With 1,500 people showing up for last year’s inaugural event, Nostalgiacon will become an annual tradition this year, with its second incarnation taking place April 20-21.
The main event is happening on the Sunday, with a Project X wrestling event ushering things in with a Saturday night performance featuring local champion Magnum McLaren.
Project X had a booth at the first Nostalgiacon, and organizer Bradley Davidson said there was “a lot of demand” for them to perform at this year’s event, citing McLaren as “a really big draw.”
Last year’s event included Degrassi actors Pat Mastroianni and Stacie Mistysyn, which Davidson said were also popular draws.
They were so popular, they ended up late for their panel discussion, out of no fault of their own.
“Every time they tried getting away they had another line of people,” Davidson said.
Four celebrity guests have already been announced for this year’s event, including
- Jane Perry (actor best known for her role as Diana Burnwood in the Hitman video games)
- David Bateson (actor best known for providing the voice of Agent 47 in the video game series Hitman)
- Sam Tarasco (an actor best known as the greasy caveman from television series The Trailer Park Boys)
- Geretta Geretta (an actor best known for her roles in horror movies, such as Demons, Murder Rock and Rats: Night of Terror).
Organized by the same people behind the Northern Gaming Expo, Davidson said this year’s event will include a special focus on video games.
“It’s still everything nostalgia, but this year we’re focusing on making people realize we’re the former Northern Gaming Expo,” he said.
An orchestra will play nostalgic music, a kids zone will be set up and vendors from throughout the province will be selling video games, comic books and other nostalgic/nerd culture items.
Local artist Rob Sacchetto, who specializes in zombie-themed art, will be on site drawing throughout the event, and local man Robert Cast will be on site with his screen-accurate replica of R2-D2, a droid featured in the Star Wars universe.
“Come out and have fun, and recapture your youth if only for a day.”
Tickets to the April 20 Project X wrestling event start at $33.28, and can be purchased by clicking here. This event begins at 7 p.m.
Tickets to the April 21 main Nostalgiacon event start at $15, and can be purchased by clicking here. This event takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
All events are at Cambrian College, which was also the venue for last year’s convention.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
