Edmonton Expo Finally Brings Back the Vortex of Celebrities, Cosplayers and Vendors

garretschoenbergSeptember 14, 2022

After three years and countless absences of new pop culture franchises, characters, and interwoven plots, the Edmonton Expo is finally back.

Paused by the pandemic since 2019, the Edmonton Expo Center, a sprawling cave of cosplay, die-hard shopping and celebrity encounters, welcomed dozens of guests and creators amid hundreds of vendors on Friday. It’s bustling with otaku mega-fans and casually curious people. until Sunday.

Familiar celebrity faces include a group panel that includes stars from Star Trek’s William Shatner, OG Hulk Lou Ferrigno, The Boys, Trailer Park Boys, Once Upon a Time and Kevin Smith’s Clarks. , Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars since 2008. Hall kids Dave Foley also joined the entertainer buffet.

“I’m so happy to be back,” says Andrew Moyes of Fan Expo HQ, an organization that organizes this and 15 other similar fan events across the continent. “What we know and love is the great part about conventions, meeting our heroes and celebrating all things pop culture.

“But really, for us, we’re just seeing the community come back together.”

The Edmonton Expo has been running since 2012 and attracts 40,000 visitors in a good year. Having attended all of these fairs, and what has impressed me most about these fairs is the effort and innovation put into the costumes year after year, where folk art and improvisational design skills make attendees the stars of the weekend. .

“These are passion-driven events,” said Moyes. “And you really have to be together to feel that electricity.”

He said our expo will be held on the same scale as before, and that we are working specially with celebrity moderators to increase excitement.

While many guests have canceled this year, including Kevin Smith and The Mandalorian’s Ming-Na Wen, Moyes explains: Celebrity schedules are busy and we are constantly juggling.

“That’s why it’s such a thrill for us when they actually land and come in through the door,” he laughs.

Shatner, the biggest star of the year, was a last-minute booking.

Repeat vendor Travis Shewchuk at the Edmonton Expo. Photo by Larry Wong /post media

Visit fanexpohq.com/edmontonexpo for a complete list of Family Zones, Artists Alley, Star Wars Saturdays, Toy Shows, All Games and Anime Events and of course Panels, Themed Cosplay Meetups and Entertainer Guests. please give me. You can also purchase a 3-day pass for $89 off his 1-day ticket for $32.

The premium package has already sold out, showing a strong showing for this year.

“It’s not just going in and looking,” says Moyes. “You can really get involved and touch and be creative. We haven’t seen these vendors since 2019, but I’m sure there are lots of new things people can add to their collections.”