LOTR Conventions

[maikafanawen]

I was wondering if anyone knew where I can find a list and details about any Tolkien conventions in the United States. I am familiar of the one in Toronto in December 2003, and I would like to know of any smaller ones as well.

If there is allready a thread you know of related to this, can someone please direct me there? Thankyou.

[lord of dor-lomin]

I'd also like to know, but no one's answered yet. I'll try to search for something about it and if I find anything useful I'll post it.

[Inderjit Sanghera]

Anyone know of any in England?

[Merri]

I know there's going to be one in Washington State in February- I believe the web-page is http://www.ringcon.com or something like that.

However, if you don't mind something less structured, I believe that both West-coast and East-coast Barrowdowners are planning a get-together. Check out the threads in the 'Barrowdowns' section of the forum.

Hope that helps! smilies/smile.gif

[Gorwingel]

I am going to go to that Convention in Washington, I think Raefindel may be going too. I will report back to all of you about it, because this will be my first LOTR convention I have ever been to, and I am very interested in how it will be. smilies/cool.gif

[Raefindel]

I think there may be one in the San Francisco area. they have a lembas bake-off every year on Bilbo's birthday ,Sept. 22.

No, guess I'm wrong on the date. Here's a link.
LOTR fan picnic (http://www.relache.com/sanfrancisco/lotr_picnic/index.html)

[ January 28, 2003: Message edited by: Raefindel ]

[Iarwain]

I suppose I shouldn't be posting here, but just to make this thread into a discussion, I must ask you what your inspiration for going to conventions are. I'm not criticizing you or anything, I'm just a little curous of motives. I had quite a thread going about this subject, but due to my rantings, no one really ever responded.

Thanks,
Iarwain

[Raefindel]

I have never been to one, but if I were to my reasons would be ;

to have an excuse to wear my costumes in public.

and

to be with others who enjoy Tolkien.

What would your reasons be,Iarwain?

[Gorwingel]

I have to say the main reason I would want to go is to check it out, and see what the fans were like around my region. I have always wanted to go to something like that. Hey it can't be any worse than a Motorhome convention (which I have been to many times)

[Iarwain]

Very interesting. The reason I bring this up is because I find the idea of going to conventions, well, I won't really say it now, but lets just say that I'm not the biggest supporter of public cape wearing... Of course, thats just me, and as others have said on the topic, "whatever floats your boat". Yes. Uhh, Thats All. Yeah.

Iarwain

[Gorwingel]

When I go, I will not be wearing a cape. I will be very tastefully dressed.

[maikafanawen]

Oooh, wow! People responded. smilies/biggrin.gif

Conventions anywhere in the southeast of the US?

Just to go. Anything LOTR will satisfy me. People with same interest, and maybe I will wear a cape!

And Iarwain: Please don't turn this thread into a place where you can contine your "ranting" (which is more like critisizing) on your disapprovement of LOTR conventions and the publicly displaying of LOTR interests. Thankyou.

CONVERSATION TOPIC: and since this *must* have a conversation topic, let's give ideas on what some activities a LOTR convention might have, or you'd want it to have. And also (if you would choose to dress up), which character would you be. Just not why and why not conventions are okay or not okay. Thankyou.

[ February 02, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]

[ February 04, 2003: Message edited by: maikafanawen ]

[Iarwain]

You were far more offensive right there, Maikafanawen, than I have been yet in this thread. I have not turned this into a ranting ground, nor do I ever plan to. That, good friend was very rude and presumptuous of you. I believe an appology is in order.

Firmly and Stolidly,
Iarwain

[maikafanawen]

I appologize for offending you, Iarwain. I realize now that that was a little offensive, but I stand firm, just not so firmly insulting. I appreciate your standpoints, but as you said, you had a whole other thread on that topic, so I'd appreciate if you did not bring it up at all here. If you want to start another thread asking why people like conventions do so. But that is not this thread's topic.

Sincerely and appologeticly,
Maikafanawen

[Iarwain]

Appology accepted, Maikafanawen. I will cease to contribute irrelavent material to this thread. smilies/smile.gif

Until some later appropriate time,
Iarwain

[maikafanawen]

So does no one know about any conventions in Eastern US?

[AragornsHeir]

I would like to know for I am a Floridian and have never been to one myself Mikafanawen. Though, I may go to the one in Toronto since I soon plan to go to college in New York or my beloved New Hampshire but I would like to know more about the Toronto convention. Thanks for beginning this post. I never really thought of attending a Tolkien Convention
P.s. You two handled that little misconception very well. I hate to see two perfectly well mannered Tolkien fans at each others necks. It happens too much without recompense. Well done.

[Gorwingel]

Just went to Ringcon in Washington State today, it actually was pretty enjoyable. It was a little more Ren Fair than LOTR, but it was still cool. A lot of people were in costume, they were playing card and roleplaying games, they were selling clothing and stuff (I saw one of the most beautiful clokes I had ever seen today). I sat in on a question and answer session by Brad Dourif, the person who played Wormtounge, and I also got to participate in a Tolkien trivia contest (which I sadly lost) I have to say that after this I actually want to go to more conventions, they are a great way to meet people with the same intersts as you.

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

Well, in general, I don't think that there are many LOTR conventions. The ones listed are probably the only ones.
You could also look for any large comic book conventions in your area... because those usually consist of comics, sci-fi, and fantasy. I found tons upon tons of stuff at the one last year in Novi MI. I know that there will be one there again & usually the Wizard World convention is held in Chicago sometime in June or July.

[Arwen_Evenstar]

Are there any in australia???? I hope there are....anyone know of any?

[maikafanawen]

AragornsHeir: Florida eh? That's not too far from Atlanta, GA. In Atlanta they hold a Renaissance fair that I just found out about. I don't know if there's an LOTR specified functions there, but if you like LOTR, then Renaissance and Medival Ages are not too far behind.

Thanks everyone so much. Is there a webpage about the Wizards World thing in Chicago? I want to go to the "Toronto convention" too!

Namarie noldonyar,
Maikafanawen

[Carlas]

I live really close to Toronto and really want to go to the Toronto Convention!
Maika- Please come! That would be so cool!

[maikafanawen]

Is that all? No more conventions. I looked into the Georgia Renaissance Festival (I'm going!!) and they do have a mini LOTR convention inside. So anyone who lives in the South East U.S. should really check it out. I'll be there the first and third weekend of May.

Carlas: I've gotten some people to consider going to the Toronto convention and my mum is looking into it so... I think I may actually go. It would be so incredibly fun!

-Maikafanawen

[Beruthiel]

Will there be a convention in NZ at the end of next year? I'll be down there to see ROTK! smilies/smile.gif I would think there would be one because of the movie but I've no idea, let me know if there's anything going on smilies/smile.gif

[Phrim]

There's always Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA. It's not technically a LOTR convention, but it is the biggest SciFi/Fantasy convention in the US. Not sure how much LOTR-related things will be going on there this year, right now the only actor from the Jackson movies that's scheduled to be there is Brad Dourif (Grima). There may be more added later, I'm not sure. In any case, just a suggestion. For more information, visit http://www.dragoncon.com.

[maikafanawen]

Awesome Phrim. Thanks so much!

-Maikafanawen

[Gorwingel]

This summer I am going to go to Comic-Con in San Diego. Last year Dominic Monaghan, Richard Taylor and a whole bunch of people from the movies and Weta attended. They are kind of a "Pop-Culture" and Comic book convention, but they had an entire LOTR pavilion. Also a bunch of other celebrities attended, theOneRing.net also was there too, they made a great report. If anyone is in San Diego this summer on the weekend of July 17-20, it would be a really great thing to attend.

[Annalaliath]

it would rock if there was one here in New Mexico, but alas the populous is too stupid to care about Tolkien. mabe i should start one... that would be a trip all five or six of us in the area gatheres together for a convintion. That would give me an excuse not to worry about what others think about me translating things and such..... Can it be done?

[Annalaliath]

you know instead of just griping on how there are no conventions close how about we all start them in our own states. ( too much thinking on my stats test this weekend.) You know figure out how that can be done. I already have an offer from this lady i know who put on conventions to set up a Tolkien booth. You know we can plan these things and everything. How About It People, Are You With Me?

[Gorwingel]

If there was enough Barrow-Downs members in one area of the country we could have a club booth at one of the conventions (they actually have those, I went on some of the websites for the Sci-fi/fantasy Conventions, but I could never find a Tolkien club that rented out one in my area). But I would never think of actually starting our own convention.

[davem]

Anyone going to Oxonmoot in September?
Its the Tolkien Society's annual 'get together in Oxford.
I went for the for the first time last year. There're talks, & a bit of a shindig on Saturday night. On Sunday there's a visit to the Professor's grave.
It was good, but 'odd' in a way, to walk through Oxford, go for a beer in the 'Bird & Baby', the pub where the Inklings met every Thursday morning (there are photographs of them & a signed letter to the Landlord, thanking him for the meal they'd just eaten, framed on the wall). Priscilla, Tolkien's daughter was there - at Oxonmoot, not in the pub! - (& so was Ted Naismith, who's something of a regular attender.)
The visit to the cemetary was moving, someone read out the passage from Towers, where Frodo & Sam part from Faramir. Then someone else sang Galadriel's lament.After that I had a moment to kneel by the grave & touch the earth.
Thing is, I don't know whether to go back again. Maybe its better to keep it special, as a kind of 'one off' event.
This year its a four day event as opposed to the usual three, because this year would have been Tolkien's Elevnty-First birthday.
So, is anyone attending? Also, anyone attending Tolkien 2005? Its a big international event in Birmingham (the one in England!) celebrating 50 years of LotR?

[ April 10, 2003: Message edited by: davem ]

[ April 10, 2003: Message edited by: davem ]

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

*digs up a topic*
I don't believe there are any LotR conventions in New England, specifically around the area of Massachusetts, are there? I don't think there are enough fans here... whatever, if any of you know of a convention not further from here than New York ( smilies/wink.gif), I'll come along...

~Menelien

[Annalaliath]

Hey I am working on one. It will just start out as a meeting but will groww whahahahahah! And then we will take over the world. Fronly Galdiel I know nothing about conventions in the East. I wish there were some here in the South West.