A cosplay enthusiast dressed as Kratos from the video game series God of War.
Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
October 15, 2015 - 8:30 AM
KELOWNA - The second major expo celebrating comics, cosplay, sci fi and all things nerdy is coming to Kelowna this weekend.
The Kelowna Entertainment Expo event organizer Matthew Odland says the two-day event at the Capital News Centre will feature famous actors in fantasy and science fiction, comic book and art vendors, collectibles, action figures and anything that celebrates pop culture and geekdom.
“Anything people would consider nerdy or geeky we welcome with open arms,” he says.
This is the first time Alberta-based Monkey Bone Productions has brought the Kelowna Entertainment Expo to the Interior and Odland calls Kelowna the perfect place for a pop culture event.
“If you live in Kelowna you either go six hours one way or six hours the other way to get to these types of shows,” he says. “With the population base and all the outlying communities it’s a perfect opportunity to do something like this. The response (from the public) has been super positive.”
The Kelowna Entertainment Expo is actually the second comic-con style event in Kelowna. The Kelowna Fan Xpo returns for the third year on March 19, 2016. It too, is a chance for fans to meet celebrities, play games and geek out. With two major events and a new Manga store in Orchard Park Mall, Kelowna is fast becoming the place to be if you consider yourself a nerd.
“We’ve sold tickets to people from all over the Okanagan Valley,” Odland says. “I think there’s a really good chance this will be happening again next year.”
Like the Fan Xpo, the Kelowna Entertainment Expo this weekend will have several high profile actors, writers and professionals from several industries. WWE wrestling legend Jimmy 'The Mouth of the South' Hart will be meeting fans and signing autographs as will Pirates of the Caribbean star Lee Arenburg, Futurama voice actor Billy West, Garrett Wang from Star Trek: Voyager and others. Visit this web page for the photo op and autograph schedule.
A game store from Kamloops will host the Game Area, where fans can play Dungeons and Dragons, Magic: The Gathering and other board games, and every hour there’s a 45-minute panel where you can hear the guests talk about their careers, learn about cosplay, crowdfunding and writing books and screenplays.
There will also be more than 45 booths featuring artists selling their work and large vendors selling comics, costumes, action figures, collectibles and more.
“There’s something for everybody,” he says.
Tickets are available at the door for $30 or online for $25. Kids under 10 are free with an adult admission.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015