2024 Steel City Con has celebrities, shopping and enthusiastic fans
MONROEVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) — Fans of Steel City Con were out in force Friday to do everything from meeting celebrities to shopping for interesting art and vintage toys to cosplaying as their favorite character from TV, film and video games.
Folks like Draco from Beaver County came out dressed as Wolverine from "X-Men." He says he rarely misses a Steel City Con.
"I've been coming to Steel City since 2014," said Draco. "I love the convention, love the atmosphere. Got a lot of friends who come out here too. I just always enjoy spending time here."
One of the other people who came out on Friday was Kevin from Cincinnati. He drove in with his "Michael Myers" mask just to meet John Carpenter, the legendary director of "Halloween."
"I'm very excited," said Kevin. "He is someone I love and grew up watching. It's just awesome to meet someone who inspires you. I'm happy. This is like a bucket list checkmark."
Other celebrities in town for the event at the Monroeville Convention Center include folks like Debra Messing from "Will and Grace," Christina Ricci from "The Addams Family" and Rosie O'Donnell from "A League of Their Own."
One of the other celebrities who is headlining Steel City Con this weekend and someone who spoke exclusively with KDKA-TV was actor John Rhys-Davies, who is known for playing Sallah in the "Indiana Jones" films and Gimli in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy.
This was Rhys-Davies' first time at Steel City Con and said he loves meeting his fans now. But he says he didn't always.
"The very first show I went to, I had to go to promote a show and I didn't really want to go, said Rhys-Davies. "I thought, 'Oh, come on, all these people dressed like Captain Kirk and things like that, can't they get a life?' And I went and slowly I realized that they do have a life. And it is a wonderful and rich life. I meet everyday heroes who touch my heart so much. And they have changed me. I realized that the younger me didn't really like people, and the old me loves them."
So, if you would like to meet Rhys-Davies or any of the celebrities this weekend, Steel City Con runs through Sunday.
