StellarCon was a general,
speculative fiction
Speculative fiction is a term that has been used with a variety of (sometimes contradictory) meanings. The broadest interpretation is as a category of fiction encompassing genres with elements that do not exist in reality, recorded history, na ...
convention held in the Greater Metro area of
Greensboro, North Carolina, and
High Point, usually around mid-March. Average attendance at the convention was around 500 people.
It hosted a variety of related programming, including guest panel discussions, book readings, demonstrations, workshops, roleplaying games, board games, card games, robot battles, and a costume contest. Guest speakers generally include authors, artists, game designers, costumers, and media celebrities. Additional attendees are vendors, selling a variety of merchandise, and fan groups such as the
501st Legion (
Stormtroopers), Klingon Assault Group,
Star Fleet,
The Browncoats, Stargate:SO-Com,
Shadowmoor
Shadowmoor is a ''Magic: The Gathering'' block consisting of the expansion sets ''Shadowmoor'' (released May 2, 2008) and ''Eventide'' (released July 25, 2008). The block was originally conceived as a single set that was to be released as the thir ...
, and The Buccaneers of the Atlantic Coast. Other conventions host tables such as
Dragon*Con
Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon) is a North American List of multigenre conventions, multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia ...
,
ConCarolinas
ConCarolinas is a three-day-long science fiction convention held once each year in Charlotte, North Carolina, hosted by ConCarolinas, Inc., a non-profit corporation.
It hosts a variety of fandom related events and functions. Guests generally inc ...
,
RavenCon
RavenCon is an annual American science fiction convention founded in 2006 and held in Richmond, Virginia. The name "RavenCon" was chosen as a tribute to author Edgar Allan Poe, who lived in Richmond for a time. The convention runs over 300 hours ...
, and
NekoCon.
StellarCon was produced by The Science Fiction Fantasy Federation of the
University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). The convention staff consisted of volunteers from the UNCG student body, UNCG alumni, and professionals from throughout the southeastern United States.
History
On March 20, 1976, The Science Fiction Fantasy Federation held the first StellarCon as a one-day mini-convention whose main guest was Jack Townsend, then the president of the
Walter Koenig
Walter Marvin Koenig (; born September 14, 1936) is an American actor and screenwriter. He began acting professionally in the mid 1960s and quickly rose to prominence for his supporting role as Ensign Pavel Chekov in ''Star Trek: The Original S ...
Fan Club. Since that date, StellarCon has grown into a full 3-day event. The conventions were initially held in Elliott University Center, on the campus of UNCG, until StellarCon 16 in 1992, when Jeff Smith, the convention manager that year, took it off campus for the first time to a local hotel. It has remained off-campus since that date.
In July 2006, StellarCon was selected to host the 46th annual
DeepSouthCon
The DeepSouthCon (DSC) is an annual science fiction convention, which is hosted in different cities in the Southern United States. Site selection is by vote of the membership of a given DSC, for the convention to be held 2 years in the future. DS ...
, which took place in March 2008.
Science fiction conventions in the United States
Culture of Greensboro, North Carolina
Conventions in North Carolina
Recurring events established in 1976