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Friday September 3, 2010

Release Date: 09.03.10 | Location: All Metro Atlanta | Organization: Dragon*Con

Dragon*Con 2010 is an Atlanta Labor Day Weekend Tradition

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Just as July 4th in Atlanta means it's time for the Peachtree Road Race, Labor Day weekend is known in town as Dragon*Con weekend. This year's convention, held September 3-6, 2010, marks the 24th annual event celebrating all things science fiction, fantasy, and pop culture.

From its inception in 1987, Dragon*Con has grown from 1,400 attendees to become North America's largest annual science fiction and popular arts convention, drawing more than 35,000 visitors to downtown Atlanta. Dragon*Con is now hosted in the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, and Westin Hotel – five of the largest hotels in Atlanta and the Southeast.

Perhaps the best-known tradition is the Saturday morning parade down Peachtree Street. Celebrity guests and more than 2,000 costumed attendees strut their stuff beginning at Woodruff Park, continuing past the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, and ending at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Spectators are awed by the 501^st Legion of Imperial Storm Troopers, who march in authentic Star Wars uniforms. The parade brings thousands of onlookers downtown.

Recurring features include the Masquerade, the South's largest costume contest; the Art Show, with over 250 artists selected by a juried panel; the Independent Short Film Festival, presenting critically acclaimed and never before seen films; and a pair of unique pageants, the Dawn Look-Alike Contest and the Miss Star Trek Universe Beauty Pageant.

Other events are of more recent vintage but have quickly become fan favorites. For the third year, Dragon*Con will sponsor a charity auction of artwork, memorabilia, signed books and other items. This year’s auction benefits the Lupus Foundation of America—Georgia Chapter. Among the items up for bid are passes to swim with the whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium and a full Klingon make-over by well-known special effects make-up artist John Paladin.

Dragon*Con also gives back by partnering with Life South for the annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” Blood Drive. Last year’s drive collected a record 2,400 donations, and organizers hope this year to register 3,200 donors to this life-saving cause.

For the second year, the Georgia Aquarium will be open on Saturday night to Dragon*Con attendees only for a private evening with the creatures of the deep. A separate ticket is required for this family-friendly event.

Last year’s successful attempt to break the world's record for the most people performing Michael Jackson's "Thriller" proved so popular that Dragon*Con has arranged several more assaults on the record books. On Saturday, September 4, fans will gather to break the record for the most superheroes, which currently stands at 1,246. Later that evening Star Trek fans will take on the record, presently 543, for most costumed Klingons, Vulcans, Ferengis, and Star Fleet officers in one place. A third attempt, not yet sanctioned by Guinness, will bring together costumed participants for the largest photograph of steampunk enthusiasts.

Dragon*Con weekend wraps up with a new tradition, the first “Dragon*Con’s Got Talent” on Monday afternoon in the Centennial Ballroom at the Hyatt. Attendees will compete for cash prizes by showing off their talents – some of them reportedly quite unusual.

As always, the Dragon*Con guest list features dozens of well-known names and fan favorites. The legendary Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man and the Incredible Hulk, will appear. Three stars of the classic TV show “I Dream of Jeannie” – Larry Hagman, Barbara Eden, and Bill Daily – are also scheduled.

Additional guests include Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell (“Quantum Leap”), Morena Bacarin, Summer Glau, and Jewel Staite (“Firefly” and “Serenity”) Rene Auberjonois, Avery Brooks, and Armin Shimerman (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby, John de Lancie, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and Brent Spiner (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”), Robert Beltran and Garrett Wang (“Star Trek: Voyager”), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk”), Edward Furlong (“Terminator 2: Judgment Day”), Aaron Douglas and Edward James Olmos (“Battlestar Galactica”), James and Oliver Phelps (the Weasley twins in the “Harry Potter” films), Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”), Adam Savage (“Mythbusters”), and Sam Trammell (“True Blood”).