In more normal times, I would already be safely ensconced in a hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, getting ready for Dragon Con to get full and truly underway. As we know too well, the times are not normal. Like other large events all over the world, Dragon Con is moving to a virtual platform this year. The good news about that is that you can attend the con events for FREE and from home! AND NO LINES!
Dragon Con events will stream on three channels on Dragon Con’s streaming platform:
- D*C Main link: https://dragoncon.tv/main
- D*C Classics link: https://dragoncon.tv/land
- D*C Fan Tracks link: https://dragoncon.tv/fans
Additional High Fantasy Track events will be streamed on the track’s YouTube channel. You can find the main channel page here : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUlBJz-5x-82aGVAC1lNZ3Q
Here is a convenient listing of the Tolkien-related events during the virtual con. All times are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
- Thursday, September 3
- 9-10 pm // Sylvester McCoy (from 2011) // D*C Classics
- 10-11 pm // We Have Always Fought: Warrior Women in High Fantasy // D*C Fan Track
- Friday, September 4
- 10 – 11 am // Greg Hildebrandt Spotlight // D*C Main
- 5:30 – 6:30 pm // Dwarves on the Loose! (Jed Brophy, Adam Brown, Stephen Hunter, William Kircher) // D*C Main
- 8:30 pm onward // Watch-a-Thon! The Fellowship of the Ring (hitting “play” together at 9 pm EDT) // HF YouTube: https://youtu.be/zO3UAWQJX-4
- Saturday September 5
- 5:30-6:30 am // Greg Hildebrandt Spotlight (rebroadcast) // D*C Main
- 11:30 am – 12:30 PM // An Unexpected Virtual Party: the Latest News from Middle-earth from TheOneRing.net // HF YouTube: https://youtu.be/dssLi0d5WpQ
- Sunday, September 6
- 4 – 5 am // Sylvester McCoy (from 2012) // D*C Classics
- 11:30 am – 12:30 pm // “The Worlds of J.R.R. Tolkien”: an Hour with Author John Garth // HF YouTube (link pending)
- 4 – 5 pm // Éowyn and Faramir: The Faces of the Fourth Age // HF YouTube: https://youtu.be/v_0AhJiaUS8
- 6 – 7 pm // Hobbit Guests (from 2015) // D*C Classics
- 7 – 8 pm // The Silmarillion in 60 Minutes (a reprise from 2019, with costumes!) // HF YouTube: https://youtu.be/iWxhNKw33XI
- 8:30 pm onward // Hobbit Drinking Songs (with the Brobdingnagian Bards) // HF YouTube: https://youtu.be/EtKfDPR_tus
To make it really feel like Dragon Con, there are opportunities to spend your hard-earned gold on mementos, art works, and collectibles from your favorite fandoms. The virtual vendors hall features many of the fantastic vendors and artists who grace the in-person Con, and Epic Photo Ops has opportunities for celebrity video meet-and-greets and autographs. For all the latest information, check out the main Dragon Con site, https://www.dragoncon.org/ .
I will sorely miss seeing my Con family in person this year, but I hope to “run into” many of you in the virtual corridors! And I wish you all good health and good fortune, and look forward to seeing you in Atlanta next year. In the meantime, may the Valar protect you on your path.
