- Starfest
Infobox Convention
name = STARFEST
caption =
status = Active
genre = Multi-Media
venue = Denver Marriott DTC
location = Denver, Colorado
country = United States
first = 1977
last =
organizer =
filing =
attendance =
website = http://starland.com/sf-scSTARFEST is the annual Multi Media/
Science Fiction Convention held inDenver, Colorado every April. Started in 1977, STARFEST is the longest running fan produced convention in the country.History
STARFEST was first held in Denver in May 1977. Stephen and KathE Walker, life long members of
Science Fiction Fandom attended several Star Trek/Science Fiction conventions throughout the country. At that time, Denver didn't have a local convention that catered to Science Fiction-Media fans. They decided it was time to bring the fun and excitement of a convention to the Denver area and STARFEST was born. The first convention was actually called STARCON. The name was later changed to STARFEST to better reflect the 'festive mood' the convention created. The first convention guests included: WriterDavid Gerrold and ActressGrace Lee Whitney .Convention highlights
1n 1977, attendees were the first in the country to see a preview of a soon-to-be released Science Fiction movie, "".
In 1988,
Patrick Stewart Captain Jean Luc Picard of the new TV show "" 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 "" 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 "". 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.Over the past 30 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 , etc. Each year the convention offers more panels, entertainment and excitement for convention attendees.Convention activities
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.
Resources
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.
External links
*http://www.starland.com/ - Official Website
*http://myspace.com/starlanddotcom - My Space
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
