Coverage of G-FEST 2026 Concludes…
Sunday, July 12th, 2026 7 am – I wake up, pack my things, and start loading the car. No breakfast buffet today; just protein bars, and we all get our rooms in order and prepare for the final day of G-FEST 2026.
8:50 am – We all head downstairs to attend a panel only to discover that it’s been canceled. Dejected, we head downstairs to see who won the model contest.
G-FEST 2026 Coverage Continues…
6 am Saturday, July 11th, 2026 – My three sons and I go downstairs for the hotel breakfast buffet and are the first ones there. We know it won’t be long before there’s a line to get in this place (and we weren’t wrong). The subject of G-FEST may be Godzilla, but the crowd it attracts is the real monster.
10 am Thursday, July 9th 2026 – My youngest son, Luke, and I pick up my eldest son, Alex, to kick off this year’s G-FEST (Godzilla Festival) 2026. Technically, this is G-FEST XXXI, but it seems the Roman numerals have been dropped. It makes sense, since COVID screwed up the whole numbering system anyway, but I’m kind of surprised they didn’t do it last year instead of actually going forward with G-FEST Triple X. We kicked off the event by visiting a Japanese market in Arlington Heights, Illinois, called Mitsuwa. I’ve been there before, but this was their first visit. We picked up some Sake’ (this is probably a good time to mention that my kids are all over the age of 21), some Japanese imported snacks, and sushi for dinner. Before leaving, we enjoyed beverages in their food court from a place called Releaf. The kids loved Mitsuwa, and both agreed this should be our new G-FEST tradition – especially since they also had a bookstore with a Godzilla section.
Last weekend, I attended my first Chicago All Monsters Attack convention, an offshoot of Days of the Dead. This made perfect sense because I’ve seen fewer days as dead as this one. The show was at the Crowne Plaza in Rosemont (right across the street from my last adventure, Nightmare Weekend), which coincidentally used to host the similarly themed G-FEST (Godzilla Festival). After attending G-FEST for over twenty years, my eldest son, Alex, and I were curious how they’d compare.
Imagine if you spent the the last twenty years meeting annually with a group of like-minded friends for a weekend of fun. Sure, these gatherings were comparitively small, but that was the beauty of it. The atmosphere was relaxed and everyone had an opportunity to participate in the numerous activities provided. Each year you’d see the same faces and even if you didn’t know their names, they somehow felt like family.
Now imagine your intimate group suddenly becomes four times larger. The comfortable venue you’ve always used swiftly becomes claustrophobic and overheated. Navigating the dealer’s becomes a frustrating fight for survival and finding an empty seat at a popular panel a luxury. Where once you’d stay the entire weekend and feel sad when it ended, now you’re anxious to leave. Such is the plight of my beloved G-FEST (Godzilla Festival); an event that appears to have fallen victim to the Legendary Godzilla, himself.
The Daves would like to wish our fellow American monster fans a very Happy Thanksgiving while also giving them the bird! No, not just any bird, mind you, but a “battleship” sized fowl from another dimension! I’m referring, of course, to the 1957 quintessential “turkey,” The Giant Claw. This film’s not only achieved cult status for all the wrong reasons but has since gone on to become something of a Thanksgiving movie tradition (for fun people who hate football). In fact, about seven years ago I included it as part of my list of Thanksgiving-related genre films. I remember at the time wondering if I wasn’t reaching a bit by having it on there but those doubts were all erased last July during a “Hollywood Kaiju Strikes Back” panel at G-FEST XXIV. Although the Godzilla Festival revolves around Japanese monsters, Martin Arlt and Archie Waugh gave an entire hour to some of their American contemporaries. This included such atomic menaces as The Deadly Mantis and The Beginning of the End while saving the best of the worst for last. Our moderators introduced the film by informing is it was their Thanksgiving movie tradition. So I not only walked away feeling validated regarding my list, but also with enough tidbits to offer YOU this special Turkey Day blog. And if that isn’t a reason to feel thankful, then we just don’t know what is!
Terror from Beyond the Dave 