The excitement is building for the first-ever Pensacon convention. The event will be centered in the Pensacola Bay Center and Crown Plaza Grand Hotel. But, the festivities will be taking place throughout Downtown Pensacola. This month’s Gallery Night is sponsored by Pensacon, and there will be a host of themed parties at downtown establishments.
Hopjacks and The Tin Cow will be joining World of Beer, Seville Quarter and the Elbow Room in hosting after parties for the event. WUWF’s Sandra Averhart stopped by Hopjacks downtown for a chat with Tim Dohms, who is Beer Director for the eateries. “We’re incredibly excited. We’ve got Star Wars, which is easily the biggest of the names coming to Pensacola for the convention. Everybody knows Star Wars, whether they’ve seen it or not,” says Dohms.
Dohms says invited guests include actor Daniel Logan from Star Wars II and Dave Dorman, who’s largely considered the fan favorite artist for Star Wars of all time. They’re hoping for Billy Dee Williams, “all of our fingers and toes are crossed. It’ll be great to have Lando Calrissian here,” he says. Personally, he’s excited about the possibility of meeting Peter Mayhew. Mayhew plays Chewbacca, the loyal sidekick and co-pilot of scoundrel and pilot of the Millennium Falcon, Han Solo.
For the event, Dohms and company have created a series of themed posters. A death star will be hanging from the ceiling. Also, they will be serving themed drinks such as “Let the Wookie Win,” “I am Your Father,” and “Slave Leia.”
The Tin Cow will be hosting the “Walking Dead” after party. There, the windows will be boarded up and drinks will include “Oh no, Not Hershel” and the “Dreamy as Daryl” milkshake in honor of the AMC TV show’s character Daryl Dixon. Expected guests include Theodus Crane, who portrayed Big Tiny, one of the surviving prisoners on the show. He was the first character to be killed off in Season 3.
Dohms says they’re expecting huge crowds each night, and he excited about the potential for the event. “It’s gonna bring so much money downtown, but also remind people in Pensacola that there is a lot of fun to be had while your businesses are prospering at the same time,” he says.
