Nightmare Weekend Chicago Packs Plenty of Horrifying Star Power into 3 Days at Rosemont

With con season well under way, it’s time for some of the area’s more specific flavors of convention to shine. Something wicked this way comes this weekend with the kickoff of Nightmare Weekend Chicago in Rosemont at the Donald E. Stephens Convention center, and we’ll have all the freaky, spooky, silly fun on tap all weekend long here at Culture Combine. This is a party that doesn’t stop once it starts, with Friday and Saturday’s schedule stacked from morning til, well, morning again, since some events go straight until 2 am, to say nothing of area after parties. 

If you’re the sort of person who starts the countdown to Halloween the day after, has dark decor out all year long, and who loves a great fright, get out your pencils or at least bookmark this post so you won’t miss anything creepy and crucial to your enjoyment of this horror fan fest. I mean, Elvira’s gonna be there! 

Friday: 

While we do highlight all the celebrity panels, a lot of what makes a convention great comes in the smaller events, where you can meet more people who love the same things you do and hang out while doing fun things. 

This is why you should look out for Nightmare Weekend’s Video Game Open Plays, Magic: The Gathering games, and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, which will be running throughout the convention and are open to everyone from beginners to experts.

Kicking off the celebrity panels on Friday is horror icon Clint Howard, whose 5:30 Q&A on the Main Stage in Hall G will get things started right. And yes, his brother is director Ron Howard.

If your favorite franchise is Halloween though, you may want to head to Sandy Johnson’s panel instead, which will be at 5:30 on the Fright Stage (Rm 52-53)

If you’d rather debate about evil dolls, we suggest Panel Room 2’s Top Ten Evil Dolls and Puppets in Film panel beginning at 5:45

Gamers who love the horror genre might want to step into the Gaming Spotlight in the Video Game Area of Hall G for a spotlight on Zombie Shooters which will begin at 6 and run through 8:15.

Play your cards right and you might be able to get some zombie shooting in and then have Dana Snyder Waste an Hour of Your Time on the Fright Stage from 6:30 to 7:30. We’re not sure what to expect, but it will probably be weird and hilarious.

If Constantine is a staple film in your world, don’t miss Matt Ryan’s Q&A at 6:45 - 7:30 on the Main Stage.

If you’re a little tired of panels and walking the floor, we recommend hitting up Bad Horror Movie and Color in Rm 41, 7:30 -9 pm. It’s bound to be relaxing and gives you a little time to refresh before all the late night stuff, to include…

Friday’s VIP party (which you do need a VIP badge for) which kicks off at 9pm back on the Fright Stage, and the Nightmare Weekend Chicago After Dark Cosplay Contest (18+) which runs from 9:15pm - 10:15 on the Main Stage.

The free-for-all party starts at 10pm with Rave to the Grave ft. DJ Awesomus Prime, but if you really want to get saucy, GalaxyCon After Dark will be presenting nerdlesque in video format at its 10:45pm show on the Main Stage (18+) only. 

Saturday: 

Saturday begins bright and early but it also runs straight through to 2 am, so pick your battles. You COULD play Floor is Lava with your kids in the Family Zone any time from 10 am to 8 pm, so don’t think you’ll miss all the fun if you take some time to sleep in.

Another fun family move would be to head to Marty Grabstein’s Q&A at 11 am on the Fright Stage where he’ll talk Courage the Cowardly Dog.

Meanwhile, Jack Dylan Grazer will take the Main Stage to talk It and probably lots of other things, including his role in the DCU, beginning at 11:30. 

If you’re at all into effects, you know who Robert Kurtzman is, and you’re going to want to make sure you make it to his panel, which is also on the Main Stage and begins at noon. We’re sure he’ll have plenty of amazing things to show and tell.

Gamers who want to play some favorites with a twist may want to check out Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate - a run of Betrayal with a Baldur’s Gate spin, over in Hall G from 12-1:30 pm.

Local “ghosties” if we can call you that, you’re going to want to find out more about The Haunting History of Lincoln Park: Spirits of the Old City Cemetery from 12:15- 1:15 pm in Panel Room 1, and then plan your next trip!

Trekkies and horror fans alike will have a great time sitting down with William Shatner, whose featured panel is at 12:30 - 1:15 pm on the Main Stage. Expect space talks and whatever else he feels is important to come up.

The real horror royalty takes the stage at 1:30 pm though, since Cassandra Peterson, who’s also known as Elvira herself, will be in attendance and ready to tackle fan questions. She’s on the Main Stage, obvi, and is one of the panels we think you’ll want to bookmark to make sure you get to on time or early.

Get some practical knowledge and find out more about SFX at the SFX Makeup Panel  in Rm 2 from 12:45 - 1:45 pm. 

And, at 2:30, if you’re a Walking Dead fan, you should be shambling towards your seat in the Main Stage for the Walking Dead Q&A, which will feature Chandler Riggs, Denise Crosby, Ross Marquand, Michael Cudlitz & Greg Nicotero

Meanwhile, Chicago local and Cloverfield star Michael Stahl - David will have his Q&A  on the Fright Stage in Rm 52, 53  at 4:15 -5:00 pm.

Unless you’re totally terrified of clowns, Joey D’Auriam, who played Bozo the Clown, shouldn’t scare you too much, but if he’s a big part of your childhood like he was ours, you’ll want to head to his Q&A from 5:15 to 6 pm on the Fright Stage. 

Friday the 13th is a big franchise for so many, and if you’re one of those many, make time to see the Friday the 13th Q&A featuring Ari Lehman and Sean Cunningham from 5:30 - 6:15 on the Main Stage. 

There’s no shortage of Trekkies wandering around a horror convention, and no shortage of Trek folks who have amazing horror resumes, so if you’re one of us and want to get a little Trek in your con experience, trek over to Panel Room 2 at 5:45 to discuss Star Trek’s Scariest Shows! 

Buffy fans should really check out James Marsters in Concert, a paid event that will nonetheless absolutely slay. This begins with a Sound Check at the Fright Stage at 7:30 followed by the concert at 8.

If you’re super hyped for all things What We Do in the Shadows, then you’d best be headed for Fangs for the Memories: A What We Do in the Shadows Fan Panel in Panel Room 1 (Rm 48) at 8 to get all the hype for the cast appearances coming on Sunday.

If you can’t get enough cosplay, head to the Nightmare Weekend Chicago Costume Competition on the Main Stage at 8:30 - 9:30 pm. This one’s not an after dark, so all ages can attend.

One of our other strong recommendations is that you do the time warp again. Midnight Madness: Rocky Horror Shadow Cast ft. Barry Bostwick, showing from 10 pm to 12:15 am features Barry Bostwick himself, has a full shadow cast, and will likely be some of the most fun you’ll have at a convention. 

Want more? Vampires should block off 11 - 1 am for Main Stage Nightmare Weekend After Dark's Club Vampyre

But if you’re a little more low key after a long day, you should think about hitting up Panel Room 2 from 11:15- 1am for the  B Movie Screening of Swamp Ape which might not be a good movie, but it’ll certainly be a good time.

Sunday: 

Sundays are usually good days to bring your kiddos along at a convention, as they’re a little less crowded and there’s a little less rushing around to do. (But also, sales! Most vendors tend to have some pretty kick-ass booth specials as they’re tearing down, if you stick around that long)

In the Family Zone, kick it off with Spooky Cartoons and Coloring or fort building.

Hit up the Walking Dead Cosplay Meetup for some run-ins with other zombies and survivors in the Cosplay Lounge at 11, and then wind up for the day’s first celebrity panel, which is…

Butch Patrick, aka Eddie Munster, will be available for his Q&A beginning at 11 am on the Fright Stage.

Usually, your kids can’t get in on the fun of a fresh tattoo, but everyone can enjoy the Temporary Tattoo Shop which’ll pop up in the Family Zone from 11:15 to 12. 

Find something spooky or cool and get it on your skin before you head over to the Hocus Pocus Q&A, featuring Omri Katz and Vinessa Shaw, who will grace us with their presence at 11:30 am in Hall G on the Main Stage

Wrestling fans at the horror con should check out Mick Foley and Gangrel’s appearance on the Fright Stage at 12, while the rest of you may want to head over to the Saw retrospective at 12:15 in Room 42.

If you’re a Buffy fan, you know what you’ve been waiting for, and it’s Spoike…er, James Marsters. He’ll be doing the Q&A song and dance at 12:30 on the Main Stage, and we can’t wait. He’s frequently been one of our favorite panelists to appear at any con - Intelligent, musical, funny and thoughtful. 

Meanwhile, if you’ve been like “Hey, why are all the ghosts haunting Chicago, and not Schaumburg?”, then find out more about your Libertyville spookies and Gurnee ghosties with the Voices from the Grave: Haunted Legends from the Chicago Suburbs in Panel Room 1, Rm 48, from 12:30 - 1:30 pm.

Rocky Horror fans, don’t miss Barry Bostwick on the Fright Stage at 1pm. 

Finally, if you lived through Scream times, it’s Scream times again on the Main Stage at 1:30 pm and you’ll have Dermot Mulroney and Liana Liberato to bounce questions off of.

Scary little children should line up early for the Nightmare Weekend Kids Costume Contest which will kick off at 2 on the Fright Stage,

and parents might want to stay put right after, as the What We Do in the Shadows Q&A with Harvey Guillen and Kayvan Novak is right after at 2:30.

Ancient Aliens folks? Your ship has finally come in (again, for some of you, we’re sure) as Ancient Aliens’ star Giorgio A Tsoukalos has his Q&A moment on the Fright Stage from 3:15-  4.

If you’re stuffing your schedule full of good horror things, then think about Thanksgiving as a way to round out your time at Nightmare Weekend. This Q&A -  with Alex Armbruster, Eli Roth, Gabriel Davenport, Jeff Teravainen, Joe Delfin, Karen Cliche, and Nell Verlaque will have you feeling full of thanks. 

Or, kick back with some healthy debate before you go and discuss the Best Horror TV Shows -  in Panel Rm 1 from 4:45 - 5:45. Friends will be made, voices will be raised…and maybe you can get a nice dinner afterwards with your brand new con friends.

Any way you slice it, this is a weekend to embrace the spook, shop for your next ritu…Halloween party or get some horror memorabilia you couldn’t find elsewhere. But also: shake the hands of the ones who scared you, and dive deeper into all things horror. That’s what these things are about. We’ll see you on site all weekend!