TrekFest 2012 Schedule // UPDATE: NASA Astronaut Landing at TrekFest 2012 this Weekend!!

(Originally written on 06/13/12): I wrote about TrekFest last summer and about how it almost didn't happen due to lack of funds. TrekFest is the annual celebration of Captain James T. Kirk's official future birthplace over in nearby Riverside, IA. TrekFest is kind of difficult to describe. It's a combination of science fiction fandom and small town carnival/festival. They occasionally host major actors from the television programs and movies. Other times, it just a chance to get out of the house and have fun.

Fortunately, we are not going through the will-it-happen-or-won't-it yo-yo that we experienced last spring. Trekfest 2012 is planned for June 29-30. I thought it would be fun to share some of this year's highlight. I strongly encourage any and all to make the trip to Riverside and support this unique piece of Iowa:

TREKFEST XXVVIII: "OMEGA GLORY"!:

June 29-30, 2012, HALL PARK Visit The Voyage Home Museum/Riverside History Center, Free will donation; Location 361 East 1st Street, Suite 2 Riverside, Iowa.

Friday, June 29th:

6:30 PM -- Kid's Parade (6:15 PM sign up) -- Line-Up on River Street and finish at Hall Park.

7:00 PM -- Pet Show -- Free event on the Main Stage at Hall Park. Prizes will be given out for "Best Tail Wagging", "Assignment Earth", "Best Dressed of Show" (costume prize), "Terrific Pet Tricks", "Quickest Voyage Home", "The Really Huge Award", "Little Things Matter", "Stay Just a Little Big Longer", "Galaxy Run Wild", and "Crowd Favorite". The show was judged by my old dog trainer last year. I'm hoping that she will be involved again this year.

7:00 PM -- Star Trek Trivia -- Free event at the Railroad Park Pavilion. I attended this event for a while last summer. There were lots of costumes and lots of folks who knew way more about Star Trek than I do -- and I thought I knew my stuff!

7:30 PM -- Demolition Derby! -- $12 for adults -- 12 and under kids get in free. It's located at the SE Corner of Hall Park. D'Angelo was somewhat interested in this last year and it was by far the greatest thing we'd both experienced in quite some time. Check out the first link in this post and you'll see a bunch of pics from last year's demolition dirty. Word of advise: Bring your ear-plugs, wear shoes that you don't mind getting muddy, and absolutely do not wear flip-flops! They will get sunk into the mud and your feet will get filthy.

7:45 PM -- Star Trek Impersonator Mark Kuehnle at Railroad Park.

Saturday, June 30th:

10:00 AM -- Trekfest Parade! The theme is "Omega Glory".

11:00 AM -- SCI FI Swap Meet -- Free event located north of Main Street at Hall Park.

12:00 PM - 5:00 PM -- STAR TREK Episodes // INVASION IOWA -- These will be free screenings at Hall Park. Invasion Iowa, if you don't know, is the result of a sham movie project filmed in Riverside by William Shatner and Spike Television.

12:00 PM -- Federation Games -- This is a free event near the Tennis Court area of Hall Park. Prizes will be awarded for games like the Edosian Race, the Tribble Wack, Star Trek Pinatas, Horta Egg Toss, and Pin the Lobes on the Ferengi.

1:00 PM -- Costume Contest -- This event will take place on the Main Stage of Hall Park. Adult and Children case prizes will be given out for three different categories: "Federation", "Supporting Cast", and "Miscellaneous Sci-Fi".

10:00 PM -- Fireworks -- This free event will be happening at Hall Park.

There are other events and several bands playing, so definitely check out the TrekFest 2012 calendar of events to get the full schedule.

Updated on 06/25/12: A few days ago, I received a press release announcing the presence of a real life astronaut at this weekend's TrekFest XXVIII festivities!:

This year, TrekFest will make history by having a real-life NASA astronaut land in Riverside, Iowa (The Future Birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk) to participate in festivities (June 29-30).

NASA Astronaut Kjell N. Lindgren (M.D) will engage in a Friday night Q & A at the Riverside Elementary School (8 pm to 9:30 pm) and he will Sky Watch with amateur astronomers outside the school (9:30 pm to 11 pm). Saturday Dr. Lindgren will ride in the TrekFest parade (10 am) on a special NASA float and will later sign autographs (up to 300 of his astronaut photos) 12 to 2pm at Hall Park.

Dr. Lindgren is like a real-life Dr. Mcoy... In June 2009, he was selected as one of 14 members of the 20th NASA astronaut class. He graduated from Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical briefings, intensive instruction in ISS systems, Extravehicular Activity (EVA), robotics, physiological training, T-38 flight training and water and wilderness survival training. Dr. Lindgren is bored certified in emergency medicine and aerospace medicine. Dr. Lindgren's education is even more extensive and impressive, but he's very much a family man and this makes him a perfect fit for TrekFest.

Riverside Troop 235 sends an open invitation to all area Boy Scouts and Eagle Scouts from other troops to walk alongside Dr. Lindgren's NASA float during the parade in honor of his affiliation with the National Eagle Scout Association. Scouts are asked to show up around 9 am Saturday before the parade begins at 10 am.