The future birthplace of James T. Kirk is the place to be this weekend.
Riverside, Iowa is not only the future birthplace of James T. Kirk. No, thanks to the hardworking efforts of the Riverside Area Community Club (RACC), Star Trek fans have yet another place to gather, socialize, and celebrate creator Gene Roddenberry’s science fiction universe ahead of its 60th anniversary. Yes, Trekfest is back, and this year the guest list once again includes a number of the franchise’s most beloved actors.
Star Trek: The Next Generation actress Denise Crosby (Lt. Tasha Yar and her Romulan-human daughter Sela), Voyager’s Garrett Wang (Ensign Harry Kim) and Robert Duncan McNeill (Tom Paris) — I LOVED his Lower Decks episodes — plus Prodigy’s incredible voice actor Bonnie Gordon are all scheduled to appear at Trekfest 41.
Now, if you’d like to meet these four wonderful Star Trek luminaries, all of them will be at the Riverside fire station meeting room on Saturday, June 27, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. CT. The fire station is also within walking distance of both The Voyage Home Museum/Historic Center and the bronze statue of James T. Kirk. The following is the rest of the stars’ “autograph” schedule, (per Trekfest.org).
The Voyage Home Museum (Friday, June 26):
Crosby, Wang, and Gordon will all three be on hand from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Crosby and Wang are also scheduled to be at the VHHC earlier from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.
The Voyage Home Museum (Saturday, June 27):
Only Gordon will be available at the VHHC on this day (1:30 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.)
On Saturday, a parade will make its own trek through downtown Riverside along Highway IA-22 starting at 10 a.m., and anyone can join in the fun. However, if you actually want to be in the parade, please meet with the others at the Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank on Railroad Street, which is about a six-minute walk from the bronze Kirk statue.
More information on floats and the parade itself can be found here on Trekfest’s official website, which ensures fans of the following: “Trekfest will go on as scheduled to be held rain or shine and will only be cancelled due to Pandemic or severe weather.”
There will also be plenty of live music at this year’s Trekfest, including performances by Dave Zolo, Maybelle Lou, and JKB, as well as numerous activities for children to enjoy. Plus, there will be fireworks at dusk on Saturday at Hall Park. For more information and a detailed, hourly schedule of all the events offered in 2026, visit Trekfest.org.
Trekfest 41 takes place from Thursday, June 25 (“warmup events”), through Saturday, June 27, and it is free for the general public to attend. However, there are a number of events which will cost Star Trek fans a bit of cash, and some of those must also be registered for prior to attending, including the film screening scheduled at 9 a.m. on Friday with a Denise Crosby Q&A slated to take place afterward.
Do you plan on attending Trekfest 41 this year? Which Star Trek celebrities are you most excited to meet? Share your choices and comments about the fan event with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
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