Wasteland Weekend
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Wasteland Weekend, WW |
| Dates: | Autumn 2010 to present |
| Frequency: | Annual |
| Location: | California |
| Type: | Fan convention, immersion |
| Focus: | Mad Max, Fallout |
| Organization: | |
| Founder: | |
| Founding Date: | |
| URL: | http://wastelandweekend.com |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Wasteland Weekend is an apocalypse- and post-apocalypse-themed convention held annually in California. Inspired to a great degree by the Mad Max franchise, as well as other series such as Fallout, participants create a post-apocalypse city in the desert, complete with vendors, performances, and vehicles. Popularity of the convention grew after the release of 2015's Mad Max: Fury Road.
History
Early Years
The first Wasteland Weekend in 2010 was organized by Karol Bartoszynski and Jim Howard hosted approximately 700 attendees.
Post-2015
After the success of Mad Max: Fury Road and Fallout 4, the event grew in number and scope.
2017
2017's event sold over 3,000 tickets. To adapt to the increasing popularity, event organizers purchased land especially for Wasteland Weekend and expanded the weekend to 4 days, with 2 additional days for set-up and tear-down.
2018
Nathan Jones, the actor who played antagonist Rictus Erectus in Fury Road, appeared as the event's special guest.
Events
Wasteland Weekend is full of events that can be attended by or even organized by attendees. Cars play a big part in the Mad Max movies are so are featured heavily at WW. Those in theme can participate in photo-shoots and parades, including one to the gates of the main city on opening day. Vehicles that are not in theme are not allowed within the themed areas, or must be covered up so as not to ruin the immersion.
Tribes
A tribe is a group of Wastelanders with a shared identity and story. Individuals who have come together, and go all out with coordinated costumes, a group identity, themed encampments and/or vehicles. Some tribes are as small as 4 or five members, while others are thirty or forty members strong. Tribes may camp in any of the theme zones of Wasteland. A very select few may prove themselves worthy of joining the elite in Wasteland City.[1]
Although not required, some attendees form groups called "tribes" so wasteland is a shared experience.[2] Some tribes draw inspiration specifically from the Mad Max movies, such as the Clan of the Bolt Cutters who contain Vuvalini themes, or from the Fallout games, such as Sanctuary, based on the location in Fallout 4. Other tribes create their own lore and themes.
It's common for tribes to make bottle caps to represent them. These caps are traded and collected, and are often sought after by attendees.[3][4]
Some tribes engage in events with others, either in their camp or in the more public areas of the city.
External Links
References
- ^ Topic: Tribes. Accessed October 9, 2017.
- ^ Topic: Tribes. Accessed October 9, 2017.
- ^ Bottlecaps post on the WW forum. Accessed October 9, 2017.
- ^ Topic: Bottlecaps. Accessed October 9, 2017.