Contra26 Gears Up for Battle
In case you were looking for something fun for the weekend and happen to be of an adult persuasion (that is to say over the age of 21) and local to the Kansas City area, there’s a bit of a unique option in town.
Contra26, “Battle of the Sci-Fi Empires” will be at the Hilton Garden Inn in Independence through Sunday. Now, as referenced above, this is a 21 and over convention; there are no kids allowed and much of the entertainment is not exactly family friendly. The term is “relaxacon” and it’s the oldest one in the Midwest.
What is a “relaxacon?” I’ve heard it explained, simply, it’s a chance to relax. And, for many, this means an escape from kids for the weekend (and, quite frankly, with an alcoholic beverage- I’m not called a lush on Twitter for being a teetotaler). In a venue where such beverages exist, one may either employ a system of wristbands or simply abstain from admitting under aged parties. In my opinion, the latter is the most responsible possible method.
In a world where many conventions are attempting to broaden their scope (one needs look no further than Wizard World’s “pop culture” oriented mentality), Contra is an oddity. As the oldest of its type in the Midwest, Contra appeals to a niche market: geeks who want to escape from the under PG-13 entertainment market. Specifically billed as a SciFi and Fantasy convention, it is “not your average, expected or usual sci-fi convention.” In contradiction of conventions such as Dragon Con where multitudes of tracks run simultaneously, it is entirely possible to catch all of the panels or planned events. Instead of rushing off to a panel or waiting in line for two hours, you can simply enjoy a conversation with like-minded fans. That’s the entire point: to relax.
The three Guests of Honor for 26 include Pete Abrams, the creator of the webcomic Sluggy Freelance and two people who apparently weren’t scared away by their their previous trips to Kansas City: Jason Carter and Tara Andrus. Carter, known best for his role in Babylon 5, will be making his second Contra appearance and Andrus, a renowned FX makeup wizard, will be making her first official appearance.
Entertainment for the weekend includes events from the D20 Girls, a Vaudeville show (a Contra tradition), a Midnight movie, and a concert by friends of the site, Clearly Guilty.
Other events include a charity auction ending on Sunday and the “Con Virgin Panel” on Saturday (which is sure to be some sort of shenanigans).
For more information, you can check out the convention website.
