Fan conventions have become a huge part of pop culture. Music conventions, dragon conventions, comic conventions…there’s something for everyone.
But who would’ve ever thought there would be a convention that housed all of my hearts desires? 90’s Con…This 80’s baby lives for 90’s pop culture.
I had actually never been to a con before. I had plans a few times before, but ultimately one thing or another got in the way and I was never able to make it. Meanwhile, many of my closest friends were attending cons, posting pics, gushing about the experience, while I watched from afar, jealous of their experiences.
This year, 90’s con, although VERY far away from my California home, was actually accessible for me.
I considered going, backed out, made plans, changed plans, until I finally committed, securing that plane ticket and grabbing one of the last few Weekend Passes. It would finally be my turn.
As with many others in my generation, the 90’s bring a certain nostalgia, a warm and fuzzy feeling like I’m returning to my cozy home.
For me, the 1990’s are the first years I actually remember. I lived out of the US until 1989 and I have very few memories of anything before coming to America. When I came to the US, we lived close to a number of cousins, aunts, and uncles. One of my uncles had 3 kids who were so “cool” in their knowledge of what was trendy. A couple of my cousins were big into performance art, bringing us all together to do plays and shows. Sometimes, we would watch older movies and they’d gasp at the fact that my sister and I hadn’t seen those movies yet. ET was one I remember well. Having been born out of the US and considering I was like 5 years old, I hadn’t ever seen the movie. My cousins, my sister, and I watched it one night and they were continuously pointing out pieces of the story as if I needed a guide. Now, watching that movie brings back those memories.
Much like hearing music from the 90’s, or seeing old reruns of Full House or Saved by the Bell, that nostalgia is a warm and welcome feeling.
I was one of those spoiled kids who had a television in my bedroom. Even before I was 10, I was watching TV while I was doing my homework in my room. I remember bouncing between Full House, Family Matters, and Step by Step. Saved by the Bell was a Saturday morning treat that my sister and I did together. Mark Paul Gosselaar was her first real crush and we hand wrote love letters to him and sent them to his fanclub.
So, over 30 years later, the opportunity to meet members of the Saved by the Bell cast, Full House cast, and so many others was not just intriguing, it was necessary.
For a first con, this was the perfect intro.
I met up with 3 of my favorite humans who made it to the hotel much faster than I had. This was definitely at least partly due to the fact that I flew clear across the country to attend this thing and they had a little shorter of a distance to go. Having friends that had already done Con’s before was VERY helpful. They knew the ins and outs, what to expect, how to choose what line to get it, and so on. With their guidance, I was able to see so many amazing people.
I was probably most surprised by my encounter with Jodie Sweetin, Stephanie from Full House. When I got a chance to meet her, I shared how her dancing in the Full House series helped breed in me a strong desire to be a performer. I told her that ultimately, I went a different way with my schooling and ended up in school-based mental health and special education. Jodie seemed excited to hear that and shared that she also had a degree in a related field. We got to chat for a few minutes about our shared experiences and she was the most geniuine, transparent, and kind human being I’ve met in a long while. I had always loved the adorable Stephanie, but meeting the actor in person really increased my respect for her.
Of course, the time with Mark Paul Gosselaar was epic. I took a few selfies and had a professional photo op with him. We did a group shot with the Saved by the Bell famous “TIMEOUT”, but one of my friends missed the memo and looks a little lost in the picture. That really just made the memory more fun.
There were so many other celebrities I got to see and enjoy! I got to meet Jeff Timmons from 98 degrees for the first time…possibly the kindest and sweetest human ever! And meeting members of the 90210 cast was awesome! Jason Priestly has the most sincere stare when you are talking to him. And the list goes on and on.
One thing I will say is that these cons are crowded. Most of the celebrities I had wanted to see had lines for days. Getting the VIP updgrade may be worth the wait next time (and there will be a next time VERY SOON). The VIP updgrade allows you early access to all of the days so you can peruse the vendors and grab whatever merch interests you. It also gives you a different line to stand in, which can really help with getting in to see more of the celebrities there.
Oh, and it gets you earlier access/better seating at the panels. This con had panels grouped by cast or type. I thoroughly enjoyed the Saved by the Bell panel and hearing some behind the scenes stories of the cast. This was a huge treat for me because as one of my oldest and dearest shows, I had very little information on the cast. The show took place in a time when we had no social media and no easy access to hear about the set and the inner-workings of the crew. I loved having this behind the scene access even after all these years.
SO…what next???
Funny you should ask! 90’s con TAMPA IS COMING!!!!
And of course, I am so beyond thrilled to go because I had such a blast with my friends at the last one! But this time…BOY MEETS WORLD! This is the epitomy of 90’s sitcoms and I am beyond thrilled to have a chance to meet members of that cast! That is truly what sealed the deal for me!
Who else will be there?? I’ll get to see the Saved by the Bell Cast again, along with Full House, 90210, Charmed, Backstreet Boys, TLC, N’Sync, and a whole host of others that I cannot wait to see. Check out the full list here: https://www.thats4entertainment.com/copy-of-90s-home
Tickets are almost completely sold out, so if you want to meet these amazing humans and make your own memories, buy your tickets NOW!
And don’t forget to say hi if you see us there!
