Busy, Busy, Busy!
Last year I tried and failed to watch and review thirty-one horror films in thirty-one days in celebration of Halloween. This year I’m very happy to have an excuse to not do that this year. Why? Because I’m going to be busy having way too much fun. I have something planned for every weekend this month (in some cases, more than one event) and will have plenty of things to cover up to and including Halloween itself.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the many things that I’ll be doing over the course of this month. I’m also including a few events that I won’t be able to make but want to include because they’ll be just as awesome as the things I will be able to attend.
This weekend I will be attending the Lake Charles Film Festival. The festivities kickoff on Friday evening at 5:30 at the Brimstone Museum in Sulphur, LA with a screening of Tarzan of the Apes, the first Tarzan film which happened to be shot on location in Morgan City, LA. The festival will then spread out over the Lake Charles and Sulphur areas with different films, panels, and music. Jay Underwood is the guest of honor this year. You’ll recognize him from The Boy Who Could Fly, Star Trek: Voyager, and the Not Quite Human television films. He was also in the Roger Corman Fantastic Four film which was never released. Doomed!, a documentary about the film and its demise, will be shown at the festival and Mr. Underwood will be available to give attendees firsthand knowledge of what went down with the film.
More information about the festival, including all of the scheduled films, panels, and other events and their locations, is available at the festival homepage with additional information at the festival’s Facebook page. I’ll be there Friday night and all day on Saturday, so look for me if you happen to be in attendance! This is a free event, so come out if you are able!
Also happening this weekend is Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, LA. I’ve attended this event in the past and have had a really good time. This year looks to be just as fun as previous years. Some of the guests include Kathy Najimy (Hocus Pocus, Sister Act), Ryan Hurst (Sons of Anarchy), and Josh Herdman (the Harry Potter films). The event will also feature cosplayers, fan groups, panels, and lots of other activities. There’s a very slim chance that I might ride over there on Sunday, but I can’t say anything with confidence. If you are around the Lafayette area, be sure to attend this event! Go to their website for more information.
Next weekend (October 13, 14), I’ll be in beautiful Biloxi, MS for the Gulf Coast Fan Fest at the Mississippi Coast Convention Center. This event will be packed with panels, cosplayers, artists, film and television stars and more! I will be part of a The Walking Dead on Sunday afternoon, so please come and see me if you are at the convention. I will also be there on Saturday and hope to attend the kickoff party on Friday evening.
I’m most excited to meet the fifth Doctor, Peter Davison, as well as Seth Gilliam, Denise Crosby, and Joshua Mikel from The Walking Dead. Werewolf fans will definitely want to meet David Naughton of An American Werewolf In London, and there will be plenty of other celebrities from pop culture on hand as well. Get tickets and more information at their webpage. If you order your VIP pass or three weekend pass before midnight tonight, you’ll also get a free Yoda print by Derec Donovan that he and the voice of Yoda, Tom Kane, will sign for free at the convention.
Something else that is near and dear to my heart will be happening that weekend as well, but it will be in Beaumont, TX. Hurricane Pro will be taking over the Beaumont Civic Center once again with an event that I’m truly sad to be missing. The current and first ever Hurricane Pro women’s champion, Miranda Alize, will be defending her title in a fatal four way match against Shimmer, WWE, and Ring of Honor stars Britt Baker, Santana Garrett, and Rachael Ellering. I was there to witness Miranda win the belt the first time and it was a crazy match. I’m sure that this title defense will be just as awesome.
Other matches that have been announced include Rey Fury vs. Kody Lane vs. Billy Wayne III (with the devious Divinity) in a Triple Threat match, the Pump Patrol vs, Make Your Own Path and a mystery guest for the tag titles, Brysin Scott vs. P.J. Hawx, and heavyweight champion Jordan Jensen defending his belt against Andy Dalton.
VIP passes are currently available and are twenty-five dollars each. They include a meet-and-greet and photo-ops with the wrestlers prior to the event. Individual seats are ten bucks each and a family four pack can be purchased for thirty dollars. Tickets and more information can be found at Hurricane Pro’s webpage. This is a family friendly event and I’ve taken my kids many times now. Hurrican Pro has become a monthly experience for myself and my kids, and I’m really going to miss it this month.
On Saturday, October 20th, I have quite the decision to make. The Arts & Humanities Council of SWLA will be hosting ArtsFest at the Lake Charles Civic Center and I might end up going to the Texas Renaissance Festival. I haven’t decided yet as to which event I will be going to, but I will be attending one of them on this weekend. ArtsFest has always been a fun local event to attend, with the theme changing year to year. This year the theme is “Outer Space” and will feature mediums such as pottery, painting, drawing, and craftwork. This is a free event for the children of Lake Charles, and I hope to bring my kids there on Saturday.
If the kids decide that they don’t want to attend ArtsFest, I’ll be heading to the Texas Renaissance Festival for their Pirate Weekend! This is my favorite festival and I love to go each year. Unfortunately I missed last year’s festivities, but I’ll definitely make it on at least one weekend this year. The sights, sounds, and smells of this event keep me coming back. If and when I do return to TRF, I’ll be sure to give a full report.
My final planned event to attend will take place on Saturday, October 27th, near the Arnaudville, LA area. Atelier de la Nature will be hosting the family friendly Halloween Art & Nature Festival and it will have all sorts of wonderful Halloween themed events and crafts. The festival will feature local artists, live music, crafts, trick or treating, a haunted hayride, zombie gardening, and lots of other activities. I’ve never been to this event before and I’m not sure if this is the first year. In any case, I’ll have a full report here on my blog after I attend.
I also hope to attend the Living History Cemetery Tour on Friday, October 26th. This event will feature actors in period specific clothing telling the stories of important people in the history of the Lake Charles and southwest Louisiana. My plans for this event are up in the air right now, as my job may prevent me from checking this out, but I do hope that any local friends and readers will check this event out if they are able.
As always, thanks for reading. I have a very busy month ahead with full weekends and traveling for my real job. I’ll keep you all updated on any and everything that I attend or will be attending.
Ken's Alternate Universe! 