Monroe Pop Fest to bring two days of comics, pop culture fun to expo center

The first Monroe Pop Fest was a relatively small affair.

Then called Monroe Comic-Con, the one-day event saw a few hundred people stream into what was then known as the Monroe Bank & Trust Expo Center at the Monroe County Fairgrounds to listen to a few panel discussions, take pictures and get autographs with a handful of celebrities, and peruse the wares of about 26 different vendors.

Pop Fest barely resembles that first show as its organizers prepare for the tenth annual iteration of the event, which will take place September 16 and 17 both inside and out of what is now the First Merchants Bank Expo Center at the fairgrounds.

The two-day show is expected to draw thousands of pop culture fans, and will feature cosplay and eating competitions, dozens of panels and celebrity guests, an outdoor fun center, food trucks, hundreds of vendors set up both in and outside of the expo center, and much more.

"We're proud and excited," said Gary Pillette, who owns and operates Pop Fest along with his wife, Dawn. "We can't wait (for the show). Every year is different, and we can't wait to see if we put the right kind of (guests) together for fans. It's nerve wracking, but it's exciting too."

A lot of Pop Fest's growth has been by necessity. The Pillettes stretched the event to two days - a preview night Friday with the main show running all day Saturday - and incorporated more of the fairgrounds for an outside component as more and more fans and vendors looked to get involved in the show. The coronavirus pandemic brought yet another reason to expand and allow attendees more room to spread out and roam.

"It's always something we talked about," Pillette said. "We've always had more vendors and artist applications then we had spots inside (the expo center). It's always something we really wanted to do. The thing that scares us the most, of course, is weather, but (with) COVID coming we wanted to make sure we shortened the inside stay for people and that they had stuff to do to maybe get some outside fun for them. Actually people hang out there a lot, they enjoy the music and food. This year it's going to grow even more."

A haunted house, live music, cosplay karaoke, and the aforementioned eating contest are just a few of the additional outdoor entertainment options guests can expect at this year's Pop Fest.

Celebrity meet-and-greets have been a staple of the event since the beginning, and this year will be no different. Marquee guests include Olivia d'Abo of 'Conan the Destroyer' and 'The Wonder Years' fame; WWE Legends Al Snow and Rhyno; former Detroit Red Wing Darren McCarty; Blake Foster, Tracy Lynn Cruz, Claire Blackwelder and Christopher Khayman Lee from the long-running 'Power Rangers' television franchise; and comic book artists/creators James O'Barr, Mark A. Nelson, and Arvell Jones.

Pillette said that putting together an eclectic collection of guest stars is one of the most difficult, yet satisfying parts of organizing Pop Fest.

"We just try to put our fingers on the pulse... bring in stars of the past, but also we want to get a good mix. Even though it's called Pop Fest now, it's still, in essence, a comic convention to me. So we want to make sure we represent that well too, and bring in great comic creators, and comic artists."

Keeping things fresh and exciting is at the forefront of the Pillettes' minds as they prepare for each year's Pop Fest. But no matter how many they do, the same worries remain: will people show up? Will they like what they see?

If the last decade is any indication, Pop Fest is just going to keep getting bigger and better.

"The biggest thing is listening to fans," Pillette said. "We get suggestions from fans of pop culture and comic-cons all year long, as far as like guests, tweaking the cosplay contest, just adding this and that.

"The biggest thing is keeping it fresh and listening to people, and hopefully we do that."

Admission to Pop Fest is $10 on Sept. 16; children 5 and under are free. Admission is $15 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 17; children 5 and under are free. A two-day VIP pass is available for $25.

For more information, visit www.monroepopfest.com.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe Pop Fest slated for Sept. 16 and 17 at expo center