OMG!con bringing back in-person event for Halloween weekend

The team at OMG!con have pulled all the stops this year to bring the Halloween spirit to Owensboro, and the organization’s first ever OMG!con Halloween Party will run for two days at the Owensboro Convention Center on October 30 and 31.

 

After having to cancel last year’s full-scale event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team at OMG!con got together and decided it was time to see each other in person again. And to make the reunion even better, the team decided to throw down on Halloween weekend.

 

“While we had a blast putting together OMG!conline for you these past couple of years, we don’t want to wait another full year to see your lovely faces in person again,” the board posted via its website. “We’re also working out some partnerships with some local Owensboro businesses to make this party even more fun.”

 

Those local businesses include Ghostly Productions, run by Payton Ford, and Volumes of Blood creator and producer P.J. Starks.

 

Starks, who’s created horror anthologies such as 13 Slays till X-mas will join Eric Huskisson in holding a “Best Horror Movie Concept” contest for those who are interested in pitching their bloodiest screenplay ideas.

 

There will be food served at the event, which runs from 10 a.m.-midnight on Saturday, Oct. 30 and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 31. Event Manager Erin Shannon said this year’s family-friendly Con will include a short parade along Elm Street – and yes, Freddy Krueger will be there too!

 

Owensboro’s Brew Bridge will be serving up a variety of Halloween-themed drinks for the event, and DJ Chad Day will be there Saturday night to get the good times rollin’ with a great mix of Halloween- and non-Halloween-themed music.

 

Tickets for the Con are $20 each, but those who want to party a little later into the night will need to purchase a separate ticket for Saturday night’s Halloween Ball, which runs from 9 p.m.-midnight. The two prices reflect the two different passes.

 

“If guests are choosing to attend the Con only and not the ball, they only pay $20. If they want to come to the ball as well, it is $30,” Shannon said.

 

The Brew Bridge Trolley will be available on Saturday and Sunday to take guests to and from TownePlace Suites, the Convention Center and The Brew Bridge.

 

“Owensboro’s favorite Lyft driver Kurt Burns will be driving the trolley, and he will be a perfect fit for this event,” Shannon said. “That man loves Owensboro, and we’re so excited to have him on board.”

 

Attendees are encouraged to go all out when it comes to Halloween costumes. There will be several costume contests throughout the weekend, and a chance to win some cool prizes.

 

Though this event will not replace the previously cancelled 2021 OMG!con (as the board has already scheduled next year’s big event for June 24-26, and pre-paid registration purchases from the past two years will roll over to 2022), the economic impact created by OMG!con has been astounding. Shannon said the last in-person event brought more than $300,000 to the City of Owensboro.

 

While this Halloween party is going to be a little smaller than the group’s annual convention, Shannon predicted it would still bring around 500 people to Owensboro for Halloween weekend.

 

And while the economic impact is important, so are the people who make it happen. And as Shannon said, that’s what the OMG!con Halloween Party is all about – the people.

 

“OMG!con is important and meaningful for individuals as it provides a safe space for nerds and geekdom of all spectrums.”