For the hard core Cleveland geek, there is no way to beat Altoona, PA’s SciFi Valley Con. It is just four hours away at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, PA. With over 300 vendors and a variety of media guests, not to mention after-hours bowling, SciFi Valley Con is just plain fun! Guests include Jim Beaver and Steven Williams from Supernatural, voice actor Rob Paulsen (Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Rick and Morty, TMNT and more), Invader Zim voice actors Richard Horvitz, Rikki Simons, Melissa Fahn, and Olivia D’Abo), Tracie Thomas (Rent, Cold Case and Death Proof), Tavicat creator Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons, and many more. It is well worth a day trip. The vendors space alone covers two large, geeky, levels. Day passes are $20.
Closer to home, Cleveland State University’s AHA! Festival at Playhouse Square offers book lovers a peek between the covers with storytelling, readings, author signings and performances on the Book Festival stage. Featured guests include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar whose Becoming Kareem tells the tumultuous spiritual and athletic journey from childhood through college and his first year in the NBA. Derek Hough, Emmy Award-winning choreographer and judge on NBC’s hit series World of Dance, will lead public dance workshops on the State Theatre stage. Be sure to check the website for even more guests and events. Free admission and free parking.
For those in the Society for Creative Anachronism, the geek ticket will be the Northern Oaken War Maneuvers. They say: