TICONDEROGA HOSTS STAR TREK CONVENTION LABOR DAY WEEKEND

Ticonderoga, N.Y. - A lineup of A-List stars and writers, tours of the original sets, episode screenings and more Star Trek activities will be featured at the "Trekonderoga" convention, held in Ticonderoga, N.Y. September 4-6, 2015.

[img:trekonderoga15.jpg]The convention, being held in historic Ticonderoga, will sport a line-up of Star Trek A-List stars and writers, tours of the original Desilu Studio Star Trek sets, screenings of early episodes as well as New Voyages episodes, and a variety of activities including filmmaking, costume, and make-up workshops. Tickets are now on sale via the convention’s website at www.trekonderoga.com where there is also more information about the convention.

This Star Trek convention will be the first to be held in Ticonderoga. Ticonderoga is the hometown of James Cawley, creator and head of Retro Film Studios, and the driving force behind the creation of new Star Trek “New Voyages” episodes. Since the original series ended filming in 1969, new episodes have been fan-produced. Cawley has led the industry since 2003 in producing such new episodes each year and distributing them to fans via the Internet.

“What makes this convention stand out is our incredible lineup of active stars and writers that will be here to host screenings, participate in sessions, and of course, sign autographs. We’re holding registration to just 300 people so that it can be a really intimate experience for the fans,” said Cawley. “The photo-ops alone will be fantastic. Getting your photo with original stars on the original “bridge” of the Starship Enterprise is pretty cool for a Star Trek fan.”

Episodes (including a new one that is currently filming in Ticonderoga) are shot on the recreated Star Trek sets now located in downtown Ticonderoga. These have been built from the original blueprints obtained many years ago from Desilu Studios as used for the sets of the original Star Trek television series.

Celebrities will include actress BarBara Luna (Marlena Moreau) hosting a special screening of the “Mirror, Mirror” episode, and author David Gerrold hosting a screening of “The Trouble with Tribbles” episode that he wrote. Other guests include actors Sean Kenney and Louise Sorel, and writer Dave Galater. Additional talents will be announce in the coming weeks.

The convention will start on Friday afternoon September 4 in downtown Ticonderoga with tours of the Star Trek New Voyages studio, and a Dealer's Room where a variety of Star Trek and other pop culture items will be on sale to the public. A dinner dance will be held that evening at the Best Western Hotel in Ticonderoga, featuring Mr. Scott’s Time Travel Band. On Saturday there will be a full menu of events at locations in downtown Ticonderoga, including at the Retro Studios at 112 Montcalm Street, Ticonderoga High School, and North Country Community College.

This Trekonderoga event is meant to be the first of an ongoing series of annual Star Trek conventions in Ticonderoga. The convention is being jointly convened by Retro Studio and the Ticonderoga Revitalization Alliance (TRA). TRA’s interest in particular is the economic side of the convention. “We see putting on the Trekonderoga convention as a great way to bring a new and different group of tourists to the area” said Nancy Archer, Co-Executive Director of TRA. “If this can lead to regular tours of the Retro Studio and sets next summer, those tours can also help draw more of the tourists already coming to area attractions such as Fort Ticonderoga to also visit downtown Ticonderoga.”

For those coming to the convention from out of the Ticonderoga area, the event also is meant to be special in leaving Sunday and Monday of the Labor Day weekend open to provide the opportunity for Trekonderoga participants and their families to enjoy the special scenic and historic nature of the Ticonderoga area.

Said James Cawley, “This area of the Adirondacks is incredibly beautiful and played a huge role in the birth of our nation. I love having that kind of history and adventure as the backdrop to an event focused on adventure in the 23rd century. It’s going to be incredible.”

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ACTIVITIES AT THE “TREKONDEROGA” STAR TREK CONVENTION SEPTEMBER 4-6

A variety of events will be held during this Convention, among them:

Tours of the Star Trek sets, and photo opportunities on them with our guest stars

Question-and-Answer and autograph sessions with our Star Trek personalities

Screenings of selected Star Trek New Voyages episodes

Viewing original series (TOS) episode “The Trouble with Tribbles” on the New Voyages bridge set with narrative and comments by the episode's author, David Gerrold

Viewing the TOS episode “Mirror, Mirror” on the New Voyages bridge set with narrative and comments by BarBara Luna, who played Marlena Moreau (the Captain's consort) in that episode. [WE NOW HAVE TWO MORE?]

Special workshops, such as:

Creating Creatures on a Budget

The Prop Workshop

Star Fleet Uniforms and Their Creation

Sets and Lighting

Makeup for Films and Media

Science Talks on: