Golden-Con, A Golden Girls Convention Is Coming

Picture it...

Chicago... 2023.

3 Men come together with a dream to assemble a celebration of one of the greatest television shows of all time.

People came from all over the world to commune with one another with a common love for all that made this show great.

There was cosplay, trivia, special guests, merchandise and more!

Those 3 men were Zack Hudson and Brendan and Brad Balof.

And the event was called... Golden-Con 2023: "Thank You For Being A Fan."

After a successful debut in 2022, Golden-Con returns March 31-April 2 at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. Golden-Con is a three-day weekend with special guests, live performances, cosplay, merchandise and, of course, lots of cheesecake!

The Golden Girls was a beloved sitcom starring Bea Arthur, Betty White, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty as four older women who share a home in Miami, Florida. Running 1985-1992, the sitcom garnered rave reviews and a legion of fans, who still hold it dear 30 years after it left the air.

Golden-Con is presented by Golden Fandom, LLC. Its roots date back to September 2020 when hardcore fans and friends Zack and brothers Brad and Brendan began meeting to organize a small fan celebration at Center on Halsted, an LGBTQ community center in Chicago.

Soon, they made their first announcement about Golden-Con. Golden-Con 2022 was held April 22-24, 2022 at Navy Pier in Chicago. Seeing the overwhelming response to the debut, the trio planned on making Golden-Con 2023 even better. Those plans will come to fruition in 31 days.

This year, Golden-Con writers, producers, and directors from every season of the show, including spinoff, “The Golden Palace.” There will also be live performances of “The Lost Episodes,” a parody show from Hell in a Handbag productions, a Mother of a Solid Gold Dancer Disco Dance Party, a “Biggest Gift” Vendors Market, the “Chicago: You’ve Got Style” costume parade and much more. Celebrities announced so far include David Leisure, Kristy McNichol, Dinah Manoff, Terry Hughes and Cindy Fee.

I met McNichol years ago and she was as sweet as could be. I really look forward to seeing her again and meeting the others for the first time.

Host hotel Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk at 301 E. North Water Street, is a magnificent venue, featuring great views of the Chicago River, Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline. Hotel restaurants include Shula's Steak House and Chicago Burger Company.

My podcast partner Tommy Else and I will be “On the Beat” all weekend, exploring every aspect of this fun convention. As a con junkie, I am anxious to experience a specific show convention. As a huge fan of show, Tommy is excited about being ensconced in “The Golden Girls” universe. Will Tommy cosplay as any character? You'll have to follow our coverage to get that answer, along with our updates and recap of this great convention.

Last week, on The Johngy "OR ELSE" podcast, Tommy and I interviewed Zack and Brad about Golden-Con. We were impressed with their enthusiasm, passion for the tv show and organization of the convention. Along with Brendan, Zack and Brad took their passion for "The Golden Girls" and turned it into a celebration for fans. They decided to "throw a party and invited everyone they knew" and March 31-April 2, they will do it again. Golden-Con: Thank You For Being A Fan is going to be awesome and I can't wait.

Thank you to Zack and Brad for their time and consideration. Also, thank you to Tommy for his contributions to this piece.