Spock Days kicks off Vulcan summer events
Spock Days set for today through Sunday; Vul-Con goes July 22-23
The “Star Trek” capital of Alberta is gearing up for some big events in the upcoming months, including Spock Days set for today to Sunday.
The small town of Vulcan is capitalizing on its famous history this summer with two main attractions, Vul-Con and Spock Days.
Chantele DeBolt, administrative assistant of Vulcan Tourism, says these days are a community event that attract a large local crowd. However, this year they are hoping to expand their audience.
“It’s a community event. We get a lot of locals here, usually pulling in a crowd of around 1,500 people, but we are hoping to get more people this year as we are bringing in a new event from out of town, so we’re hoping that will bring a crowd and families with it,” says DeBolt.
The baseball tournament is returning and remains a staple of the three-day event. However, this year there will also be an event offered for the first time called “mini buckers.”
A Bucking Bronx will be brought to Spock Days this year to entertain the youth ages six to 15.
“We’re bringing in riders from out of town so we’re hoping that with that, families and others from out of town will follow.
“We’re also bringing in 50 Girl Guides from out of town, too,” says DeBolt of the new event.
The event also offers a platform of other activities for people of all ages to enjoy including a children’s fun zone, beer garden and annual parade, but the fun for “Star Trek” fans doesn’t stop there as the town is hosting an even bigger celebration called VulCon, July 22-23.
“This event is like ComicCon but on a smaller scale. It gives people an opportunity to experience the magic but in a small-town feel. So they get more one-on-one time and a more personalized experience.
“So many people love ‘Star Trek’ so this event kind of brings them home,” says DeBolt of the two-day event.
Vul-Con, which brings in a significantly larger crowd of around 2,000 people, offers participants a large array of activities including special guest speakers, meet and greet, photo opportunities and even a costume parade.
Shannon Clarke, tourism administrator who has been involved with Vul-Con for the past four years, says the event is a special time for all those people in attendance.
“I look forward to seeing all the attendees that return every year,” she says.
“We get a lot which is kind of awesome because there’s so many out-of-towners. ‘Star Trek’ enthusiasts are very loyal. It’s always a great experience.”
This year the event is set to have five actors and producers appear as special guests giving its participants a more personalized and smaller experience than the larger Comic-con conventions to meet their idols.
Although the event gets a lot of local support from the town council and people of Vulcan, DeBolt says it also gets international recognition.
“We have people attend who travel from all over the world to come here. From the U.K., New York and Asia, it really is a fun event.
“Vulcan is known for its ‘Star Trek’ tourism and it has that more personal feel so guests don’t have to compete, it’s more personal.”
The town has been embracing and celebrating its name as a “Star Trek” tourism base for the last 25 years. However, it’s not only “Star Trek”-themed activities the town promotes, but also county events.
“We are trying to help promote county events this year, because there really is a lot going on,” says Clarke.
Other events set to appear this summer include monthly stargazing and the Tinman Triathlon.