An Iconic 1980s Franchise Is Getting Its First Ever Major Event
This popular eighties franchise is getting a major event!
This article is more than 2 years old
If you’ve never seen a huge gathering of Golden Girls fans, it looks like you’ll get your opportunity next Spring. In April 2022, the first Golden Girls fan convention is coming to Chicago. The popular sitcom was about four older women living together and living their best life in their golden years. The four characters were played by Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Beatrice Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White. Since the show first aired in 1985, it has developed a devoted fanbase, and the upcoming Golden Con: Thank You for Being a Fan event will finally give them an official place to celebrate their fandom.
From what the event organizers are saying, the con looks to be a veritable dream for Golden Girls devotees. On the Golden Con website, you can see a list of fun events that include performances of Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes by the Hell in a Handbag Theatre Company, “The Greatest Gift” vendor’s market, a gallery of Instagrammable photo ops, “Grab that Dough” trivia competitions, a “Mother of a Solid Gold Dance” disco party, a pop-up of the Rusty Anchor Bar, a “You’ve Got Style” costume parade, and much more.
The organizers have also indicated that there will be a ton of guest appearances from producers, fan-favorite guest stars, and other notable people who were directly connected to the show. As of now, there is no news if the last surviving member of the main cast, Betty White, will be making an appearance. Though the organizers have indicated that she’s being reached out to.
Golden Girls was already popular during its seven-season run from 1985-1992, but it really peaked in popularity through syndication and its second life on streaming services. It frequently makes lists of the best TV shows of all time and, just like the characters of the show, the sitcom aged impressively well. The upcoming convention is sure to attract fans of all kinds.
Part of what makes Golden Girls so resonant throughout the years is its wonderful, likable cast and its witty humor. But, it also has been meaningful due to it being unafraid to confront issues that weren’t talked about much on TV when it was airing. Golden Girls was ahead of its time by touching on topics such as same-sex marriage, HIV/AIDs, poverty, immigration, sexism, sexual harassment, elder care, and much more.
Its braveness in confronting these issues on a primetime TV show led to many members of the LGTBQ+ community becoming fans of the show. In fact, the connection is so strong that the event organizers of the Golden Girls convention decided to hold it in the Chicago neighborhood of Northalsted, which is a historically LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
If you’re a huge fan of Golden Girls, then make sure to stay tuned for when tickets release. As of now, they’re unavailable but the website indicates they’ll go on sale early in 2022. Golden Con: Thank You for Being a Fan will be held at Center on Halsted in Chicago from April 22-24.
