The festival
So we headed up to Tarrytown for the Dark Shadowsfestival. The show premiered 50 years ago today, so this fan convention was a "special" one.
The reason this gathering of fans took place in Tarrytown? Lyndhurst.
Lyndhurst is a 19th century Gothic Revival mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Beautiful historical site.
It was used as the set for two movies, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows.
Two years ago the festival was held primarily on the grounds of the mansion. This year, most of the events were held at the Doubletree, just down the road from the mansion. The grand ballroom at the Doubletree is more comfortable than sitting in a tent on the grounds of the mansion, but you lose a bit of atmosphere, I think.
So the festival included an optional tour of Lyndhurst Friday afternoon, followed by various screenings, meetings, etc., in the ballroom Friday night and all day Saturday, culminating in a luncheon Sunday, with an optional tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery late Sunday afternoon.
We drove up from Long Island Saturday morning, drove home Saturday night, and returned on Sunday.
So we spent the day in the ballroom, hanging with friends and watching videos and listening to presentations by people who were involved in producing the show.
The best part of Saturday was when the surviving cast members took the stage to reminisce about the show. We saw David Selby, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, James Karlen ... There was also a fan costume contest and a skit prepared by fans. And then we saw a failed pilot from 2004, when producer Dan Curtis tried to revive the show.
But to be honest, most of it was boring.
I thought it was me. I mean, I like the show, but I'm not a huge fan. And because our plan to come to the festival was so last minute, I'd already made other plans for the weekend. And once I'd finished my lunch at the hotel restaurant (a decent but uninspiring turkey avocado wrap), there wasn't much else to do.
But then Drew said he thought a lot of it was "lame".
We stopped at the ElDorado Diner -- great food -- before heading home.
The luncheon Sunday was better. Food was ok -- we were all served chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli rabe and carrots, with a salad, dinner rolls, and a red velvet cupcake for dessert (they called it a "blood velvet" cupcake in keeping with the vampire theme). More presentations from cast members, a charity auction of memorabilia from the show (Drew successfully bid on a Barnabas Collins cape).
Overall it was fun, but I think that next time I'll let Drew go without me.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
The reason this gathering of fans took place in Tarrytown? Lyndhurst.
Lyndhurst is a 19th century Gothic Revival mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Beautiful historical site.
It was used as the set for two movies, House of Dark Shadows and Night of Dark Shadows.
Two years ago the festival was held primarily on the grounds of the mansion. This year, most of the events were held at the Doubletree, just down the road from the mansion. The grand ballroom at the Doubletree is more comfortable than sitting in a tent on the grounds of the mansion, but you lose a bit of atmosphere, I think.
So the festival included an optional tour of Lyndhurst Friday afternoon, followed by various screenings, meetings, etc., in the ballroom Friday night and all day Saturday, culminating in a luncheon Sunday, with an optional tour of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery late Sunday afternoon.
We drove up from Long Island Saturday morning, drove home Saturday night, and returned on Sunday.
So we spent the day in the ballroom, hanging with friends and watching videos and listening to presentations by people who were involved in producing the show.
The best part of Saturday was when the surviving cast members took the stage to reminisce about the show. We saw David Selby, Lara Parker, Kathryn Leigh Scott, James Karlen ... There was also a fan costume contest and a skit prepared by fans. And then we saw a failed pilot from 2004, when producer Dan Curtis tried to revive the show.
But to be honest, most of it was boring.
I thought it was me. I mean, I like the show, but I'm not a huge fan. And because our plan to come to the festival was so last minute, I'd already made other plans for the weekend. And once I'd finished my lunch at the hotel restaurant (a decent but uninspiring turkey avocado wrap), there wasn't much else to do.
But then Drew said he thought a lot of it was "lame".
We stopped at the ElDorado Diner -- great food -- before heading home.
The luncheon Sunday was better. Food was ok -- we were all served chicken, mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli rabe and carrots, with a salad, dinner rolls, and a red velvet cupcake for dessert (they called it a "blood velvet" cupcake in keeping with the vampire theme). More presentations from cast members, a charity auction of memorabilia from the show (Drew successfully bid on a Barnabas Collins cape).
Overall it was fun, but I think that next time I'll let Drew go without me.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Too bad this didn't work out. But someone my husband works with was down in NYC this past weekend and told him about this Star Wars exhibit in Times Square. Now it's gotten us intrigued, if we care to visit the city in the heat of the summer. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
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