Pop Culture, Sci-Fi Stars To Appear At Chicago-Area Fan Expo

ROSEMONT, IL — Chicago-area pop culture and Sci-Fi fans looking to interact with some of their favorite celebrities will have the chance to get up close and personal with fan favorites next month at the region’s longest-standing convention of its kind.

Fab Expo Chicago, which originally started as Comic Con, will take place between August 10-13 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. The expo features dozens of Hollywood legends, including Susan Sarandon, who will make her first visit to the event next month, organizers announced on Wednesday. Newly announced celebrities who will be appearing at the expo include Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Beverly D’Angelo, who will appear on a panel with fellow “Vacation” favorites Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley and Anthony Michael Hall.

Other 1980s favorites such as Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Kiefer Sutherland, Lou Diamond Phillips and Lea Thompson are also part of a star-studded cast that will make appearances at the four-day festival.

Tickets for the event will jump from $22 to $27 beginning on Thursday, organizers said.

Amidst the SAG-AFTRA strike, actress and SAG-AFTRA Los Angeles Local National Vice President Michelle Hurd’s appearance at the expo sends a clear signal to actors that their appearances at fan conventions are approved by the union, organizers said. The union has released guidelines for actors attending conventions, stipulating that meet-and-greets, photo ops, and panel appearances are welcome as long as they do not promote struck work.

“Convention appearances create a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans to meet some of their heroes,” Fan Expo Vice President Andrew Moyes said in a statement. “Fan Expo Chicago is not only bringing fans together with these icons of our culture, but also bringing actors back together with one another with cast reunions from some of the most beloved films of all time, creating really interesting, fun, and totally unpredictable moments that you just have to be there to experience.”

Show hours are from 4-9 p.m. on Aug. 10, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Aug. 1-12, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 13. Tickets start at $22 during the advanced pricing window until midnight on Thursday, and begin at $27 from July 27 through the end of the show; 4-day passes and VIP packages also available at the expo’s website.