Spa-Con draws about 5,000 to Hot Springs Convention Center

The Sentinel-Record/Grace Brown MUNSTER COACH: Butch Patrick, who portrayed Eddie Munster on the 1960s sitcom "The Munsters," revs up the Munster Coach Sunday during the third annual Spa-Con at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
The Sentinel-Record/Grace Brown MUNSTER COACH: Butch Patrick, who portrayed Eddie Munster on the 1960s sitcom "The Munsters," revs up the Munster Coach Sunday during the third annual Spa-Con at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The third annual Spa-Con brought around 5,000 pop culture and comic fans from near and far to the Hot Springs Convention Center for the weekend, Bill Solleder, marketing director of Visit Hot Springs, said Sunday.

"Just (Saturday) alone we had 1,900 people register at the door. That's in addition to like 1,000 preregistrations and then all the vendors and stuff," Solleder said.

When Spa-Con first began, Solleder said they hoped to get 500 people through the door and were amazed when they saw the number of people who attended. This year, Solleder said they've about matched last year's attendance, which slightly exceeded 5,000.

"It's been very smooth. The train went on the track and never got off and everything has been running on time. The one thing that threw us for a quick loop was that Butch Patrick unexpectedly started up the Munster Coach right in the middle of the expo hall. It was pretty loud but I guess that's more of a positive negative," Solleder said.

"Butch has been an incredible guest. He's so gracious and willing to do whatever. ... (He) will not leave me alone about wanting to be the grand marshal of the St. Paddy's parade in 2020," Solleder said.

Patrick was one of many celebrities to make an appearance at this year's

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The Sentinel-Record/Grace Brown CELEBRITY GUEST: Sean Maher makes his way into the room for his panel discussion at the third annual Spa-Con at the Hot Springs Convention Center on Sunday.

convention. Sean Maher, known for his portrayal of Simon Tam in the science fiction television series "Firefly" and follow-up movie "Serenity," made his official appearance on Sunday, but Solleder said both Maher and Veronica Taylor came to Spa-Con two days early.

"(They came) just to hang out. So they've been here taking in the sites; they got some baths at the Quapaw and then hit some of the restaurants. They were just telling me how beautiful Hot Springs is. The guests have been wonderful and it's been great," Solleder said.

Maher hosted a panel with fans on Sunday where he chatted about his work on the television series "Firefly" and the feature-length follow up, "Serenity," as well as his personal life and his decision to come out publicly as gay.

Maher said his first experience in the industry was like his "crash course in film work" on the set of "Ryan Caulfield: Year One," which only saw two episodes. There, he learned how to hit his mark and the delicate art of not walking into cameras on set. Since then, Maher said he worked on the sets of several short-lived series and he was left a bit jaded after each one was canceled.

"At that point, I was so jaded that when Josh (Whedon, "Firefly" creator and director of the first "Avengers" film) said, 'We're going to find another home!' I was like, 'Aww, that's so cute," Maher said.

When "Serenity" happened, "I did not believe it; talk about being jaded," he said, laughing.

Maher said reuniting with the cast and attempting to finish up as much of the storyline as possible was like riding a bike but that it did not really sink in until the table read.

"It just felt like home, like we were working on a longer episode," Maher said.

About eight years ago, Maher began working on "The Playboy Club" where he said he used his platform to address the question of his sexuality and level the gap between his private and public life.

"I really did it for my daughter. I want to be the best dad I can be and it has been the best decision of my career," he said.

Spa-Con wrapped up on Sunday with several workshops, seminars, and the Spacademy Awards and closing ceremony.

Local on 09/24/2018

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