Wizards Unite in Chicago

The Wizard World Tour, an annual pop culture convention, is starting its 2007 leg in Chicago, August 9-12. The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center will be hosting this Chicago event.

If you have attended events such as the Comic-Con and Anime Convention, chances are, The Wizard World Tour is something you’d like to check out as well. Fans of T.V., Movies, Comics, and Anime will be converging in this event. Expect to see fanactics to be in costume – you’ll bump into Gandalf, Darth Vader, Princess Leia, or Spidy! Just like its pop culture counterparts, this event will have hundreds of exhibitors, vendors, and artists.

Pop-culture events of this type have been gaining popularity over the years. Upcoming cartoon and comic artists use these events to peddle their artwork, products, and brands – many fans come prepared to shop and look for potential collectibles. Movie studios have also seen an opportunity to create hype in these events for their upcoming films. At this year’s Comic-Con, Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downy Jr, and other cast and crew of “Iron Man” made an appearance. So expect to see celebrities when attending these events.

In this year’s Wizard World Tour in Chicago, Tricia Helfer (the famous cylon character in “Battlestar Gallactica”) and Michael Madsen (played Budd in “Kill Bill”) will be making appearances. Other special guests include: Dan Didio of DC Comics, Joe Quesada of Marvel Comics, and Michael Turner of Aspen Comics. There are many other big names to watch out for.

If you have a thing for collecting comics and action figures, there will be hundred of vendors and exhibitors participating in this event. You can find the most hard to find items and comic issues here – but beware – they won’t come cheap!

Fans of comics, sci-fi, art, fantasy, and of course WIZARDS, let’s converge in Chicago!

To find more events in Chicago and Illinois, visit The Wherewhen Project’s Chicago calendar:

http://www.thewherewhenproject.com/component/option,com_thyme/Itemid,47

The WhereWhen Project is your source for anything and everything that is a Chicago Event. Calendar access is absolutely free with no registration required. If you are a venue manager, send your events for free posting.

Source: wizarduniverse.com

Central Park: More Events, More Reason to Come

Central Park is a slice of heaven in New York City’s busy Manhattan. Its 843 acres of land is 150 years in the making. It’s everyone’s escape from the high-rise, traffic, and noise of the city.

With summer here, Central Park is in full-swing with its events. Through August 10 kids can enjoy “Sandbox Stories and Music” featuring professional storytellers and musicians. Kids can listen to interactive stories and learn basic music skills. There’s also the Multicultural Storytelling Series, Saturdays & Sundays ‘til the end of September.

For adults there are many events that are lined-up. Harleem Meer Performance Festival is on going Sundays from May to September. It is the 14th season of this popular Sunday concert series. This music festival features Latin, Jazz, World, and Gospel Artist. For Shakespeare lovers, there is the Shakespeare in the Park: A Midsummer Night’s Dream going on from August to September and is FREE of charge. This is a popular event so expect lines (tickets are available on the day of the event).
There are many sections of the park that will be open this summer. Kids can rent basketball, soccer, frisbees, and other sports equipment to use in the field. Indoor climbing is available to adults (age 18 and up) at the North Meadow Recreation Center.

There are many more reasons to visit Central Park. These events should entice people to visit, participate, and enjoy the park even more.

To find more events in Central Park and New York City, visit The WhereWhen Project’s New York calendar:

http://www.thewherewhenproject.com/component/option,com_thyme/Itemid,56/

The WhereWhen Project is your source for anything and everything that is a New York Event. Calendar access is absolutely free with no registration required. If you are a venue manager, send your events for free posting.

Source: centralparknyc.org

‘Tis The Season for Outdoor Concerts, Fairs and Festivals

Summer is here – outdoor venues’ event calendars are looking plump! Everyone is gearing up for concert picnics, outdoor plays, and summer concerts – even restaurants and eateries are offering gourmet picnic baskets to take to these events. Get your hats, umbrellas, beach chairs, and picnic blankets ready!

One particular event that I look forward to this summer is the California Philharmonic’s Festival on the Green. It’s held at the Los Angeles Arboretum every summer in succeeding weekends. Each performance features a theme (Classics, Dance, and Movie themes to name a few). This event started in 1997 – a vision of Maestro Vener. The event came a reality with the help community leaders and the Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation Department. This year is definitely special as Festival on the Green is celebrating its 10th year.

There are many events happening in other parts of the country – if you are a big literary fan, the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, OR is the event for you. Founded in 1935, this Tony Award Winning event is among the oldest theatre events in the country. Started by a teacher from South Oregon Normal School, Angus L. Bowmer, the festival was officially launched on July 2, 1935. Bowmer’s idea is to create a festival in conjunction with the city’s Fourth of July celebration. In 2001, the 10 millionth ticket holder was welcome. This festival is definitely one to check out!

An event that has been gaining worldwide notoriety is the Burning Man Project. Founded by Larry Harvey and Jerry James in 1986, it started as an annual fire party at Baker Beach in San Francisco. This event began with a humble group of friends and now grew to a community of 25,000 people. There are different descriptions of this event… Some say it’s Art festival, some would describe it as music festival, and others a social experiment. It is probably a combination of all these – it seems the Burning Man Project is what you want it to be or how you experience it to be. The only way to find out is to go there yourself!

Whatever you are interest in; there is a summer event for you. There’s music, arts, theatre, culinary, and many more. Definitely plan ahead and get your tickets early, as most of the very popular events sell out months in advanced. Be sure to check out the events websites to see any restrictions (such as age, alcohol, transportation, etc.), if any.

To see a calendar of events happening this summer – music, concerts, festivals, theatre, culinary – visit The WhereWhen Project: http://www.thewherewhenproject.com. Calendar access is free with no registration required… And if you have an event to promote, posting events are free as well.