| STARCON/STARFEST | |
|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Multi-Media |
| Venue | Denver Marriott DTC |
| Location | Denver, Colorado |
| Country | United States |
| First held | May 6, 1977 |
| Organizer | Stephen and KathE Walker |
| Official website | http://starland.com/sf-sc |
STARFEST is the annual Multi Media/Science Fiction Convention held in Denver, Colorado every April. Started in 1977 as STARCON, STARFEST is one of the longest running fan-produced conventions in the country.
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STARCON was first held on May 7, 1977 at the Denver Regency Hotel. KathE Walker had attended several conventions in New York and liked them so much that she gathered several friends to put on the first STARCON. The first convention guests included: Writer David Gerrold, Actor Mark Lenard, and Actress Grace Lee Whitney. Stephen Walker joined the convention staff after the fifth convention. About that time STARCON gained enough popularity that it spawned a second convention. For many years STARCON was held in September every year and STARFEST was held in April. After more than twenty years of running in parallel, both STARCON and STARFEST featuring big name science fiction guests, in 2002 they went back to one convention a year, STARFEST in April. Through it all, Kevin Atkins has acted as Master of Ceremonies since the beginning.
In 1977, attendees were the first in the country to see a preview of a soon-to-be released science fiction film, Star Wars.
In 1988, Patrick Stewart Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the new TV series Star Trek: The Next Generation made STARFEST his first convention appearance. When the show went off the air, he came back to STARFEST to "end it, where it all began."
In 1989, William Shatner made his first convention appearance to promote Star Trek V: The Final Frontier his first directorial effort. He has since been a guest at STARFEST three times, the latest being in 2005.
In 1994, Tom Cruise came to the convention to help promote his upcoming movie Interview with the Vampire. He thrilled the fans when he not only answered questions, but autographed posters from the movie.
In 2000, John Travolta entertained convention attendees with clips and insight from his upcoming movie Battlefield Earth.
In 2007, Leonard Nimoy appeared on stage, thrilling fans with a lively question and answer session.
In 2008, Zachary Quinto appeared on stage. Currently starring as 'Sylar' on TV's 'HEROES', he will be the new 'Mr. Spock' in the upcoming Star Trek movie that will be released in May, 2009. Also appearing on stage was Nichelle Nichols, Lt. Uhura from the original Star Trek series. She shared several stories about her long and incredible acting career. She spoke about meeting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the words of encouragement he gave her and how important her character was to Black women everywhere.
In 2009, Brent Spiner appeared on stage. Brent talked to convention attendees about his fictional story on Twitter and how some fans think it is based on his current life when, in fact, it is just being made up as he goes along. Katee Sackhoff - Kara Thrace from Battlestar Galactica fame - also appeared on stage sharing several stories from the now defunked series. A surprise guest was William Katt the hero from The Greatest American Hero fame. He still has lots of curly blonde hair and tons of great stories to tell from the series.
In 2009, COMICFEST became part of the STARFEST weekend. Guests included local comic book writers and artists. Some of the more notable were Stan Yan, who runs a website www.squidworks.com a "home for self-published comic artists that are based in the Colorado area". In a recent article in the Denver Post writer Douglas Brown gave an overview of who and what to expect from this new addition to the STARFEST family.
In 2010, STARFEST paid tribute to the movie of the same name 2010 by hosting one of the original stars Gary Lockwood. Actress Summer Glau made a rare convention appearance as did STARGATE SG1 star Christopher Judge. STAR TREK'S Marina Sirtis, Garrett Wang and STAR WARS Admiral Ackbar himself Tim Rose were also on hand and spent much of the weekend enjoying the convention activities right along with those who were attending the event. Attendees also enjoyed a live performance by the Castle Rock Orchestra. Over 45 members of the orchestra were on stage and treated the audience to exciting arrangements of several Science Fiction movie themes. The guest speakers were very accessible all weekend and could be seen hanging out in the hotels lounge area relaxing and just talking with the attendees. Highlights from the convention included the popular Balcony Challenge (attendees decorate their balconies with scenes from their favorite Science Fiction movie), the Federation Ball, Costume Contest and more. COMICFEST was back for a 2nd year and enjoyed by all.
In 2011, STARFEST welcomed actress Morena Baccarin,who plays the Supreme Commander of the new TV series "V" and "FIREFLY". Actor Mark Sheppard, who is one of the hardest working actors we know appeared as well. He portrays so many different characters. He currently has a recurring character in Doctor Who, Supernatural, Leverage, and Dollhouse, just to name a few. If you watch Science Fiction, you have seen him. LeVar Burton Geordi LaForge from STAR TREK THE NEXT GENERATION made a first time appearance at the convention, replacing Jonathan Frakes. Other guests included Peter Mayhew - Chewbacca from STAR WARS, and Jeffrey Combs from RE-ANIMATOR. This year ROBOTFEST celebrated their 5th Anniversary at the convention and brought robots from LOST IN SPACE, STAR WARS and more. COMICFEST was back and celebrated its 3rd year with more national guests including Steve Niles, JT Krul and Amy Reader just to name a few. Highlights from the convention included the popular Balcony Challenge (featuring balconies decorated with a THOR theme), the Costume Contest, Steampunk panels, drumming, the Federation Ball and much more. STARFEST continues to bring Science Fiction fans together for one incredible weekend.
Over the past 34 plus years, STARFEST has hosted a virtual "who's who" of Hollywood. Directors: Tim Burton (1988), Francis Ford Coppola (1992), Dean Devlin, etc. Actors: Jeff Goldblum, Leonard Nimoy, Sean Astin, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Peter Mayhew, plus all of the major stars of each Star Trek series and many of the guest stars. Each year, the convention offers more panels, entertainment and excitement for convention attendees.
The Panels and other Activities are also a very important part of the convention. STARFEST offers several different rooms of programming. MODEL SHOW- where you can show off your latest creation or learn to build one from one of the many kits offered. ART SHOW-original artwork and sculptures from your favorite Science Fiction Shows. You can learn to speak Klingon, make a costume, show off your talent, enjoy Karaoke, attend Starfleet Academy or enjoy one of many panel discussions.
There is also an interactive entertainment company called Mischief Managed Entertainment. They produce a Harry Potter inspired show called "Tales From Avistrum". The non-profit company started at the convention in 2001 as a fan group called 'Hogwarts America'. They have since become a staple for the Starfest convention.
In addition, past activities included media rooms for such things and Anime, rare episodes, SF movies, and foreign SF. For many years Saturday evenings ended with the latest Star Trek episode, a costume contest, a parody play, followed by a movie.
MK Jameson has attended the STARFEST conventions in Denver since 1985. The information provided, dates and guests, are from her own personal collection of STARFEST Convention Program Books.
KathE Walker Convention Co-ordinator STARFEST convention organizer since 1977. Updates from each convention.