Dragon*Con on Friday and Saturday only.
4. The Dragon*con Annual Parade
While not specific to 2009, the Dragon*con parade is one of the unique features of the convention that should absolutely not be missed. Just imagine, if you wish, a few hundred Star Wars stormtroopers marching through downtown Atlanta. Not to mention the Harley riding Klingons! It is totally worth being up at 10 a.m. on Saturday for.
5. The Masquerade and Costume Contests
Perhaps rivaled only by San Diego Comic-Con and BlizzCon, Dragon*con attracts some amazing costumers. In fact, there are so many great costumes, there are multiple contests throughout the convention (a favorite of mine being the Miss Klingon Empire Beauty Pageant). But the big daddy of them all is the Masquerade. It’s usually emceed by one of the celebrity guests (like Anthony Daniels or Ethan Phillips from years past).
6. DC*TV
Dragon*con TV (or DC*TV) is a special hotel television station broadcast in all four of the host hotels. It features funny videos, bumpers, and broadcasts of all of the big ballroom events. I actually had one of my bumper questions make it in 2007! I’ve seen a lot of conventions attempt something similar, but nothing beats DC*TV!
7. The Parties… Oh the Parties!
Avast ye scoundrels! Has ye heard of the great Pirate Party? What started as an unofficial gathering back in 2006 (and was shut down twice! by hotel security) is now one of the best and hardest to get into parties at D*C. And it is far from the only one. Dragon*con is known for its parties, some sanctioned, and some not so sanctioned. But if you’re looking to party hard with your fellow geeks, D*C is where it’s at!
8. Rocky Horror Picture Show and Barry Bostwick
When I heard Rocky Horror Picture Show’s Barry Bostwick would be attending D*C, I was so very happy. Conventions are a great opportunity to put on a shadow cast performance of Rocky Horror anyway, but having Barry as a guest just makes it a killer convention for RHPS fans to attend. And major props to the local Atlanta RHPS cast, Lips Down on Dixie, who always do a hell of a job. And let’s not forget the Buffy Horror Picture Show, which is a “Rocky-ized” version of the Buffy: The Vampire Slayer “Once More, With Feeling” episode.
9. A Guinness World Record Attempt for Dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
That’s right, a bunch of clever zombies have organized an official Dragon*con Guinness World Record attempt for having the most people dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. You can read all about it on their official website. Last I heard, it was not too late to sign up for this event!
10. The Most Fun You Can Have with Friends, Crammed into the Best Four Days Possible
There really is nothing quite like Dragon*con. It’s a great place to spend time with your friends, as well as a great place to meet new ones. Between all the panels, parties, events, games, tournaments, contests, and lines (yes, there are some of those), you’re bound to meet a ton of great geeky people. I’m happy to say that I am still in touch with people I’ve met at past Dragon*cons, and I hope to meet more this year.
Won’t you come out and join us at one of the greatest conventions on the planet?
i herd that spooky empire is also doing a zombie thing for Michele jackson it will be part of their annual zombie walk. i wonder which will have more zombies.
Nice costumes!