After two years of cancellations, hardship and frustration, CAPE made its triumphant return this past weekend (April 23-24, 2022). The Cornwall and Area Pop Event, which has become a yearly staple in the city since its inaugural one day event back in 2015, was a rousing success. . . its two day attendance estimated somewhere north of 4000 people.
One of the first large events hosted in Cornwall following the conclusion of the mask mandates, it brought some much needed normalcy to the city and its people. . . an expo filled with passion, hope, and comradery. For the first time in a very long while, most patrons’ smiling visages could be seen, children ecstatic, while the young at heart seemed equally as buoyed thanks to the enlivening event. No fuss was made about masked or unmasked (unless there was a pretty cool superhero mask, that is), the excitement of the day bringing much needed reunions, new friendships, hugs, handshakes, and fist pumps.
On top of the exquisite shopping choices – ranging from Funko Pops and vintage toys, to comic books and original artwork, organizers Randy Sauve and Carol Grant were able to procure an impressive list of celebrity guests once more. Perhaps the most exciting were William Ragsdale and Amanda Bearse (seen in headlining photo) – the two stars of the 1985 Tom Holland directed cult classic Fright Night (a favourite among horror aficionados). And, of course, they’ve done so much more – on top of returning for Fright Night’s sequel, Ragsdale more recently had a memorable three year stint on the excellent series Justified, while Bearse is perhaps best remembered for her eleven year run as neighbour Marcy in the hit comedy show Married… with Children (many might not know that she also directed 31 episodes as well). Keep an eye out for a special upcoming piece on Fright Night, as well as Star Pick interviews with both Ragsdale and Bearse. A planned mini Gilmore Girls reunion with Scott Patterson and Yanic Truesdale was sadly upended when the former was forced to cancel at the very last minute, however, Truesdale was more than game (seen in image just above). . . and nothing could dampen the spirits of the crowd. Degrassi fans were also appeased – as Pat Mastroianni, Stacie Mistysyn, and Shane Kippel all appeared as well.
Also featuring a rocking after party headlined by the SamHill Band, it was a jam packed weekend the likes of which has not been seen for quite some time. An all-round hit of a Saturday and Sunday, only a single question lingers in the mind – what will Randy and Carol do next year to one up this fantastic event? Stay tuned.