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95-534: Lunacon was an annual science fiction and fantasy convention organized by the New York Science Fiction Society - The Lunarians, Inc. Held from 1957 to 2017, it was the oldest science fiction convention in (usually) New York State, and was generally held on the third weekend of March. The programming was a typical fannish convention, including panel discussions on a variety of topics, anime , filk music , crafts workshops, an art show and auction,

190-473: A Closing Ceremony to formally mark the end of the convention. Depending on the convention, this can be a major gathering of most of the membership, or it may be lightly attended or dispensed with entirely as members are occupied with packing up and checking out of the hotel. A Dealers' or Hucksters' Room is available, where merchants sell wares which may be of interest to fans. These include books, action figures , prop replicas and t-shirts. Similarly, there

285-400: A "talent show" rather than the "fancy dress ball" that the term suggests (although British fandom sometimes uses the term "fancy dress"). Anime fans might refer to the masquerade as cosplay , but there are notable and subtle distinctions between the terms. Some conventions feature award ceremonies, in which the best works and most notable individuals are recognized for their contributions to

380-546: A 300-foot (91 m) chain link fence in the vicinity of the Williams Avenue dead end as a safety measure to prevent pedestrians / commuters from crossing over the tracks illegally to gain access to the trains on the Teterboro side. Hasbrouck Heights Mayor Rose Marie Heck , Assemblyman Tim Eustace , and Hasbrouck Heights commuters have tried to work with New Jersey Transit to find alternative solutions, including installation of

475-568: A broad range of science fiction in media, such as Toronto Trek , and then there are conventions focused on a single body of work, such as " Celebration ," the official Star Wars convention; "Galaxyfest," the yearly event in Vulcan, Alberta dedicated to Star Trek ; and BotCon , the official Transformers convention. Most media conventions are commercial shows run for profit, though some are organized by non-profit fan groups similar to general science-fiction conventions. From comics and media fandom,

570-529: A category of "popular culture" conventions has emerged, such as Comic-Con International and Dragon*Con , featuring a wide range of "pop culture" events ranging from animation , drive-in movie theaters, old-time radio, horror movies, and cowboy celebrities . These events have become much larger than traditional SF conventions; nearly a hundred thousand people attend Comic-Con in San Diego each year. Although not all of them are commercial ventures, they tend to suffer

665-444: A combination of official and unofficial events, including concerts, dances, formal invitational dinners, and fandom-themed room parties. Additionally, other convention committees hold room parties in order to promote their own convention and to increase their membership. A bid party is a room party held to influence the choice of the location of a future convention (such as Worldcon) by advertising its advantages. Some conventions have

760-461: A convention may have an Artist GoH, Editor GoH, Filk or Music GoH, a Toastmaster, and Special Guests. A Memorial Guest of Honor (as at Readercon ) or Ghost of Honor (as at Worldcon 2008/Denvention 3 ) is a deceased individual who is selected as a focal point of the festivities. Potlatch , however, has an annual Book of Honor instead. Conventions provide a forum for fans to see first-hand and meet their favorite authors and artists. They also serve

855-804: A few fans have also worked professionally or semi-professionally in the field. At a small number of cons, there is a category for "Attending Professionals", professionals who are paying full con price to enter but also get a special name badge that proclaims them to be professionals in whatever field they are involved in. Panel-led discussions, or Panels , usually fill up the daytime hours of most conventions with typically one-hour discussions of topics related to science fiction , fantasy , and fandom in general. Some conventions have well-attended, scheduled panels starting as late as midnight. Panel members (even professionals) are not customarily paid for their appearance, although many North-American conventions waive membership fees for program participants or rebate them after

950-469: A games room, and a large masquerade. The logo commonly used for Lunacon is actually the logo of the New York Science Fiction Society - the Lunarians, Inc. and was illustrated by Wally Wood . It is the third, and most well known, version of the logo and is affectionately known as "The Loonie". Most years, one of the guest artists created his or her own variation on the logo for the convention. In 1983 Lunacon

1045-490: A genuine Film Room, for presentation of actual movies on film instead of video. Game Rooms are also available at some conventions for attendees to play a variety of genre games, including collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering , role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons , miniatures games like Warhammer 40,000 , and board games like The Settlers of Catan . Easy, fast-playing card games, e.g. Apples to Apples , are popular as they don't require

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1140-456: A large time commitment or deep knowledge of rules, thus allowing casual gamers to join in. At North American conventions, a convention hospitality suite or consuite is often provided as a room reserved for light refreshments, a quiet conversation, and a place to briefly rest. The refreshments typically include coffee, tea, juice or soda, and light meals appropriate for the time of day. Depending on local liquor distribution and liability laws ,

1235-450: A national Science-fiction organization or club. Before the age of inexpensive travel, regional conventions arose to attract fans from broad geographical areas. The oldest of these is Westercon , whose meetings are held on a rotational basis among regions in the western United States and Canada . Eurocon is held each year somewhere in Europe, often in eastern European countries where fandom

1330-427: A number of special interest conventions for anime , media, or other related groups. Some conventions move from city to city, serving a particular country, region, or special interest. Nearly every weekend of the year now has at least one convention somewhere and some conventions are held on holiday weekends where four or more days can be devoted to events. Worldcon, or more formally The World Science Fiction Convention,

1425-399: A pedestrian rail crossing with swing gates and warning lights. New Jersey Transit has indicated there are no immediate alternatives available since funding is not available. Teterboro Airport is located on the eastern border of Hasbrouck Heights. People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Hasbrouck Heights include: The song "Hasbrook Heights" (note

1520-417: A point of pride. Most cons vary from the above outline in one or more important ways, and many have their own unique cultural characteristics. For example: Most cons will tend to evolve many of their own idiosyncrasies along these lines. To fans, these are often part of the charm each convention offers. A peace-bond is a conspicuous lock, tie, or mark which makes or identifies something unusable, such as

1615-499: A science fiction convention and was primarily a fundraiser for the London Massage and Galvanic Hospital, one of a number of such events held with other, non-science fictional, themes put on by the hospital's founder Dr. Herbert Tibbits. (The event not only failed as a fundraiser, but led to Tibbits' personal bankruptcy. ) The precise time and place of the first science fiction convention is a matter of some dispute. The idea and form

1710-612: A similar number of local fans at the house of Milton A. Rothman . They subsequently declared that event to be the first "science fiction convention." This small get-together set the stage for a follow-up event held in New York, in February 1937, where "30 or 40" fans gathered at Bohemian Hall in Astoria, Queens . Attendees at this event included James Blish , Charles D. Hornig , Julius Schwartz , and Willis Conover . This event came to be known as

1805-988: A staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election each November; a Chairman and Vice Chairman are selected from among its seven members at a reorganization meeting held every January. As of 2024 , the county executive is James J. Tedesco III ( D , Paramus ), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026. Bergen County's Commissioners are: Thomas J. Sullivan Jr. (D, Montvale , 2025), Chair Germaine M. Ortiz (D, Emerson , 2025), Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee , 2026), Vice Chair Mary J. Amoroso (D, Mahwah , 2025), Rafael Marte (D, Bergenfield , 2026), Steven A. Tanelli (D, North Arlington , 2024) and Tracy Silna Zur (D, Franklin Lakes , 2024). Bergen County's constitutional officials are: Clerk John S. Hogan (D, Northvale , 2026), Sheriff Anthony Cureton (D, Englewood , 2024) and Surrogate Michael R. Dressler (D, Cresskill , 2026). As of March 2011, there were

1900-429: A staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Hasbrouck Heights, the most commonly used system in the state, is a " weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by

1995-608: A total of 7,221 registered voters in Hasbrouck Heights, of which 1,630 (22.6% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats , 2,549 (35.3% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 3,040 (42.1% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated . There were 2 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens . Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 61.0% (vs. 57.1% in Bergen County) were registered to vote, including 78.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide). In

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2090-417: A turnout of 80.0% (vs. 76.8% in Bergen County). In the 2004 presidential election , Republican George W. Bush received 3,066 votes (53.2% vs. 47.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,629 votes (45.6% vs. 51.7%) and other candidates with 53 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,768 ballots cast by the borough's 7,345 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.5% (vs. 76.9% in the whole county). In

2185-677: A two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. As of 2024 , the mayor of Hasbrouck Heights is Republican Ronald F. Kistner, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Hasbrouck Heights Borough Council are Robert Bing (R, 2024), Susan B. McGuire (R, 2025), Thomas Meli (R, 2024), Joseph Samperi (R, 2025; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Michael Sickels (R, 2026) and Charlotte Sodora (R, 2026). Joseph Samperi

2280-406: A weapon may be disabled or secured in the way as real weapons. Peace-bonding helps security control the use or abuse of real weapons at a convention or other event: anything that looks like a weapon but which is not peace-bonded is immediately deemed to be suspicious. SF writer C. J. Cherryh writes on her website, "I was a witness of pre-peacebonding times, was narrowly missed, and assure you this

2375-418: A weapon, and shows that the owner's intentions are purely peaceful. At some conventions, attendees carry real weapons or costume props that appear to be weapons. To forestall concerns about mis-use of real weapons at such events, the security team "peace-bonds" anything that might look like a weapon. The event's "weapons policy" may offer objective criteria to determine what looks like a weapon. For example,

2470-521: A weapons policy may require a peace-bond for anything that a reasonable person might recognize as a weapon from a short distance in dim light. Real weapons, if allowed, are disabled, secured, and marked. For example, bright orange zip ties may be used to hold a sword in a scabbard or to hold a pistol in a holster. Simulated or costume props may require conspicuous marks, such as bright ribbons or zip ties, to show that security has deemed them safe to be carried. Simulated weapons or props which can be used as

2565-399: Is a general pattern to which most adhere. Most conventions have Guest(s) of Honor (GoH) . These guests are to some extent the headliners of the convention. A convention may have as many Guests of Honor as the convention committee wishes. Along with Author and perhaps Fan Guests of Honor (fans who are not necessarily celebrities but have made a significant contribution to the fan community),

2660-483: Is a good idea. Read the convention weapons policy." Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey Hasbrouck Heights (pronounced HAZ-brook /ˈhæz.bɹʊk/ ) is a borough in Bergen County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . As of the 2020 United States census , the borough's population was 12,125, an increase of 283 (+2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 11,842, which in turn reflected an increase of 180 (+1.5%) from

2755-574: Is a new phenomenon. A North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC) is held in North America in any year when the Worldcon is outside of North America. DeepSouthCon is held in the Southern United States , with a focus on Southern culture in science fiction. Local conventions, which are offshoots of the main regional conventions, draw fans from the immediate area in which the convention

2850-570: Is a science fiction convention that has been held each year since 1939 (except for the years 1942 through 1945, during World War II). It is the annual convention of the World Science Fiction Society (or WSFS), an unincorporated body whose members are defined as "all people who have paid membership dues to the Committee of the current Worldcon" (i.e., that are either upcoming or currently under way). These members of WSFS vote both to select

2945-512: Is an attempt to ease people back into the real world outside of the convention and can be an effective method of warding off the depression which is often associated with the end of a major event. A dead dog party can last until the following morning. Many con-goers take pride in being interesting and unusual, and naturally many cons are highly idiosyncratic. Cons often have activities, running jokes, organizational methods and other features that not only differentiate them from other cons but are often

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3040-547: Is being held, though these have very few attendees who have traveled from afar to attend the main convention. Some local conventions, including events run by student groups from high schools or colleges, draw their attendance solely from the student body and campus neighborhood. Others, such as those run by UK universities, may draw from a wider audience than just the university itself. Some conventions are focused on (audio-visual) "media", that is, science fiction on film and television. There are general media conventions covering

3135-720: Is exhibited for sale. This naturally leads to a wide variety of types of artwork, from professional illustrations to outsider art , with many amateur works. The subject matter is tailored to the interests of fandom, i. e. many spaceships , dragons , unicorns , vampires , cat girls etc. Art shows often permit sales by artists, these sales constituting a significant source of income for some artists. Traditionally, many conventions have had video rooms in which genre-related audiovisual presentations take place, typically commercial Hollywood movies , genre television show episodes, and anime . If there are multiple media rooms, each one may have themed content. Larger conventions may also have

3230-450: Is four stops from the line's northern terminus at Hoboken Terminal . Although the rail line's tracks lie entirely within the borders of Hasbrouck Heights, and in fact form the borough's eastern boundary with Teterboro, New Jersey Transit considers the station to be in Teterboro because passenger boarding, passenger shelter, parking lot, and ingress/egress roads are accessed from that municipality. In January 2013, New Jersey Transit erected

3325-509: Is held to have been the first science fiction convention, American fans had organized sufficiently by 1939 to hold, in conjunction with the 1939 World's Fair , the first " World Science Fiction Convention ," in New York City . Subsequent conventions were held in Chicago in 1940 and Denver in 1941. Like many cultural events, it was suspended during World War II . Conventions resumed in 1946 with

3420-558: Is meeting celebrities, such as stars of science fiction TV show and movies, anime voice actors , etc. There are frequently very long lines of people waiting for autographs at commercial events; while famous actors like William Shatner of Star Trek are paid tens of thousands of dollars per convention, minor and obscure bit players pay to set up booths to sell autographs and memorabilia. Commercial events also tend to have less small-scale programming; panels will more often be composed of famous actors, directors, etc. on press junkets, where

3515-607: Is more diverse, and, unlike years ago, there are many other events and conventions for our target audience to go to", said Stuart C. Hellinger, Lunarians (2) President. Lunacon 2017, was held at the Westchester Marriott Hotel in Tarrytown, New York on the weekend of April 7 - 9, 2017. Guests of Honor were writer Ben Bova , artist Bob Eggleton , fan Roberta Rogow , plus Musical Guests Boogie Knights (filk group) and Special Guest Artist Marianne Plumridge . Lunacon 2016,

3610-441: Is often an Art Show where genre-inspired art is displayed and usually made available for auction or purchase. Smaller conventions may simply have an informal Dealers' Row , a section of hotel rooms from which dealers sell goods, while larger conventions may have both an official dealers' room and an unofficial dealers' row. The Art Show is generally an open art exhibition ; that is, it is open to all comers and all art submitted

3705-601: Is used for conventions which tend to be less about programming, and more about socializing within the fan community; this is quite different from "sercon" (SERious CONstructive discussion of science-fiction topics) conventions. An important distinction can be made between commercial events (often called "shows") – those run by dedicated companies who specialize in con organization, or by local for-profit firms – and volunteer-run cons. Usually run for profit, commercial events tend to charge for "tickets" or "admission" rather than having "memberships". A primary focus of commercial events

3800-535: Is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on

3895-441: Is usually called "membership", thus emphasizing that the fans themselves are the ones who make up the con, rather than the staff who run commercial cons. A community of fans who run such conventions has developed, and many of them share their best practices and keep convention-running traditions alive, including at specialist con-running conventions such as SMOFcon . Although wide variations exist between different conventions, there

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3990-513: The 118th United States Congress , New Jersey's 9th congressional district was represented by Bill Pascrell ( D , Paterson ) until his death in August 2024. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker ( Newark , term ends 2027) and George Helmy ( Mountain Lakes , term ends 2024). For the 2024-2025 session , the 38th legislative district of

4085-547: The 2000 United States census there were 11,662 people, 4,521 households, and 3,142 families residing in the borough. The population density was 7,735.0 inhabitants per square mile (2,986.5/km ). There were 4,617 housing units at an average density of 3,062.3 per square mile (1,182.4/km ). The racial makeup of the borough was 87.87% White , 1.71% African American , 0.04% Native American , 6.65% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 2.19% from other races , and 1.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.27% of

4180-629: The 2013 gubernatorial election , Republican Chris Christie received 62.7% of the vote (2,191 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.4% (1,272 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (32 votes), among the 3,571 ballots cast by the borough's 7,346 registered voters (76 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election , Republican Chris Christie received 2,037 votes (51.7% vs. 45.8% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,663 votes (42.2% vs. 48.0%), Independent Chris Daggett with 181 votes (4.6% vs. 4.7%) and other candidates with 24 votes (0.6% vs. 0.5%), among

4275-598: The 2016 presidential election , Republican Donald Trump received 3,126 votes (51.0% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 2,796 votes (45.7% vs. 54.2%) and other candidates with 205 votes (3.3% vs. 4.6%), among the 6,195 ballots cast by the borough's 8,119 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.3% (vs. 72.5% in Bergen County). In the 2012 presidential election , Democrat Barack Obama received 2,883 votes (51.1% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,669 votes (47.3% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 43 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among

4370-623: The New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Lagana ( D , Paramus ) and in the General Assembly by Lisa Swain (D, Fair Lawn ) and Chris Tully (D, Bergenfield ). Bergen County is governed by a directly elected County Executive , with legislative functions performed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members who are elected at-large to three-year terms in partisan elections on

4465-612: The Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan ; the 76 line serves Newark and Hackensack ; and local service is offered on the 709 and 780 routes. NJ Transit provides rail service via the Pascack Valley Line 's Teterboro – Williams Avenue station , which is located on the eastern boundary with Teterboro , just across the tracks from the Williams Avenue dead end in Hasbrouck Heights. The station

4560-473: The United States Census Bureau , the borough had a total area of 1.53 square miles (3.95 km ), including 1.52 square miles (3.95 km ) of land and <0.01 square miles (0.01 km ) of water (0.20%). The borough borders Hackensack , Lodi , Moonachie , Teterboro and Wood-Ridge . The 2010 United States census counted 11,842 people, 4,433 households, and 3,187 families in

4655-578: The "Second Eastern" and set the stage for the successful Third Eastern held in Philadelphia on October 30, 1937, and the subsequent Fourth Eastern held on May 29, 1938, which attracted over 100 attendees to a meeting hall in Newark, NJ and designated itself as "The First National Science Fiction Convention." It was at this event that a committee was named to arrange the first World Science Fiction Convention in New York in 1939; formalizing planning that had begun at

4750-453: The 11,662 counted in the 2000 census . An inner-ring suburb of New York City , Hasbrouck Heights is located approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan and 8 miles (13 km) west of Upper Manhattan . The borough was listed as the third-safest place in New Jersey as well as the eighth-safest municipality in the nation according to a 2022 crime statistic compilation from Safewise.com. The area that would become

4845-468: The 19 counted in 2000. 22.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.4 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income

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4940-662: The 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,745 students and 145.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1. Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Euclid Elementary School with 338 students in grades Pre-K–5, Lincoln Elementary School with 386 students in grades Pre-K–5, Hasbrouck Heights Middle School with 426 students in grades 6–8 and Hasbrouck Heights High School with 558 students in grades 9–12. Public school students from

5035-497: The 3,937 ballots cast by the borough's 7,449 registered voters, yielding a 52.9% turnout (vs. 50.0% in the county). The Hasbrouck Heights School District serves public school students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade . The district also serves students from Teterboro, a non-operating district that was merged into the Hasbrouck Heights School District following its dissolution on July 1, 2010. As of

5130-425: The 5,640 ballots cast by the borough's 7,558 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.6% (vs. 70.4% in Bergen County). In the 2008 presidential election , Republican John McCain received 3,218 votes (52.9% vs. 44.5% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,772 votes (45.5% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 48 votes (0.8% vs. 0.8%), among the 6,087 ballots cast by the borough's 7,612 registered voters, for

5225-457: The 54th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 18–20, 2011. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2010, the 53rd science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 19–21, 2010. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2009, the 52nd science fiction and fantasy convention held by

5320-569: The 56th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 15–17, 2013. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2012, the 55th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 16–18, 2012. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2011,

5415-489: The 58th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 18–20, 2016. The Guests of Honor were Robert J. Sawyer , Rick Sternbach , and Naomi Novik , with Musical Guests Murder Ballads. This year's convention featured the World Premiere of Mission to Mongo (a fan edit of the 1940 serial Flash Gordon Conquers

5510-667: The Hall in 1891, was the world's first science fiction convention. The event was a multi-day fundraising bazaar themed around the popular 1871 science fiction novel The Coming Race by Edward Bulwer-Lytton , which involves the Vril-Ya, a subterranean race of winged superhuman beings. The event at the Royal Albert Hall featured elements similar to those of later science fiction conventions (in particular modern commercial events), such as special guests (although apparently none directly related to

5605-610: The Hilton Hasbrouck Heights/Meadowlands, in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey . It was generally considered to go off well, unlike the year before, at a different hotel, considering that the hotel was still under renovation. This was the 49th Lunacon. The Guests-of-Honor were: Science fiction convention The Royal Albert Hall has asserted that the Vril-Ya Bazaar and Fete , a charitable event held at

5700-414: The Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 20–22, 2009. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2008, the 51st science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Rye Town, on March 14–16, 2008. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2007, a.k.a. Lunacon 50, held on March 16–18, 2007, was the 50th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians. (1964

5795-605: The Theosophical Hall in Leeds . Around twenty fans, including Eric Frank Russell and Arthur C. Clarke , attended. To this day, many fan historians, especially those in the United Kingdom , contend that the Philadelphia meeting was a convention in name only, whereas other fan historians point out that many similar gatherings since then have been called "conventions" without eliciting any disagreement. Regardless of what gathering

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5890-506: The Third Eastern. The "First National", which included the participation of a number of well-known New York editors and professionals from outside fan circles, was a milestone in the evolution of science-fiction conventions as a place for science-fiction (SF) professionals, as well as fans, to meet their colleagues in person. On January 3, 1937, the British fans held their long-planned event at

5985-575: The Universe ), a Leonard Nimoy Memorial Video Tribute, and the Books and More Exhibit to benefit the Donald A. and Elsie B. Wollheim Scholarship Fund. Lunacon was not held in 2015. Lunacon 2014, the 57th science fiction and fantasy convention held by the Lunarians, took place at the Hilton Westchester, in the New York City suburb of Rye Brook, New York on March 18–20, 2016. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2013,

6080-400: The average family size was 3.16. In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 29.9% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in

6175-470: The borough had a total of 36.64 miles (58.97 km) of roadways, of which 29.29 miles (47.14 km) were maintained by the municipality, 4.78 miles (7.69 km) by Bergen County and 2.57 miles (4.14 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation . Route 17 and U.S. Route 46 pass through Hasbrouck Heights. NJ Transit bus routes 161 , 163 and 164 provide service to and from

6270-541: The borough had been known as Corona from the mid-1800s and grew up around the two local railroad stations. The name "Hasbrouck" was chosen in 1889 to honor Jacob Dillon Hasbrouck (1842–1918), general manager of the New Jersey and New York Railroad . In the face of local opposition, the name change was promoted as improving the community's public perception and avoiding confusion with the Corona, Queens neighborhood, while "Heights"

6365-443: The borough was $ 64,529, and the median income for a family was $ 75,032. Males had a median income of $ 51,328 versus $ 40,570 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 29,626. About 2.1% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.5% of those age 65 or over. Hasbrouck Heights is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which

6460-649: The borough, and all of Bergen County, are eligible to attend the secondary education programs offered by the Bergen County Technical Schools , which include the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack , and the Bergen Tech campus in Teterboro or Paramus . The district offers programs on a shared-time or full-time basis, with admission based on a selective application process and tuition covered by

6555-472: The borough. The population density was 7,865.4 per square mile (3,036.8/km ). There were 4,627 housing units at an average density of 3,073.2 per square mile (1,186.6/km ). The racial makeup was 81.34% (9,632) White , 2.86% (339) Black or African American , 0.08% (9) Native American , 9.99% (1,183) Asian , 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander , 3.68% (436) from other races , and 2.04% (241) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.86% (1,760) of

6650-518: The broad range of events (masquerade, dances, video room, etc.) that one would normally find at a general-interest convention. The World Horror Convention is an annual gathering of professionals of the World Horror Society and other interested parties. Up till 2009, all World Horror Conventions had been held in the United States or Canada, usually alternating between the east and west sides of

6745-540: The company which produces a particular movie or TV show to run a convention about a particular movie or show. They have been known to aggressively go after fan-run conventions via their legal teams. Volunteer cons, on the other hand, tend to be smaller in scope and more intimate in character. Panels may be more lightly attended; however, it is the fans themselves who mostly take part in the panels. Although there are frequent autograph sessions, they tend to be less of an attraction for volunteer cons. Admission to volunteer cons

6840-574: The convention "Opening Ceremonies" are often held, where organizers and marquee guests are introduced and speeches might be made. Sometimes, conventions will have a skits, musical performances, video clips, or other samples of the convention as part of the Opening Ceremonies. A costume contest called a masquerade is often held where persons go on stage and compete for nominal prizes based on their skill in assembling and presenting genre-inspired outfits. This, however, would be more accurately labelled

6935-420: The convention. Some program items are set presentations by experts. Science speakers are among the most popular program items at many conventions. Slides (either photographic or computer ), video clips, or handouts might be used for such presentations. Readings and "kaffeeklatsches" are program items where a single author either reads from their work or has an informal discussion with fans. The first night of

7030-651: The convention. Often these are performances by filkers , though other musicians may also appear at a con. A convention may have one or more auctions. The Art Auction is an event where the most popular items from the art show are sold to the most interested buyers at the convention. Many conventions also have auctions for charities, either formal or fannish; the latter would include auctions on behalf of TAFF (the Trans-Atlantic Fan Fund ) or DUFF (the Down Under Fan Fund ). Evening entertainment often includes

7125-538: The country. The 2010 convention was held in Brighton in the UK , the first time it took place outside North America. The Horror Writers Association 's Bram Stoker Award ceremony has been held in conjunction with the convention for the last few years. A National Convention is usually held annually in a number of countries. The British Eastercon is the oldest of these. National conventions are often run by, or in association with,

7220-724: The field. Worldcon has several award ceremonies, most notably the Hugo Awards , but also the Sidewise Award for Alternate History and other awards. VCON in Vancouver, BC features the Elron Awards for dubious distinctions in science fiction, including an annual award for John Norman author of the Gor series. Just as art shows display the visual aspect of science fiction, many conventions include concerts or other music-oriented events as part of

7315-745: The hosting of the World Science Fiction Convention in Los Angeles, California . The first Worldcon held outside the United States was Torcon I in Toronto in 1948; since then, Worldcons have been held in Britain , Germany , the Netherlands , Canada , Australia , Japan , Finland , and Ireland although the majority of Worldcons are still held in the United States . Since the first conventions in

7410-421: The interests of authors, editors, and other publishing professionals, providing opportunities for networking, promotion, and a convenient location for contract negotiations and other business meetings. At traditional science-fiction conventions, there is little or no distinction made between the "pros" and the "fans". Many professionals in the field began as fans, and may still consider themselves fans; and more than

7505-399: The late 1930s, such as the first Worldcon , hundreds of local and regional science fiction conventions have sprung up around the world either as one-time or annual events. At these conventions, fans of science fiction come together with the professional writers, artists, and filmmakers in the genre to discuss its many aspects. Some cities have a number of science-fiction conventions, as well as

7600-400: The novel or science fiction generally), special events and other performances, set pieces and special effects (such as flying "Vril-Ya" mannequins), costumes (essentially what later came to be called cosplay ), and stalls selling merchandise related to the event's theme and named using the Vril-Ya language as presented in the novel. However, the event was not contemporaneously referred to as

7695-406: The panels are held in very large rooms with very high attendance. The largest cons (in terms of attendance) tend to be commercial ones. Commercial events tend to be more likely to be about comics, manga, anime, and popular visual media than volunteer cons, and they also tend to attract the younger generation, but this is not absolute by any means. Some commercial conventions have official licences from

7790-410: The population. There were 4,521 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 26.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and

7885-474: The population. Of the 4,433 households, 31.5% had children under the age of 18; 57.4% were married couples living together; 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.5% were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.22. Same-sex couples headed 9 households in 2010, less than half of

7980-484: The same drawbacks as commercial shows (long lines, overcrowding, etc.) due to the sheer size of the events. There are many conventions focused on particular special interests within science fiction. For example, Wiscon , in addition to being the Wisconsin Science Fiction Convention, is focused on feminist SF/fantasy and gender , race , and class issues/studies. Diversicon concentrates on

8075-555: The site of the Worldcon two years in advance and to select the winners of the Hugo Awards , which are presented at the convention. The rules for venue selection are deliberately drafted to ensure the convention occurs in a different city each year. Fantasy is usually considered alongside science fiction at conventions (the terms were used interchangeably for most of the period from 1926–1966). Conventions that are nominally science-fiction conventions, such as Worldcon , are also fantasy conventions in all but name. World Fantasy Convention

8170-583: The student's home school district. Corpus Christi School is a Catholic elementary school that serves children in preschool through eighth grade. The school belongs to the Corpus Christi Parish, and has two main buildings: the early childhood learning center, for ages three to five, and the main building for ages five to thirteen. The school operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark . As of May 2010 ,

8265-474: The suite may serve alcohol. At conventions in the rest of the world, the hotel or convention centre bar typically offers the same social function. At conventions in the United Kingdom , the provision of cask ale is usual. Many conventions have a "dead dog party" in the evening of the last day of the convention, after closing ceremonies. This is the traditional winding-down party where the remaining attendees are unlikely to have huge amounts of energy. This party

8360-434: The vastness of human diversity. Filking conventions such as Ohio Valley Filk Fest , FilkOntario, and GaFilk gather those interested in science fiction-related music . Costume-Con gathers people from around the world who are mainly interested in science fiction, fantasy, and historical costuming. Penguicon combines science fiction with technology, particularly Linux and open source software. The term " relaxacon "

8455-424: Was $ 88,375 (with a margin of error of +/− $ 7,467) and the median family income was $ 100,264 (+/− $ 9,917). Males had a median income of $ 60,618 (+/− $ 5,446) versus $ 47,385 (+/− $ 6,455) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 37,428 (+/− $ 3,231). About 3.6% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line , including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over. As of

8550-435: Was added to avoid confusion with a similarly named community in upstate New York. Hasbrouck Heights was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on August 2, 1894, based on the passage of a referendum on July 31, 1894, and was created from portions of Lodi Township at the height of the " Boroughitis " phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County. A part of the borough was annexed to Lodi in 1901. According to

8645-558: Was appointed in January 2024 to fill the council seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Ron Kistner until he stepped down to take office as mayor. Samperi will serve on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. Hasbrouck Heights is located in the 9th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th state legislative district. For

8740-454: Was begun in 1975, and has since been held on an annual basis. The World Fantasy Convention, however, is less oriented toward the fan community, and is primarily a professional gathering (for writers, editors, publishers, etc.). Many of those who attend "World Fantasy" also attend Worldcon. However, this convention is more focused on authors and publishing, with a much higher proportion of authors in attendance; as such it does not usually include

8835-619: Was clearly anticipated in Robert Bloch's short story about a large convention of writers, "The Ultimate Ultimatum" ( Fantasy Magazine , August 1935), "It was a big convention. Lovecraft was there." Sometime in 1936, a group of British fans made plans to have an organized gathering, with a planned program of events in a public venue in early 1937. However, on October 22, 1936, a group of six or seven fans from New York City , including David Kyle and Frederik Pohl , traveled by train to Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , where for several hours they visited

8930-473: Was skipped, so not numbered.) After two years in New Jersey, 2007 also marked the return to its long-time venue at the Hilton Rye Town, referred to by fans as "The Escher Hilton" due to its construction which includes the infamous "Transdimensional Warp Corridor" that allows attendees to walk from the fourth floor to the function areas on the seventh floor without using any stairs or elevators. The Guests-of-Honor were: Lunacon 2006 occurred March 17–20, 2006 in

9025-472: Was the first science fiction convention to feature an anime room, which was called the "Starblazers Video Room" and, according to the program book, was run by Michael Pinto, Moya Price, and Robert Fenelon. Lunacon was not held in 2018. The HELIOsphere science fiction convention was held in the same town with some of the same staff. "Lunacon has been a part of the New York area fannish community for over 60 years, but times have changed, fandom has changed and

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