The Office Super Fan Festival at Marketplace at Steamtown in Scranton postponed, new date TBA
The Office Super Fan Festival, a brand new event celebrating the hit sitcom at The Marketplace at Steamtown and Levels Bar & Grill in downtown Scranton, has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The convention, which will feature “The Office” cast members, screen-used props and wardrobe, trivia and cosplay contests, a disco party, Dundie Awards, vendors, artists, and more, was scheduled for Friday, July 24 through Sunday, July 26. No new date has been confirmed yet.
Guests still set to appear include Leslie David Baker (who played Stanley Hudson), Hidetoshi Imura (Hidetoshi Hasagawa), Noel Petok (Troy Underbridge), Jackie Debatin (Elizabeth the Stripper), “The Office” hairstylist Kim M. Ferry, “The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s” author Andy Greene, and Tom Butts and Dan Ritter, who collect props and wardrobe items from the show. Clarks Summit magician, mentalist, and comedian Denny Corby, who appeared on “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” last year, will serve as the official emcee of the event. His family owns the only paper company in Scranton, housed in the famous building from the show’s opening.
This week, organizer Adam Vincent made the announcement in the festival’s Facebook group and on its website:
We’ve been working hard on assembling this convention for nearly three years to give you an amazing experience with your fellow office fans. It is no surprise that the COVID-19 virus has taken its toll on public events and businesses recently.
In the best interest of your personal safety, and to follow the mandated restrictions on assemblies/travel, we have made the difficult decision to move the dates of OSFF from July 2020 to a future date (TBD).
We know things are slowly starting to reopen but didn’t want to risk our supporters not being able to alter their travel plans in time should things not be back in full swing by late July. Therefore, we decided to go ahead and move the date.
We are continuing to monitor the situation and the social distance guidelines to choose the soonest and most convenient time frame to reschedule OSFF to. As soon as we know the date, we will announce so everyone can make plans accordingly.
In the meantime, Vincent said he will be hosting “online giveaways, games, contests, and experiences to connect you with other OSFF attendees and our guest actors free of charge” for ticket holders.
“All tickets that have been sold are good for the future event date,” he added.
“Thank all of you for supporting this community of ‘Office’ fans and for your patience as we move forward. Whether you donated to get us off the ground, purchased a ticket, are going to be a vendor, or just support us on our social media, we could not do this without you. This is truly by the fans for the fans, and you are all greatly appreciated. I look forward to meeting you all in person.”
Tickets, which are $80 for the entire weekend, are still on sale at officefanfestival.co.
The Office Super Fan Festival activities and features include:
Cafe Disco – Levels Bar & Grill (519 Linden St., Scranton) will host an adult mixer with drinks and lots of music/dancing on Friday and Saturday night. A small area at The Marketplace at Steamtown (300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton) will be designated as Cafe Disco Jr. for younger convention-goers.
Office Olympics – This will be a timed relay-style event. Each competition will consist of three two-person teams playing a series of mini games that must be completed in order to move on to the next game. There will be a photo op/medal ceremony at the end of each competition. The best time overall throughout the weekend gets a prize package.
Dundie Awards – A Michael Scott impersonator will host this limited event with skits and entertainment. Everyone in attendance will receive their very own award. Tickets for the awards are already sold out.
Yankee Swap – Will you end up with a teapot, oven mitt, or a video iPod? Simply bring a gift in the $15 range to the Marketplace stage at the appointed time and battle it out for the gift you most desire. All ages are welcome to participate in this event.
Celebrity autographs and photos – Meet the actors and chat with them at their table for free; no purchase is necessary other than weekend admission. Actors will have a fee at their table for autographs on photos or your own items. Selfies will be available for purchase as well. Professional photo-ops and group photos will be available.
Actor Q&A panels – Each actor will take part in a Q&A panel where audience members will have a chance to ask them whatever they want. This is located on the upper floor of Levels Bar & Grill. VIPs have guaranteed priority seating at this event.
Live music – Superfans Zach and Mikayla Dodge are a husband and wife acoustic duo who are scheduled to perform. They were featured in The Office-isms 12 Days of Christmas video shared by Rainn Wilson.
Prop and wardrobe museum – There will be a large display of props, wardrobe, and items that were actually used on screen during the filming of “The Office.” This area will be open all weekend.
Office Roast – This will be a fan-driven event staged at The Marketplace at Steamtown with zingy one-liners and insults about your favorite and least favorite characters of the show, followed by “Boom, roasted!”
Office cosplay contest – All ages are encouraged to dress up as their favorite character. Categories include Best Baby/Toddler Costume, Best Youth Costume, Best Adult Costume, Funniest, Most Original, Best Lookalike, Best Group, Best Performance, and Best Overall Costume.
Fan film contest – Create a fan video related to “The Office” to be entered. Winners will be selected from the following categories: Funniest, Closest to the Original Source Material, Best Original Short, and Stand-Out Performance/Actor. Prizes will be awarded for each category.
No. 1 Office Super Fan Contest – Each person has only one minute to impress the judges with what makes them the biggest “Office” fan. Participate or listen and enjoy hearing about everyone’s diehard passion for the series. Prizes will be awarded to the winner.
Fan art contest – All ages are encouraged to enter and display their fan art. There will be an overall grand prize and first, second, and third place in each age group.
Quoting Bee – Every episode delivers several memorable quotes. Contestants must be able to finish lines word-for-word to progress to the next round. There will be both adult and youth rounds for prizes.
Office Triviocalypse – Start building your team (up to six), studying, and thinking of clever names. The biggest and best fans will duke it out to be the ultimate trivia champion and claim the prize.
