Captain James T. Kirk’s official future birthplace, Riverside, Iowa, will host the 30th annual Trek Fest this Friday and Saturday. As the name implies, Trek Fest is a celebration of all things Star Trek, but the more specific theme of this year’s festival is the 1994 film Star Trek Generations.
According to Mike Meinders, president of the Riverside Area Community Club, this year’s event is all about bringing Trek Fest into the modern era.
“We figured that by doing a transition from the old to the new with Generations, where Picard actually meets Kirk, we would be able to help kind of bridge the gap and start getting stars from the next-gen bunch,” Meinders said.
Features of this year’s festival include a Star Trek parade, Trek-themed costume contests (for both people and pets), a performance by a band called “Tom and the Tribbles,” and an auction featuring two custom-made guitars styled to look like Bat’leths (every Klingon warrior’s weapon of choice). Another major highlight of the festival will be the opportunity to participate in an open-forum style meet and greet with two of your favorite recent Trek series Klingons, General Martok (J.G. Hertzler) and Chancellor Gowron (Robert O’Reilly).
One lucky attendee at that discussion will be transformed into a Klingon by a professional makeup artist. And on top of all that, organizers have planned their first ever “riding lawnmower demolition derby.”
I mean, come on, that alone should make the drive out to Riverside worth it whether you’re a die-hard Trekkie or just a casual fan.
View the complete schedule for Trekfest 30.
