Starfest
STARFEST is the annual Multi Media/ Science Fiction Convention held in Denver, 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: Writer David Gerrold and Actress Grace 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 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 - Kyra 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 additon to the STARFEST family.
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
- http://facebook - Starfest Convention
- http://Starlog.com - Issue #364
- http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/1825648/ Yahoo Article
- http://denverpost.com - Lifestyle Section - Article by Douglas Brown on ComicFest (April 14,2009)