A dynamic duo of conventions scares up fun in Rosemont, Chicago
A blockbuster double feature of summer conventions rolls into the Chicago area next weekend when C2E2 makes its annual visit to McCormick Place downtown and the horror-themed Flashback Weekend checks into the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont.
Celebrity guests are top attractions at both conventions, which will feature panel discussions and Q&As with the stars, as well as autographs and photo-ops (both for extra fees).
Iconic slashers and genre favorites
The Big Three of horror will be represented in Rosemont: Freddy Krueger, Jason Voorhees and Michael Myers.
Robert Englund will be joined by eight of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” co-stars, including his original “final girl,” Heather Langenkamp, and Lisa Wilcox from “The Dream Master” and “The Dream Child.”
Two men who donned Jason's hockey mask, Kane Hodder and Ken Kirzinger, are scheduled to appear, and Hodder offers a photo-op while donning his “Uber Jason” costume from 2001's “Jason X.”
From the original “Halloween,” P.J. “Totally” Soles and John Michael Graham will appear, as will the actor who played Michael Myers in “Halloween: Resurrection,” Brad Loree.
Some not-so-scary friends have been invited, too, like “Bill & Ted” co-headliner Alex Winter and “Revenge of the Nerds” stars Robert Carradine and Don Gibb. Attendees also can expect to see local TV legend Svengoolie.
Pop culture celebration
Dig out your old Spidey suit (you have one, right?) and join the menagerie at C2E2, a smorgasbord of comic book artists, merch tables and activities - not to mention Revolution Brewing's indoor beer garden.
This annual ReedPop convention has something for nearly every kind of pop-culture fanatic.
For the wrestling aficionado: Chicago's own CM Punk, “Hell in a Cell” legends Mick Foley and The Undertaker, and WWE stars Trish Stratus, Lita and Sasha Banks.
“Star Wars” fans can see Lando himself, Billy Dee Williams, and Ewan McGregor's “Obi-Wan Kenobi” co-stars Moses Ingram and Rupert Friend.
How about singers-turned-actresses? Pop duo Aly & AJ played a sold-out show at House of Blues in April, and the Michalka sisters are back in Chicago to meet with fans of their music and acting careers - Aly was a regular on CW favorites “Hellcats” and “iZombie,” and AJ recently starred in the “Goldbergs” spinoff “Schooled.”
C2E2 also has a big plus for suburbanites who don't want to make the drive downtown: The convention offers free shuttles to McCormick Center that stop at Millennium Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and the McCormick Green Line stop.
Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Con
When: Opens at noon Friday, Aug. 5; 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 6; 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 7
Where: Hyatt Regency O'Hare, 9300 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont
Adult advance tickets: $75 weekend pass; $35 Friday; $40 Saturday; $35 Sunday
Adult on-site tickets: $40 Friday; $45 Saturday; $40 Sunday
Kids 7-11 tickets: $10 daily, $25 weekend pass
Parking: $34 on-site
Info: flashbackweekend.com
C2E2 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo
When: Opens at 10 a.m. Friday through Sunday, Aug. 5-7
Where: McCormick Place (South Building), 2301 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Chicago
Adult tickets: $99 three-day pass; $40 Friday; $50 Saturday and Sunday
Kids 6-12 tickets: $20 three-day pass; $10 Sunday
Parking: $38 on-site
Complimentary shuttles: Stops at Michigan and Randolph; Canal and Washington; Canal and Van Buren; Cermak at the McCormick Green Line stop
Info: c2e2.com