Godzilla Fest 2019 Review

Godzilla Fest was my first exposure to Godzilla fandom. It was also my first exposure to the concept of conventions. You could say I have a bias towards this convention out of experience and nostalgia, but there are more personal reasons as to why I put Godzilla Fest on my top conventions to attend at least once, if not multiple times.

Welcome to G-Fest!

For those who are unfamiliar, Godzilla Fest, or G-Fest in short (what I'm going to call it for the rest of the story), is an annual entertainment expo that celebrates everything related to Godzilla and Kaiju  movies. Similar to comic conventions, it has a dealers hall, an artists alley, panel rooms for podcasts, discussions, and costume contests, and a video game room. Located at the Crowne Plaza in Rosemont IL, it is not spacious or close to the CTA Blue Line like the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, but the interior is a combination of charming retro theater halls and a contemporary resort. Honestly, I have not stayed in their rooms before as I traditionally attend G-Fest for a day. However, based on photos and opinions from other attendees, the rooms look like any standard rooms like the Hyatt and Marriott. As a bonus, the rooms show Godzilla movies for the entire weekend.

My Trendmasters Roaring Godzilla with a delicious Godzilla Burger!

As for the con itself, I cannot stress enough about how much I love the Dealers Hall. Every time I go, it is the first stop I rush into after registration. A majority of your time at the con will be at the Dealers Hall. I'm always excited to check out awesome collectables, rare films on DVD, and of course, the toys! Sometimes I spot items I wanted since childhood and end up buying them at the best price. One BEA-U-TI-FUL item I bought from this year's con is the Trendmasters 10-inch Godzilla with roaring lights and sounds! This figure (which I will hopefully review in depth on my personal YouTube Channel) easily overshadows my Bandai Vinyls and High Grade figures. Another souvenir I got from the Dealers Hall is the 1992 Bandai Godzillasaurus figure. What makes this figure special is that I wanted this figure since my first G-fest and after many years, I finally obtained the figure at a generous price!

Although the dealers hall is small compared to other cons, it's the only place that exclusively sells Godzilla merchandise! There are states that are lucky to have Godzilla toy stores like New York and California, but Chicago doesn't have a store dedicated to Godzilla. With a pop-up shop at Mitsuwa Marketplace being an exception, G-Fest is the only place where people can purchase, trade, and obtain physical figures and art without online purchases or waiting for shipping. Nothing gets a fan more excited than seeing well-sculpted and familiar figures on display and being able to hold/ buy a piece of their childhood. 

So if you are new to this con and ready to start a collection of your favorite movie monsters, the Dealers Hall is the right place for you to start!

Godzilla Fans #1 weakness: Collectibles!

Aside from the overwhelming dealers hall, artists alley, video game room, and panels, there was one thing that made this year's experience more memorable than previous outings: going with friends. I know this sounds cliche, but going with a bunch of friends to a convention, especially a Godzilla-themed one, makes all the difference. I usually go to G-Fest by myself, but fortunately, there were friends from school that happen to be Godzilla enthusiasts and were going to the convention as well. Going to G-Fest 2019 with my friends made my this con more enjoyable than it was before. We spent the day looking at the collectibles we bought, trying delicious but spicy Godzilla Burgers at Murray Bros. Caddyshack, playing (and failing) Godzilla Unleashed and some arcade games, and cracking jokes about which person is going to crack under pressure and finally make a purchase.

I only have one regret from this con: I didn't stay all three days. I can imagine how much fun I would have attending late night panels, movie screenings, and staying up all night at the hotel watching non-stop Godzilla movies with friends. Since the moment passed, I can only hope that the same friends and I can form a plan for next year's event.

Although I only went for a day, I'll always hold Godzilla Fest as my all-time top favorite Chicago-based conventions/ entertainment expos. It's not nearby as McCormick Place for C2E2, but the Crowne Plaza is a great location to check out. Pricing for tickets range from $25-$30 per day or $50 for the whole weekend, which is a great deal! There are plenty of activities that satisfies everyone from young to older attendees like prop movie sets to model-making sessions. Lastly, I cannot stress enough about how it's the only Godzilla-themed convention in North America!

Look at all this cool merch! Fresh and sealed vinyl sculpts!

If you are a Kaiju-sized Godzilla enthusiast looking for a place that caters to everything Godzilla or an individual searching for a gateway into comic conventions/ entertainment expos, I highly recommend that you go to Godzilla Fest!