The stars are aligning in Cleveland this weekend. Not only is The Land hosting the first two rounds of March Madness, but pop culture fans will have the chance to meet some of their favorite celebrities at the annual FAN EXPO.
“We’re super excited to be back at the Huntington Convention Center Friday through Sunday, celebrating all things pop culture,” said Andrew Moyes, the Vice President of FAN EXPO.
Moyes said this is the third or fourth time the convention has been under the new FAN EXPO brand, but they are excited to build on what was already there.
“Regardless of whether you love sci-fi, anime, gaming, horror, comics, of course, fantasy, everything is celebrated equally down at FAN EXPO,” Moyes said. “And we do have a great lineup too.”
Celebrities coming to Cleveland include David Tennant from "Doctor Who," Jared Padalecki from "Supernatural," Charlie Cox from "Daredevil," Giancarlo Esposito from "The Mandalorian," Grant Gustin from CW’s "The Flash," and many more.
“All of those celebrities are available,” Moyes said. “You can get an autograph from them or a photo op, which is a great digital memory of you with that celebrity that you can get all your bragging rights out to all of your friends.”
Celebrities will also participate in panels where you can hear them discuss their characters and careers. While the autographs and photo opportunities will cost you extra, access to the panels is included in the price of your ticket.
Beyond the celebrities, however, Moyes stressed that the event is really about community.
“How-to workshops, different ways to get immersed in new genres, truly it's a jam-packed weekend, both during the day, during show hours, and then again on the website, you’ll see all the after-hours activities, so people can truly celebrate fandom from morning till night,” Moyes said.
I spoke with Padalecki in the week leading up to his appearance at the convention.
“I love hearing from different people, different walks of life, and hearing what they have to say,” Padalecki said.
He said that the cast of "Supernatural" did not have a lot of opportunities to engage with their fans when the show was being filmed, so hearing what fans, especially newer fans, think about the show is really special.
This is not Padalecki’s first appearance at a fan event, nor even his first appearance in Cleveland. I asked him what he does to prepare for appearances like this, physically and mentally.
“Whenever I’m going to do a weekend show like this, I try and make sure that I shower, I think, is one of the things,” Padalecki said. “No, I just try and make sure that I have the energy to, to get up and, and, and talk and meet, you know, we meet hundreds if not thousands of new fans and some friends that have been with us since the get.”
But for Paladecki, who met his wife and many of his friends through working on "Supernatural," his favorite part of going to conventions and interacting with fans is when he comes across a group of fans who have met each other through the show or at conventions.
“When I see that these friendships have been at least started because of mutual love for some work that I happen to be a part of, it’s always really special,” he said.
I asked Padalecki to describe the lasting impact the show has had on the fandom and pop culture as a whole.
“It’s wild to be a part of a show and a project that has made a lasting impact for a lot of people. It still hasn’t really set in,” Padalecki said. “So, to know that people have found a bit of themselves and a bit of their lives and maybe helped them through some hard times because of something that I enjoy doing myself, it’s like a win-win.”
Padalecki will be at the expo all three days. For his availability, as well as a list of other celebrity appearances, click HERE.
FAN EXPO, an annual event at the convention center, is already in the works for next year, and Moyes assured us that it would continue to be held in Cleveland in the future.
“It’s driven by the passion of the fandom community within Cleveland,” Moyes said. “And so, we truly welcome everyone, and we will be there every year working to deliver the best experience that we possibly can.”
The event started Friday afternoon, but there is still time to get your tickets before it wraps on Sunday.
Sunday morning, Elizabeth VanMetre will be live at FAN EXPO to bring you more of a look behind the scenes of the convention. Be sure to tune in to Good Morning Cleveland between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. to learn more.
