by James Coulter
Fans of classic television will have a chance to meet several familiar faces from the small screen when Bartow Con returns for its fourth year this Sat., Nov. 7.
The indoor convention will be hosted from 10 AM to PM at the Bartow Civic Center, located at 2250 S. Floral Ave. in Bartow. Tickets remain available, though pre-registered tickets have been selling quickly due to this year’s lineup of celebrity guests, according to event organizer and founder Sean Serdynski.
Among the featured guests are several actors known for their roles in television series spanning multiple generations, including productions created by Sid and Marty Krofft.
“If you remember your childhood television shows like Land of the Lost, Sigmund and the Sea Monsters, or A Family Affair, I have stars from all those Sid and Marty shows that will be appearing, signing autographs, and even photo opportunities,” Serdynski said.
Celebrity guests scheduled to appear include:
- Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman, who portrayed Will and Holly Marshall in Land of the Lost.
- Johnny Whitaker, known for playing Johnny Stuart in Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.
- Corin Nemec, who portrayed Jonas Quinn in Stargate SG-1.
- Vanessa Branch, known for roles in Star Trek: Voyager and Pirates of the Caribbean.
- Athena Finger, artist, cosplayer, and granddaughter of Batman co-creator Bill Finger.
- Kevin Kedgley, Austin Janowsky, and Joe Davison, supporting actors from Stranger Things.
In addition to celebrity appearances, Bartow Con will feature dozens of vendors, food trucks, guest panels, and a VIP area. A horror makeup workshop will also be offered for an additional fee.
Attendees can also view life-sized replicas of popular science-fiction props, including the TARDIS from Doctor Who and a speeder bike from Star Wars. Organizers are also hoping to have a DeLorean from Back to the Future on display.
Serdynski said the convention provides a fun, family-friendly outing before the busy holiday season begins.
“A lot of fun, a lot of activities, if you are looking for something fun to do before the holidays get started and ramp up,” he said. “Once Halloween passes, Christmas arrives, and it is the end of the year.”
Serdynski and his wife, Lori, bring more than 15 years of experience organizing fan conventions. They are also the organizers behind SyFy Bartow, which has grown into one of Central Florida’s largest fan conventions.
According to Serdynski, both SyFy Bartow and Bartow Con have experienced significant growth in recent years, prompting discussions about moving to larger indoor venues in the future.
“We are growing both shows next year to actually be beyond capacity,” he said. “We are even talking about moving SyFy Bartow to an area that is indoors. So that will be very exciting. As for Bartow Con, we had a lot of celebrities reach out to us, so the guests will also be growing next year.”
More information and tickets are available on the Bartow Con website: https://bartowcon.com/
Serdynski recently appeared on the Chattin on the Ridge podcast to discuss this year’s convention. He also joined local Star Trek enthusiast Jennifer Nanek on another episode to talk about some of the television and movie moments that scared them as children.
Both podcast episodes are available through Spotify, Acast, and Amazon Music: https://shows.acast.com/chattin-on-the-ridge
