Photo courtesy of trekfest.org

Droves of Iowans, Vulcans, Klingons, and more, are flocking to Riverside this week for Trekfest 39. The annual celebration runs from Thursday, June 27 to Saturday, June 29.

Today’s festivities begin at 5:30 p.m. as the Shipyard Beer Tent and Kids Zone open in Hall Park. Both will be available all three days of Trekfest. Music really gets the party going at 6, as Trekfest Chairman, Travis Riggan explains. “We have Matthew Kane and the Greenbrier Band. They’re gonna provide four hours of music on Thursday Night. The beer tent’s gonna be opened up as well as a Kalona beer tasting. We have a few different Kalona beers being presented there. You can listen to some music, have some drinks. Tickets for that are on the Facebook event page.”

Friday’s highlights include fan makeup from John Paladin, the Trekfest Photo Scavenger hunt, and a Sci-fi Writers Workshop at City Hall. Additional live music is at 5 p.m. plus the tee ball tournament and food vendors. An autograph session will also be held with guest stars Terry Farrell from Deep Space Nine and Bonnie Gordon of Star Trek Prodigy. After the Intergalactic Pet Show and even more music, stargazing will be held at Highland Elementary starting at 9:30 p.m.

Day three begins with the Holy Family Parish Breakfast at 7 a.m. and more fan makeup. The Trekfest 39 Parade starts at 10 a.m. and is followed by wall-to-wall activities Saturday afternoon into the evening. These include the costume contest, horseshoe and volleyball tournaments, and fireworks at dusk. The KCII Big Red Radio will broadcast live from Riverside from 8a.m. to noon Saturday.

Those planning to attend Trekfest 39 are reminded that some events require registration or pre-paid tickets. That information can be found on the Riverside Area Community Club-Trekfest Facebook page or trekfest.org.