Five weeks from today marks the beginning of the 29th annual Dragon Con in Atlanta, GA. It will be held over an extended Labor Day weekend, starting the afternoon of Thursday, Sept. 3 and running through Monday, Sept. 7.
This year over 65,000 people are anticipated to be in attendance for the opportunity to participate in the 3,000 plus hours of sci-fi fantasy events, gaming, robotics, comics, panels, screenings, signings, concerts, cosplay and art. Featured guests include Edward James Olmos, Nichelle Nichols, Peter Mayhew, Felicia Day, John Barrowman, David Ramsey, and Stephen Amell along with some 400 other actors, authors, and artists.
Rachel Reeves, the convention co-chair, exclaimed, “We’re very excited about this year’s guest list. We have attracted guests from some of the best shows on television today, including Arrow, Game of Thrones, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, and Once Upon A Time. We also have guests from fan favorite shows from recent years, such as Warehouse 13 and classic sci-fi shows such as Doctor Who.”
This list doesn’t stop there, though. Other shows and franchises represented include The Flash, Sleepy Hollow, True Blood, The 100, Defiance, Ghost Hunters, Lost Girl, American Horror Story, Fringe, Hannibal, Continuum, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Torchwood, Mystery Science Theater 3000, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, and Star Trek. Some of the movies represented include Star Wars, 2001 Space Odyssey, The Twilight Saga, The Lord of the Rings, and The Hobbit.
But wait, that’s not all! Also in attendance this year will be puppeteers from Sesame Street, including Carol Spinney who played Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. To top it off, Cheryl Henson, Jim Henson’s daughter, will also be there. It was noted, however, that the puppets will not be joining their handlers.
Since 2002, Dragon Con has also been known for it’s Saturday morning parade through downtown Atlanta. The Grand Marshall of the 2015 Dragon Con parade will be none other than Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura from the original Star Trek series)!
Stay tuned as weekly announcements will be shared between now and the beginning of this year’s Dragon Con. Announcements will probably include the addition of more guests, as well as more specific information regarding the times of convention events. We will also provide coverage during the convention. For more information visit the Dragon Con website at www.dragoncon.org.
Image of Finn Jones from Game of Thrones courtesy of Roger Wong/INFphoto.com