Chatham-Kent's largest annual pop culture celebration returns this weekend with another two-day event.
The 11th CK Expo, billed as "an ultimate fan experience", will fill Chatham's John D. Bradley Centre from April 26-27 with celebrity guests, vendors, and cosplay contests.
Co-organizer Rob Bellamy said the event extended to two days for the first time in 2024 and they are looking to build on that success by bringing in some more celebrities and special features.
"One of my favourites is Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, he is 'Sanguinet' in 'Shoresy' -- the coach of the Blueberry Bulldogs... and he's also in the movie 'Prey'," said Bellamy.
Some of the other headliners also include actor Mark Rolston, perhaps best known for his roles in blockbuster films The Shawshank Redemption and Aliens.
There will also be a DeLorean at the event like the one featured in the Back to the Future franchise.
Bellamy said there will be a Q&A session with the celebrity guests and they will be available for meet-and-greets along with autographs and photo ops (for a fee).
One of the big draws for the event is the cosplay contest, which is coming back again with more than $2,000 in prizes.
"We're also doing a brand new cosplay parade on Saturday where it will be the audience's choice for the winner -- just to show off your costume," said Bellamy, noting that the big cosplay contest will take place on Sunday.
It's not all just for fun, though.
Bellamy said proceeds from the event will support the BGC Chatham-Kent (Boys and Girls Club).
"Our tagline is using hobbies to help the community," said Bellamy. "It's a giant fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club, but we take our 'geekdom' out in the open -- costumes, games, anything you can think of."
Bellamy said their goal is to raise $10,000 through the event.
The event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
The tickets for the event are $15 in advance for a single-day ticket and $25 in advance for a weekend ticket. Those tickets are $20 and $35 at the door.
Children 9 years old and under are free.
You can find out more information about the event by clicking here.