NEO Comicon
Sunday at 10 AM – 5 PM
Soccer Sportsplex
31515 Lorain Rd, North Olmsted, Ohio 44070
And don’t forget, Worldcon Party after!
Worldcon Party
Sunday 4pm – 6pm
Bottlehouse Brewing Company
2050 Lee Rd, Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118
Category Archives: Celestial Pick
Celestial Picks – Crafts and Comics
Ok, this week we have two Celestial Picks. I couldn’t pick my favorite, a campout at Squires Castle. It is fully booked. You should have jumped when we first told you about it! So runner-up events include the June Cleveland Craft Coalition Market at Fear’s Confections and the Akron-Canton Comic Con at Chapparells Bingo in Akron , Ohio.
First up, it is the Craft Coalition Market which converts Fear’s Confections, both inside and out, into a showplace of locally crafted items. The event runs Saturday June 23 from 12 pm until 5 pm at Fear’s Confections, 15208 Madison Ave., Lakewood, Ohio 44107. This event is listed as weather permitting, so keep an eye to the sky and show up ready to enjoy a sweet treat or something crafty. These crafts have a high geek quotient and are worth a look.
Second, we have the Akron-Canton Comic Con happening Sunday, June 24 from 10 am until 4 pm at Chapparells Bingo located at 2418 S Arlington Rd., Akron Ohio 44319. Guest creators include Robert Kraus, Adam Fields, Jay Kalagayan, Tim Fuller, Marcus Calvert, Frank James Bailey and more. The event boasts hourly prizes, a costume contest, and free parking. Of course there will be thousands of comics as well.
Celestial Attic Podcast – June 21, 2018
We have all your Geeky Happenings and continue our interview with Darlene Abilay about Geek Girl Brunch, an international brunch and meeting organization for Geeky women of all stripes from science to science fiction. We also have TWO Celestial Picks for you, the June Cleveland Craft Coalition Market and the Akron-Canton Comic Con.
June Cleveland Craft Coalition Market
Celestial Pick – Origins
Have you got game? This week’s Celestial Pick for Cleveland is The Origins Game Fair 2018, happening June 13-17 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH. About three hours away, this is a high-level gaming convention dedicated to ALL kinds of games. Whether you are a role player or board-game geek, Origins has something for you. There are tournaments, demonstrations, open gaming, panels, and a massive exhibitor’s hall where you cab try and buy the latest games on offer. In partnership with True Dungeon, there is also a live action dungeon to crawl complete with monsters, props and more. Onsite day passes are $30, full show $70. Sunday offers a spectacular deal with the family pass for $25 covering two adults and four kids! Get your game on!
Celestial Attic Podcast – June 13, 2018
We have your geek calendar and we discuss our Celestial Pick, Origins Game Fair. Of course, we continue talking with Cassandra Fear of Fear’s Confections. From amazing chocolates to 3D printing, there is always something amazing happening in her candy shop. She sees her shop as an event space as well as a source for amazing treats.
Celestial Pick – SciFi Valley Con
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:
Registration
Adult (18+) Registration: $20 | $18 Advanced
Adult (18+) Member Registration: $15 | $13 Advanced
Youth: Free
Breakfast tavern on Saturday and Sunday are included in the site fee.Remit checks or register online with Midrealm E-Pay!
SCA INC – Barony of the Cleftlands
c/o NOWM Registration
P.O. Box 21201, South Euclid, OH 44121-0201Please include the following registration information when submitting via mail: real name, SCA name, membership number, membership expiration date. If known in advance, also include the license plate for the vehicle traveling to NOWM. It will expedite your trip through Gate! Deadline for postal and Midrealm E-Pay is June 3, 2018.
Please have your license plate information ready when you register. Take a pic on your phone! It will shorten your trip through Gate!
Gate Hours of Operation
Friday: 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM
Saturday: 7:30 AM to 3:30 PMWhen checking in, please park your vehicle along the driveway coming into the event site. There is no parking permitted in front of the gate tent. This path must be kept clear at all times in case of an emergency.
Celestial Pick – Colossalcon
Our Celestial Pick for the geekiest thing going this weekend is Colossalcon at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky Ohio. Tickets run $70 for the weekend and less for day rates. Hours are Thursday 4pm to 3am, Friday 10am to 3am, Saturday 10am to 3am, and Sunday, 10am to 6pm. Panels, dealers, costume contests and more will be happening through the weekend. You will find a loaded guest list linked here, and a loaded smartphone app at this link.
They say:
Colossalcon is a Japanese animation convention held in Northern Ohio during the beginning of June each year, and prides itself with being the region’s kick-off to the start of summer vacation. Our location, the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio, is a unique location, which offers a large convention center, plenty of accommodations and dining options, and the largest indoor waterpark in the country. Only minutes away from Cedar Point, Mills Creek Golf Course and historic downtown Sandusky, as well as an easy drive to Put-in-Bay and downtown Cleveland, Colossalcon is a premier beginning of summer destination.
Each year, we bring out notable voice actors and industry guests to be a part of our convention, with programming which features them throughout the weekend, as well as autograph sessions which are free to our attendees. In past years we have brought out such guests as Wendee Lee, Michael Coleman, Amy Tipton, Jamie McGonnigal, Christine Auten, Stephanie Sheh, Aaron Dismuke, Caitlin Glass, Vic Mignogna, Michelle Ruff, Melissa Fahn, Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Chuck Huber, Brad Swaile, Wendy Powell, Chris Cason, Todd Haberkorn, Leah Clark, Christina Vee and J. Michael Taum.
While Colossalcon is a Japanese anime convention, we offer a wide variety of programming options throughout the course of the weekend which include costume contests, three dances, events and discussions featuring anime industry guests, game shows, and a wealth of panels about not only anime, but manga, video games and aspects of Japanese culture as well. We also have a large and spacious Dealer’s Room for all of your anime shopping, an Artist Alley for hand-crafted goods and art, and our own version of a flea market, for people to swap and sell their unused anime merchandise.
Celestial Picks – Interactive Fiction
What is the geekiest thing going in Cleveland this weekend? It would have to be the Interactive Fiction workshop panel at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts Saturday, May 26 from 11 am until 1 pm. Maelstrom is located at 5403 Detroit Road in Cleveland, Ohio, 44102, but don’t rush straight there, they request an RSVP via this link.
They say:
Description:
https://www.facebook.com/events/430595424061963/
Dive into the twisting maze of interactive fiction design with this free workshop panel. We will discuss popular tools for writing Interactive Fiction, strategies for planning for branch narratives & multiple endings, and tips to avoid common pitfalls (aka how to not make your players/readers hate you)! Whether you are a coder, a writer, or a player who doesn’t want to be eaten by a grue, you’ll learn more about this fun and innovative genre that is more relevant than ever.Panelists: Marie Vibbert, Mike Substelny, Steven Swiniarski
Moderator: Jeremy PaulIt’s FREE but, please RSVP for a free ticket at maelstromcollaborativearts.org/tickets
Hope to see you there!
All workshops at Maelstrom Collaborative Arts are free or offered on a sliding scale, and donations are always accepted and appreciated to help keep our Monthly Workshop Series strong. Upcoming topics include Intro to Illustration (June), Contact Improv (July) and Immersive Performance (September).
Looking for something else Saturday, possibly after the workshop? How about the sidewalk sale in Cleveland’s Larchmere neighborhood all day Saturday?
The normally vibrant neighborhood is already brimming with delightful shops, wonderful antiques, unique restaurants, and one of the city’s best bookshops, Loganberry Books. Add to that dozens of local vendors, and you have quite the shopping experience. Sandy Clark once pulled a load of Britain’s Spacemen from a quarter box there. You too should own a hoard of wee little astronauts for a $2.75.
While you are there, eat at:
Barroco Arepa Bar & Concert Cafe
Eclectic & Vibrant atmosphere with Award Winning Menu
12718 Larchmere Blvd
216-938-9301
www.barrocoarepabar.com
Hours: Open daily 11:00AM
Live Music every Monday, Friday & Saturday 7PM
Where is Larchemere, they say:
The Larchmere district starts at East 120th Street and extends east to North Moreland – one block north of the Shaker Square shopping district.
Celestial Pick – Cleveland Asian Festival!
Celestial Attic has its pick for your geeky weekend. For the Cleveland Geek, it is time to attend the Cleveland Asian Festival, May 19-20 2018 at Payne and E 27th St. This spectacular event opens up another side of Cleveland in the heart of AsiaTown. Enjoy dancing, shopping, eating, games and more. Learn to play Go, fight in giant Sumo suits, find a kimono or a body hugging Chinese cheongsam dress. Its an afternoon of food, fun and adventure, and it is also FREE. Extensive parking directions are available.
And if you still have any energy left,
Celestial Pick – Marcon
This week’s Celestial Pick, and the best bet for a geeky weekend, is the 53rd Marcon, the Multiple Alternative Realities Convention, May 11-13, 2018 at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. Just 2.5 hours from Cleveland, this show is the Midwest’s Premiere Pan-Genre Geek Culture Convention because it has everything. They claim it’s the most fun you can have in a year, packed into a single weekend. Make the day trip Saturday for just $40.
The guest list is long and diverse and includes, among many others, legendary fantasy illustrator Larry Elmore, authors Walter Jon Williams and Eric Flint alongside writer guests, artist guests, music guests, fan guests, cosplay guests and filk guests. You can make new friends, discover new clubs, play games, take in a panel, shop in the dealers room and party til dawn… then do it again!
Registration is $60 at the door. Rooms, if any remain in the convention block, are $124 a night. A flyer is here: Marcon Flyer 2018
