Friday , March 29 2024
TimeGate 2012 was a fantastic experience for fans of Doctor Who, Stargate, and science fiction in general.

Event Review: TimeGate 2012, Atlanta GA

TimeGate is a fan convention in Atlanta for fans of Doctor Who and/or Stargate. It takes place annually at the Holiday Inn Select on Chamblee-Dunwoody Road in Atlanta.

The Holiday Inn Select is the home of several small Atlanta fan conventions, and that is because it is a great convention space. It has a huge lobby where fans can gather and mingle, an excellent bar, a large auditorium, and a number of meeting rooms perfect for panels, gaming, and dealer space.

TimeGate 2012 took place over Memorial Day weekend. My husband and I arrived shortly before the convention began, at 6 PM on Friday, and were surprised to find many people already there. We saw a number of people we knew right away. A lot of us go to the same conventions every year, so it is always nice to reconnect with friends you may not see during the rest of the year except at isolated events.

There were people in regular clothes and people in costume, including all eleven Doctors, a number of River Songs, Amy Ponds, Aces, and a great Brigadier. There were Daleks and even a K9.

The organizers of TimeGate had plenty for everyone to enjoy. There were great main events like question and answer sessions with Caitlin Blackwood, the young girl who played young Amy Pond on Doctor Who. She and her mother charmed everyone at the convention, and they had flown all the way from Scotland to be with us.

There were also panels on everything from the Doctor’s companions and why people love the show to He-man, Firefly, and other subjects in the Otherworlds room.

There were vendors with wonderful wares, videos playing day and night, and trivia game shows. My husband competed and won the $25,000 Pyramid of Mars, supergeek that he is. I was so proud!

There was also music, including a cabaret, a dance, and two concerts. My favorite musical guests were the Ken Spivey Band, which I first heard last year at TimeGate. They are a father and son who perform Celtic music, often with Doctor Who themes. In fact, they were debuting their new CD, which is all about the Doctor. The premise is that they are spending an evening in a pub swapping stories with Doctor Who. It’s a lot of fun for Who fans, with lots of humor and a touching song or two as well.

Altogether, it was a wonderful three-day event, where everyone got along, we all had fun, and we learned some interesting stuff. TimeGate again next year!

About Rhetta Akamatsu

I am an author of non-fiction books and an online journalist. My books include Haunted Marietta, The Irish Slaves, T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: Blues Women Past and Present, Southern Crossroads: Georgia Bluesand Sex Sells: Women in Photography and Film.

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