WonderFest
WonderFest is an American
horror, held annually since 1992 after two years as a predecessor event. "One of the biggest hobby events in the country,"[1] it takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, and is the site of the annual presentation of the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards
.
History
WonderFest originated in 1990 as the hobbyist club The Scale Figure Modelers Society's Louisville Plastic Kit & Toy Show, held at a
Ramada Inn hotel.[2] The club had been founded the year before by Irwin Severs and Larry Johnson.[3] In 1992, the convention changed its name to WonderFest, and was held at a larger venue. Four years later, it relocated to its current home, the hotel Crowne Plaza, formerly Executive West. The convention formally split off from the hobbyist club after the 1997 show.[2][4] The edition originally scheduled for May 30–31, 2020, and then October 24–25, 200, was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[5]
Guests throughout the years have included filmmakers / TV producers
cosplayers.[7]
Events there include the annual presentation of the
Pediatric AIDS Foundation and the WHAS Crusade for Children.[11]
In 2014, three Louisville, Kentucky-based
Guinness World Record at WonderFest for the Longest Uninterrupted Webcast (now called now Longest Audio-Only Live Stream), Tower of Technobabble, to raise money for a local animal organization's spay and neuter program.[12] They set the then-record of 41 hours.[13]
The CEO as of 2004 was Dave Hodge.[14] As of 2022, its CEO was Melina Angstrom.[15]
References
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ a b "A brief history of WonderFest". WonderFest. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. pp. D1, D7.
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. March 11, 1997. p. F3.
- ^ a b "Past WonderFests". WonderFest. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "WonderFest Hobby Expo". Louisville, Kentucky: Louisville Film Society. 14 March 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- The Daily Sentinel. Grand Junction, Colorado. p. 6B.
- ISBN 978-1629334950.
- ^ "Here are the Winners of the (Gasp!) 21st Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror awards". RondoAward.com. May 29, 2023. Archive link
- ^ "WonderFest 2024". Ten Times Online. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. April 12, 1996. p. B1.
- The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ "Class Notes". The Vision. Clarksville, Indiana. Winter 2015. p. 13. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Towner, Matthew (May 14, 2004). "An Unconventional Yet Model Gathering". Lexington Herald-Leader: Weekender. Lexington, Kentucky. p. 12.
- ^ "'Magic for Everyone': WonderFest takes place in Louisville". Louisville, Kentucky: WDRB. Jun 4, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
External links
- Bickers, James (May 29, 2015). "WonderFest Brings 'Walking Dead' Producer to Louisville". Louisville Public Media. Retrieved April 6, 2024.