Upcoming Events & Conventions
There's lots to do in the Valley and on the planet!
Upcoming Events
Check back often for updates to the calendar of events and conventions throughout the area.
May Events
5.2 USS Ascension Meeting & Movie Night at the Carmike - 6p
Carmike 16 Cinema, 1700 Catasaqua Rd, Allentown, PA
Contact FCapt Jim for more information or to RSVP.
5.2-3 Philly Non-Sport Card Show
Merchant Square Mall, 1901 S 12th St, Allentown, PA
Check below for additional details on this convention.
5.7 Star Trek movie released in theatres
Check your local theatres for showtimes.
5.9 USS Ascension Star Trek Movie Recruiting Event - 7p
Carmike 16 Cinema, 1700 Catasaqua Rd, Allentown, PA
Contact FCapt Jim for more information or to RSVP.
5.16 to 9.20 Star Trek: The Exhibition
Franklin Institute Science Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Runs until Sept 20th. We'll be making plans to attend this event in the summer.
Contact FCapt Jim for more information or to RSVP.
5.16-17 Wonderfest
Crowne Plaza Louisville, 830 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY
Check below for additional details on this convention.
5.21-25 Mayfair Festival
Cedar Beach Park, Allentown PA
Allentown premier family festival of arts, crafts, music, food and fun
5.22-25 Balticon 43
Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, 245 Shawan Rd, Hunt Valley, MD
Check below for additional details on this convention.
June Events
6.5-7 Creation: Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Jacob K. Javits Convention Cntr, 655 West 34th St, New York, NY
Check below for additional details on this convention.
6.6 USS Ascension Meeting & Movie Night at the Carmike - 6p
Carmike 16 Cinema, 1700 Catasaqua Rd, Allentown, PA
Contact FCapt Jim for more information or to RSVP.
6.14 Police Car Display Event @ America On Wheels – 10a to 3p
America On Wheels Museum, 5 North Front St, Allentown, PA 18102
Lights, Sirens & Speed, Police Car Display Event
6.19-21 Wizard World Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Convention Cntr, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA
Check below for additional details on this convention.
July Events
7.4? USS Ascension Meeting & Movie Night at the Carmike - 6p
Carmike 16 Cinema, 1700 Catasaqua Rd, Allentown, PA
Contact FCapt Jim for more information or to RSVP.
7.10-12 Shore Leave 31
Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, 245 Shawan Rd, Hunt Valley, MD
Check below for additional details on this convention.
7.31-8.2 Creation Star Trek Convention
Hilton Parsippany, 1 Hilton Court Rte 10, Parsippany, NJ
Check below for additional details on this convention.
Upcoming Conventions
Convention listings and guest lists change periodically. Be sure to visit often!
5.2-3 Philly Non-Sport Card Show
Merchant Square Mall, 1901 S 12th St, Allentown, PA
Guests: Ken Kelly, Neil Camera, Kevin Graham, Jim Kyle, Rich Molinelli, Sean Patrick Pence
5.10-17 Cruise Trek 2009: "Back to Bermuda"
New York City to Bermuda
A cruise with actors who have appeared in Star Trek and other sci-fi films & TV shows.
5.16-17 Wonderfest
Crowne Plaza Louisville, 830 Phillips Ln, Louisville, KY
Guests: Veronica Cartwright (Actress, Alien), Angela Cartwright (Penny, Lost in Space), Tom Woodruff Jr (Alien, creature designer and performer), Steve Wang (creature designer), Steve Johnson (Special makeup FX), Ken Kelly (fantasy artist), John Eaves (Star Trek movie illustrator, conceptual designer, fx modelmaker), William Stout (paleo-artist, The Dinosaurs), Mark Schultz (creator, Xenozoic Tales), Frank Dietz (animation), Larry Blamire (Author, playwright, director, actor) & Jennifer Blaire (actress), Bob & Kathy Burns (Super-fans), Cortland Hull & Dennis Vincent (co-directors, Legends Of Film & Fantasy), Patrick McClung (Wolverine, special effects legend), Kenny Miller (Dragnet, The Cisco Kid).
5.22-25 Balticon 43
Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, 245 Shawan Rd, Hunt Valley, MD
Guests: Charles Stross, Kurt Miller, Mary Crowell, Mark L Van Name.
6.5-7 Creation: Fangoria's Weekend of Horrors
Jacob K. Javits Convention Cntr, 655 West 34th St, New York, NY
Guests: Dario Argento (Italian Horror), James Marsters (Buffy), Tobe Hooper, Herschell Gordon Lewis, Doug Bradley, Tony Todd, Tom Savini, Tony Darrow, Jason Hawes, Grant Wilson, CJ Graham, Shannon Lark and more.
6.19-21 Wizard World Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Convention Cntr, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA
Guests: TBA.
7.10-12 Shore Leave 31
Marriott's Hunt Valley Inn, 245 Shawan Rd, Hunt Valley, MD
Guests: Jason Momoa, Rachel Luttrell, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Kevin Sorbo, Adrienne Wilkinson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Jasika Nicole, Michael Welch, Paul Abell, Lucy Albert, Ilsa J Bick, Charles Blue, Kirk Borne, Greg Cox, Kathleen David, Peter A David, Keith DeCandido, Kevin Dilmore, Michael Jan Friedman, Dave Galanter, Robert Greenberger, Glen Hauman, Jim Johnson, The Boogie Knights, Yoji Kondo, William Leisner, Luna-C, David Mack, Terri Osborne, Charles Quirk, Roberta Rogow, Amy Sisson, Ray Villard, Dayton Ward, Howard Weinstein.
7.31-8.2 Creation Star Trek Convention
Hilton Parsippany, 1 Hilton Court Rte 10, Parsippany, NJ
Guests: Leonard Nimoy, Kate Mulgrew, Connor Trinneer, John Billingsley, Jeffrey Combs, Marc Alaimo, Suzie Plakson, JG Hertzler and more TBA.
8.27-29 Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention
Clarion Hotel, Hospitality Way, Aberdeen, MD
Guests: Lee Meriwether (Catwoman 1966, ST:TOS), James Best (Rosco @ Dukes of Hazzard, Johnny Whitaker (Jody @ Family Affair), Celeste Holm (All about Eve), Bob Hastings (Sergeant Bilko), Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed), and Diana Sowle (Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory).
8.29-30 Super Mega Show
Holiday Inn, Harmon Meadow-Secaucus Hotel, 300 Plaza Dr, Secaucus, NJ
Guests: TBA.
10.10-11 Philly Non-Sport Card Show
Enterprise Center, 3331 Route #38, Mt Laurel, NJ
Guests: TBA.
10.10-11 Baltimore Comic-Con
Baltimore Convention Center, One West Pratt St, Baltimore, MD
Guests: Mike and Laura Allred, Dick Ayers, Brian M Bendis, Doug Braithwaite, Jim Calafiore, Nick Cardy, Bernard Chang, Jo Chen, Sean Chen, Jimmy Cheung, Cliff Chiang, Frank Cho, Chris Claremont, Steve Conley, Amanda Conner, J.M. DeMatties, Todd Dezago, Jan Duursema, Steve Englehart, Al Feldstien, David Finch, Bob Fingerman, Matt Fraction, John Gallagher, Ron Garney, Bryan Glass, Tony Harris, Dean Haspiel, Adam Hughes, Kathryn Immonen, Stuart Immonen, JG Jones, Robert Kirkman, Barry Kitson, Scott Koblish, Scott Kurtz, Erik Larsen, Luna Brothers, David Mack, Tom Mandrake, Ron Marz, Sean McKeever, Mike McKone, Doug Murray, Steve Niles, Kevin Nowlan, Mike Oeming, Jimmy Palmiotti, Jeff Parker, Dan Parsons, George Perez, David Petersen, Brandon Peterson, Whilce Portacio, Eric Powell, Tom Raney, Alex Robinson, James Robinson, Budd Root, Don Rosa, Craig Rousseau, Stephane Roux, Tim Sale, Marc Silvestri, Walter Simonson, Andy Smith, Herb Trimpe, Billy Tucci, Jim Valentino, Rob Vendetti, Neil Vokes, Matt Wagner, Mark Waid, Len Wein, Brian Wood, Bernie Wrightson and many, many more TBA.
10.30-11.1 Chiller Theater
Hilton Parsippany Hotel, One Hilton Court, Parsippany, NJ
Guests: TBA.
11.13-15 New England Fan Experience (aka United Fan Con)
Courtyard Boston Downtown/Tremont, 275 Tremont St, Boston, MA
Guests: TBA.
11.14-16 Big Apple Comic Convention
Penn Plaza Pavillion, 401 7th Ave, New York, NY
Guests: George Lazenby, Roy Thomas.
11.22-22 Philcon 2009
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2349 W. Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ
Guests: TBA.
2.12-14.2010 Farpoint 2010
Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2004 Greenspring Drive, Timonium, MD
Guests: TBA.
Convention list provided by Fanboy
New Place
for Farpoint 2009
This past February several Ascension members trekked down to Maryland for the annual Farpoint convention. This year the convention was held at a different location instead of the usual hotel ...the Crown Plaza in Timonium MD. The hotel was clean and easy on the eyes, conveniently located right off Rt 83, had tons of parking and a nice restaurant on the property. There were many low & reasonably priced restaurants within a few blocks. The overall location was perfect.
The front of the hotel opens up into a large atrium five floors high. This is where the dealers room, fan & actor tables were located. The dealers room was small but cozy. And having all the fan & actor tables near each other also made for a cozy convention. Actors featured at this convention were Alan Tudyk ("Wash" @ Firefly/Serenity) and Harve Bennett (producer ST2-5). It was nice to see them walking around the convention mingling with the fans.
The hotel also had seating areas, club chairs/sofas and patio tables with large blue umbrellas in front of the restaurant entrance in the middle of the atrium... a great place to sit and chat with other fans. At the far back end of the atrium they had located a dance floor for the evening banquet and dance. During the daytime it served as a location for the Light Saber dual/practice session. In the evening it became a lighted dance complete with dancing Aliens. Unfortunately the DJ was playing the music WAY too loud and it boomed against the five floors of windows looking out into the atrium.
The ballrooms were down the hall from the atrium and they contained the main auditorium, for guest talks & main programming, the art show, panels and other programming. There was plenty of room for all the planned programming that weekend, all in one area. There was alot of very interesting panels & programs including the masquerade - Klingons, Storm Troopers and Aliens...oh my!
The hotel & their restaurant staff was very nice and accommodating. Their food was great, although we ate them out of more than half the menu. I'm sure they'll plan to have more food next year...we're a hungry bunch. They set out food stations in the lobby almost all day long and their prices were reasonable.