Home > MetNews

Starfest lands
By William Blackburn
wblackb2@mscd.edu

Photo by William Blackburn • wblackb2@mscd.edu Best in Show, Starfest 2007 Costume Contest. From left: Dave Morgan, Lynelle Phillips, Gina Waller, Nigel Casantini, Jyn Burkhart, Kenneth Bodnar, Troy Ollom, Andrea Durst, Cathy Bodner, Leah D’Andrea, Drew Barker, Frank Leitz.

Each spring, thousands of science fiction fans converge on a hotel convention center in a celebration of all things sci-fi. The event is called Starfest, and has been going on for 30 years.

Leah D’Andrea, a 25-year-old Metro theater major inspired and led a team of costumers to win the Best In Show award at Starfest’s costume contest April 21. The team donned costumes from the movie Spaceballs.

Nigel Casantini participated in D’Andrea’s group and masqueraded as Dark Helmet.

“This was only the second or third costume I’ve ever been in, and the first costume contest I’ve ever entered,” Casantini said. He said D’Andrea was “hugely instrumental for the win. She decided on our order and really cranked out a lot of costume work. She made the majority of at least three of the costumes.”

First time Starfest attendee and Metro graphic design and history major Katie Gregonis came for the experience.

“I just wanted to get back into the sci-fi culture,” Gregonis said. “I missed it. I’ve been a huge fan of Star Wars since I was 12. It’s been a real blast.”

More than 6,000 fans attended the three-day convention, according to staff members at the event.
Guest stars held panels over the course of the weekend. Panelists included Star Trek’s Leonard Nimoy, Buck Rogers’ Gil Gerard and Erin Grey, Star Wars’ Ray Park and Daniel Logan, Battlestar Galactica’s Kate Vernon and Andee Frizzell from Stargate: Atlantis.

Panels at the event included new movies, superhero cinema, model making, an art show, question-and-answer sessions with the stars and an opportunity to get pictures and autographs with the stars. Gregonis had Nimoy sign two vintage record albums that were produced by Nimoy in the ‘70s.

Other convention events included a pirate vs. ninja debate, fan film presentations, horror festival, Harry Potter Quidditch tournaments, and tabletop role-playing games. The dealer’s room provided fans with products from every nook and corner of the sci-fi universe, such as light-up lightsabers, airsoft guns, T-shirts, action figures, posters, comics and collectibles.

Similar upcoming conventions will include the Opus Fantasy Arts Festival May 25 through 27, and Mile High Con 39 October 26 through 28. More information on this convention and future Starfest conventions can be found at www.starland.com.