WELCOME TO THUNDERCON 2025! Description: If you are the kind of person who wants to be involved from the moment the doors open to the very last minute before they close at the end, then this is for you. Meet the Masters of Ceremonies and get an introduction to the Con, great for first-timers, or for those who have seen it every year.
INTERACTIVE EVENT ALERT! Join Lala at the Paradox Pavilion for a full day of creative fun! The highlight of the day will be making your own Crushed Glass & Resin Suncatcher for just $30. While you can pop in anytime, there will be two special pre-registered sessions with guaranteed seating and inventory: 12:00–1:00pm 2:30–3:30pm Pre-register to secure your spot, or drop in and try your luck—outside of these times, everything is first-come, first-served. Other activities happening all day: Slime Station – $8 Rock Painting (rocks generously donated by Lockstone Yard & Patio Centre) Diamond Painting Mini Canvases – $15 Take-Home Kits (8x10 for $17, 11x14 for $25) Wood Cut-Out Shapes to Paint – $7 A day full of sparkle, paint, and creativity—come craft with me!
GAMING EVENT! This is a tournament-style event and will require prior sign-up. Description: Get ready for Raising Rabbits - A Board Game Tournament, where we'll hop into some fierce competition and have a blast playing. Raise rabbits in this Euro-style economy and auction-based engine-building board game. To enter the tournament, sign up here.
GAMING EVENT! This will be a drop-in game run throughout the day in 15-minute blocks with 15 minutes between games. Description: Each player takes on the role of a Villager, a Werewolf, or a special character. It’s your job to figure out who the Werewolves are and to kill at least one of them in order to win... unless you’ve become a Werewolf yourself.
GAMING EVENT! This will be a drop-in game run throughout the day in 2-hour blocks, starting at 10:30 am, 12:45 pm and 3:00 pm each day. Description: The original beer & pretzels roleplaying game! For kobolds in the service of King Torg (ALL HAIL KING TORG!) their life will undoubtedly be silly, brutal, and short. They may be obliterated by meteorites, betrayed by friends, or brained by frying pans. Games set in the Kobolds Ate My Baby line cast you as these kobolds. Cheerily march to your death upon the beaks of chickens in the original beer & pretzels roleplaying game!
INTERACTIVE ACTIVITY ALERT! Try Tripped, a fun, fast-paced, light strategy game. It’s a race across North America where you leave your hometown, sprint to 6 other cities and get back home again before any of your friends. But watch your step… because at some point you’re going to get Tripped! It’s the name of the game. Demos by the creator all day.
Featuring: The Northern Dragon, Devon Phillips Description: As Creative Director and Fire Performer of Northern Dragon Fire Performers, Devon transforms his journey with mental health into breathtaking artistry, turning struggle into sparks of beauty. Get ready to feel the heat and the heart behind the flames when Devon takes the stage at ThunderCon 2025!
Featuring: Jamie Young and Rick Strickland Description: Like cosplay, prop building is a love letter by fans for fans of our favourite films, shows and comic creations. Join some of ThunderCon's favourite local makers as they discuss what it takes to manufacture the props that make the fandoms.
Featuring: Star Wars Costuming Club Description: Members of the Star Wars Costume Clubs will be discussing armour, fabrics, patterns and colour choices in becoming part of a Galaxy Far Away. A look into the clubs themselves, and making a difference in the lives of others.
INTERACTIVE EVENT ALERT! Featuring: Star Wars Costuming Club Description: Join the Thunder Bay Star Wars Costuming Club for a bit of a march about. See Mandalorians, Jedi, Sith, Rebels and more. Follow them or just watch as they march past.
GAMING EVENT! This is a tournament-style event and will require prior sign-up. Description: Get ready for Raising Rabbits - A Board Game Tournament, where we'll hop into some fierce competition and have a blast playing. Raise rabbits in this Euro-style economy and auction-based engine-building board game. To enter the tournament, sign up here.
Featuring:Â Matthew Cimone, Northern Ontario Klingons Description: Star Trek inspires. It promises us that a better future - a kinder future is possible. As Gene Roddenberry said "There will be no hunger, there will be no greed, and all the children will know how to read." And that through cooperation, curiosity, and solidarity, we can get to that future and create the world we wish existed today. Trektivism is the act of taking that inspiration and realizing it. Trek actors harness the dream of Trek to do incredible good in the world. Fans like you can partner with charity organizations to help the vulnerable and battle terrible illnesses. Trektivism can and does change lives. This panel will talk about what kind of future we want to create together. Come to this open discussion where we can gather as Trek fans to share our activist, social, and political work to summon the Roddenberry future as well as ways to get involved if you're looking how to!
Featuring: Harlan Kytwayhat Description: A Question & Answer panel with Harlan Kytwayhat. This champion of the NOSHO is most notably known for his roles that saw him facing off against everyone’s favourite extraterrestrial trophy hunter in 2022’s ‘Prey’ and playing an integral role as a player turned coach of the Sudbury Bulldogs in Crave TV’s critically acclaimed hit series ‘Shorsey’. His other credits include: Tribal, Warrior Strong, Anywhere – A Metaphysical Love Story, and Die Alone.
INTERACTIVE EVENT ALERT! Brought to you by: Hot Diggety Dog Description: Kids, join ThunderCon outside on the Wibbly Wobbly Way (or, in front of the main stage if it rains) to show off your cosplay and get prizes just for coming out!
Featuring:Â Rosemarie Sarno Description:Â Join Rosemarie Sarno of Red Barrels Games as she plays through some of the first-person survival-horror series Outlast, where you assume the role of a reporter investigating a psychiatric hospital which has become overrun by patients with homicidal tendencies and must sneak around to survive. Since its original release in 2013, the franchise has expanded to include a sequel, a prequel, and is currently being adapted for the big screen by Lionsgate Films. This event is an 18+ activity due to the horror elements of the game.
Featuring: Doug Jones Description: A Question & Answer panel with the man behind the monster, Doug Jones. Doug Jones stands out as a performer who has made over 150 appearances in film and television, most of which were under several layers of makeup and prosthetics. His film and television credits include several collaborations with director Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and The Shape of Water), Hocus Pocus, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Tank Girl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek: Discovery, The Strain and much more.
GAMING EVENT! This is a tournament-style event and will require prior sign-up. Description: Get ready for Raising Rabbits - A Board Game Tournament, where we'll hop into some fierce competition and have a blast playing. Raise rabbits in this Euro-style economy and auction-based engine-building board game. To enter the tournament, sign up here.
Featuring: Grey Dickson Description: Join Grey Dickson as we delve into the world of cosplay. The craft, the inspiration, and the satisfaction of watching it all come together. 17 years of tips and tricks in 60 minutes.
Featuring: The Northern Dragon, Devon Phillips Description: As Creative Director and Fire Performer of Northern Dragon Fire Performers, Devon transforms his journey with mental health into breathtaking artistry, turning struggle into sparks of beauty. Get ready to feel the heat and the heart behind the flames when Devon takes the stage at ThunderCon 2025!
Featuring: Shire of Mare Amethystinum of the SCA and Superior HEMA Description: Watch fighting and weapon demonstrations by members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), and learn a bit about each of these organizations. Don't forget to visit the Medieval Encampment set up all weekend just behind the demo area, to learn more and see other aspects of the SCA.
Featuring: Rosemarie Sarno, Kitt Vallieres, Alfonso Espinos, Robert Belamy Description: In this panel, Rosemarie, Kitt, Alfonso and Robert will discuss the other end of the film and video game industry, what things look like when you are the one making the movie, not acting in it. Join them and get some of your burning questions answered about the secrets of the behind-the-scenes work that makes movies and video games happen.
INTERACTIVE EVENT ALERT! Description: Do you think you know fandoms, pop culture, and trivia? This may be just the game for you! Try ThunderCon’s own mash-up of Family Feud and Trivial Pursuit. We have surveyed our Thunder Bay community - now it’s your turn to guess the top votes and test your trivia knowledge. Is it Star Trek or Star Wars? Fantasy or Sci-Fi? Disney or DreamWorks? You tell us, and we’ll let you know if Thunder Bay agreed - and if your trivia is right. Get it right, and you win!
Featuring: Ryan Mackett, Dave Turner and Heartberry Moon Art Description: Creating art takes time, talent, and access to supplies; all of these and more can be problems for artists who work in areas far away from large urban centres. The remoteness of working in the north, particularly in places like Thunder Bay, can present artists with numerous challenges. Join four of Thunder Bay's artists, with different focuses, to learn more about creating "Art in the North".
GAMING EVENT! This is a tournament-style event and will require prior sign-up. Description: Get ready for Raising Rabbits - A Board Game Tournament, where we'll hop into some fierce competition and have a blast playing. Raise rabbits in this Euro-style economy and auction-based engine-building board game. To enter the tournament, sign up here.
Featuring: The Northern Dragon, Devon Phillips Description: As Creative Director and Fire Performer of Northern Dragon Fire Performers, Devon transforms his journey with mental health into breathtaking artistry, turning struggle into sparks of beauty. Get ready to feel the heat and the heart behind the flames when Devon takes the stage at ThunderCon 2025!
Featuring: Cambrian Players and Jeremy K. Description: What do you get when you mix Dungeons & Dragons with an Improv Group? You get Who's Adventure is it Anyway. Watch as members of the Cambrian Players improv their way through a Dungeons and Dragons session live! And stick around after they finish the session for some fandom-themed random improv, also by Cambrian Players.
Featuring: Peng You Tai Chi Description:Â Tai chi (noun): a Chinese martial art and system of callisthenics, consisting of sequences of very slow controlled movements. Fandom (noun/adj): the fans of a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. regarded collectively as a community or subculture. Fandom + Tai Chi: sequences of very slow controlled movements inspired by a particular person, team, fictional series, etc. Sit back and enjoy the show!
Featuring: Ivan Love Description: Join the King of Thunder Bay, Ivan Love, for a demonstration on masculine drag makeup. Make sure to also check out the ThunderCon Drag Show! The Official After Party of ThunderCon 2025, tickets available here.
Featuring:Â Rosemarie Sarno Description:Â Join Rosemarie Sarno of Red Barrels Games as she plays through some of the first-person survival-horror series Outlast, where you assume the role of a reporter investigating a psychiatric hospital which has become overrun by patients with homicidal tendencies and must sneak around to survive. Since its original release in 2013, the franchise has expanded to include a sequel, a prequel, and is currently being adapted for the big screen by Lionsgate Films. This event is an 18+ activity due to the horror elements of the game.
INTERACTIVE EVENT ALERT! Featuring:Â Northern Ontario Klingons Description: Humans may debate the merits of pinkies up or pinkies down for Tea, but a Klingon is always prepared for battle! Etiquette is important for any diplomatic function, especially when Klingons are involved! Want to learn more about Klingons and Tea? Join the Northern Ontario Klingons for Afternoon Tea and a Cosplay Meet-up at ThunderCon and find out why everything is better with Klingons!