Lee County Libraries Pop!-con and Renaissance Faire. With Jeremy Mullins and Chris Luettger
Join host Matt Miller in this exciting episode as he sits down with Jeremy Mullins and Chris Luettger to discuss the upcoming Lee County Libraries Annual Pop Con and Renaissance Faire. Get ready to dive into the world of fandom, literature, and history as they share their insights and behind-the-scenes stories about this unique event. From interactive panels to cosplay competitions, this year's Pop Con promises to be bigger and better than ever before. Tune in to learn more about the special guests, activities, and surprises in store for attendees. Whether you're a die-hard fan or simply curious about this cultural celebration, this episode is a must-listen for all!
Transcript
Hello everyone. And welcome to the podcast. Today we are talking to Chris Lucker, assistant director of the Lee County libraries and Jeremy Mullins, circulation service manager, AKA the man with 6 ,000 diecast matchbox cars. And he also likes to collect Chevrolet Chevettes. I know of about three or four. He's probably got 15 or 20 hidden around the county somewhere. He doesn't want anybody to know about. Welcome to the show, fellas.
Jeremy Mullins (:Hey, thank you for having us. Yes, thank you.
Matt (:So today we're going to talk about the Lee County Library's PopCon, which is an annual event each year. It is a great event. It is epic and awesome in every facet that you can believe. It's really ballooned to be a large scale thing this year. And let's find out what's going on this year at the Lee County's PopCon. So Jeremy, I'll let you start. When did or what is a PopCon and how long have you guys been doing one?
Jeremy Mullins (:It is basically our event is called the PopCon and the Renaissance Fair. So we have a mixture of kind of like a Comic Con, but that is trademarked. So we have what? Pop Culture. And we have the Pop Culture event versus the Renaissance Fair at the same time. We started originally in 2018 and it has just ballooned and kept growing every single year. So now we are in our sixth.
Matt (:Right?
Jeremy Mullins (:You're strong.
Matt (:That is awesome. So how many people do you expect to be in attendance for this year's PopCon?
Jeremy Mullins (:Last year we had an estimate of around 3 ,000 people. That's a very rough estimate by our door counter. That doesn't necessarily track the people who only come to the outside vendors. So we would be expecting about that many again, probably a little bit more. So somewhere between 3 ,500, 3 ,600.
Matt (:Wow.
Matt (:That's right, Chris. And I'll attest that library is slammed full with people and the parking lot is slammed full with people and that estimate of attendance that doesn't even count. The vendors and the people working in the popcorn that are there too. So let's talk about what can we expect to see when someone pulls up to the Lee County Library on August 17th from 10 to four.
Jeremy Mullins (:Well let's start off with people who are going to be participating in cosplay. You know, they're dressing up as their favorite character or in costume. We will have a prop check tent. Everyone who has any props with them must go to that prop check tent. It's going to be at the corner of the entrance of the parking lot leading to the library. Now the entire event takes over the library parking lot and also the neighboring church's parking lot.
They have generously allowed us to continue to use their area too. But that's going to be the biggest thing first. Anyone who's coming in cosplay needs to go to the prop check tent if they have any props with them. And then when you walk up, you will see the vendors in the outside. They will have both parking lots full of vendors. There will be events happening on the front lawn and also a food truck area.
Matt (:yeah, it is as crazy as wall to wall parking lot, the parking lot stuff for the whole family to enjoy. I will say though, parking, is extremely limited. So when you get here, make sure you just go ahead and, find a spot somewhere at Depot park or maybe park downtown and just take a nice little stroll over to the Lee County library. Cause, I don't think you'll find a spot anywhere around there. It's pretty crowded.
Jeremy Mullins (:I'm glad you actually brought that up because I want to let you know that the Handicap parking area will be at the first half of the church parking lot But we will only be opening that up at 10 a And that is because we have vendors pulling in with their food trucks They need to be able to get in there turn around get parked as soon as everyone is Situated then we will open that parking lot up. But right now we're saying at 10 a The handicap parking lot will be open
Also downtown there will be the farmers market over behind the buggy factory building so there will be some limited parking over there but as soon as the farmers market is over that parking lot will open up. There is various public parking spaces all along downtown and there is a public parking lot that faces corner boulevard it is between wicker and carthage street.
And there is another public parking lot on the corner of Gordon and Warner Boulevard.
Matt (:And yeah, and everything is just a quick, just a little three to five minute walk right over to the library. It's all close. if you, if anybody remembers your school days walking from one place to the next, it's a, it's not too far and it's a really nice event. So don't let the park and stop you from coming. Come on down. Now, Jeremy and Chris, when people walk into the, to the popcorn, you're going to have lots of events and vendors outside.
kind of vendors can people expect to see?
Jeremy Mullins (:Pretty wide variety. We have a lot of jewelry, handmade jewelry. We have some handmade crafts. We have woodworking. We also have some collectibles and comic book vendors. And there's even some pre -made, pre -packaged food. We have bread and desserts.
And we also have us at least three authors, local authors who will have their books available to talk about and also to sell. And then we even have some interesting like photography, metalwork, just a variety. There's a very wide variety.
Matt (:Yeah. If you like Renaissance fairs and you're gonna, you're gonna get your, your, your, your money's worth, because this is a free event. there'll be plenty of stuff to find. And I'd also like to shout out, Keith and Mike at, free range collectibles. They were going to be there as well with anything Marvel, Star Wars, or pop culture. They're there too. And, I think if I remember right, Libby McGowan with Consulate is there. She's got all kinds of stones.
for you to look at. It's a really wide variety. Now, last time Jeremy and Chris, was there, I swore I saw people, I saw Knights fighting on the front lawn of the library. Are we going to see that kind of stuff again?
Jeremy Mullins (:All of our entertainers from last year have agreed to come back again this year. So we do have the Knights of the Fiat Lux, which is the local Knights who put on the fights and they are real combat. It's blunted weapons, obviously, but it is real combat demonstrations. We also have...
Matt (:All right.
Matt (:Yeah. it's, I was going to say it's real armor and everything, just like you're used to seeing a movie or something. And hopefully the temperature is not too hot. Cause those folks were rolling in sweat last year as they were fighting out in the grass.
Jeremy Mullins (:We also have the Sword Circle and the Viking Experience now. All of those are going to be located on the front lawn of the library. So as you're driving down Hawkins Avenue, if the huge amount of cars parked everywhere, the people walking around don't catch your attention, the Knights in Armor definitely will.
Matt (:Yeah, that's definitely fun to watch. You don't want to miss those folks. So when people finally get through the vendors and the activities, and of course there's a row of food trucks, right? That's there as well. Yeah. Lots of food trucks. When they go inside the library, what kind of things are going on inside the library?
Jeremy Mullins (:We have one area in our auditorium section that's going to be all about gaming. We have Ravenforge Games hosting role playing and tabletop and card games and just a lot of interesting options there. They're going to have some games that are available to play on demand and they're also going to have some scheduled times that they will be putting on certain games to demonstrate and for
attendees to participate in. And next to them we are also going to have our arcade and video game area. LBL Gaming is back again. He has some really cool vintage arcade cabinets as well as some older systems, gaming systems that somebody might be interested in playing again. So if you want to take a trip back in time you definitely have to step into the arcade area because it is just like
Going back to: Matt (:Now, do you still have to put quarters or tokens in to play these games?
Jeremy Mullins (:No, it's actually free. LDL Arcades has set it up so that all you gotta do is just hop on the machine and play.
Matt (:Alright.
Matt (:That's the way to go, man. I love it. Yeah. The arcade games are definitely a blast from my past to come in and check those out. And the little kids probably never see stuff like that. I don't know where you find those kinds of machines anymore. Now, one of the biggest draws inside the library is the annual costume contest. So what kind, so who can participate in the costume contest and what kind of things are you guys looking for?
Jeremy Mullins (:We actually have made a lot of changes to it this year because it has grown so much. We've had a lot of participation, especially last year. So we've changed it a little bit to have both a more competitive, more formalized option, but then also having something that's better for the more casual people who are dressing up really just for fun. So we will have a judged content.
contest portion in the morning. Judging will be from 10 a to 12 p We do have some applications to sign up for that ahead of time, but you can also show up. The line will start at 9 a You get in the line and if you can make it through the line by 12 p you will get judged. There will be four...
categories for the contest this year. There is a junior category, is ages 13 to 17. There is a beginners, there's a journeyman and a masters. And there are the divisions and the rules for those are available on the PopCon website, which you can get to from the library website, library .leecountync .gov.
So there will be prizes in each of those categories. Those, as I said, that judging will take place from 10 a to 12 p And then at 1 p we will have a fashion show, which will be open to anybody who's dressed in a costume, anybody who just wants to show off what they brought. The lining up for that will begin at 12. And we just ask that.
you come and have a little bit to say about your costume. We will have all of the fashion show people go through the line. And then at the end of the fashion show, will have everybody who participated in the contest will go through and then they will announce the winners as well.
Matt (:Sweet. like, I like the fashion show concept. That'll be fun to give everybody a chance to jump in there. And these costumes are top notch. You've got, you've got everything from your little kids wearing their favorite, Avengers or superhero outfit all the way to older folks who have handcrafted and spent hours upon hours of time putting together these elaborate works of art. So it's very, very impressive.
the costume contest. can't wait to see that this year. So if people are going to be here for a long time, they're going to need some food. So what kind of food trucks are going to be available this year?
Jeremy Mullins (:I'm glad you're hitting on my favorite spot. We've got Safari Eats, Hollywood Taco Shop, the House of Odell and Louella, the Chill Zone Ice Cream and Coffee, the Chill Zone, I'm sorry, the Chill Zone Ice Cream and Coffee, DD &J Concessions, which actually has the old fashioned kettle corn that they make on site, and a little slice of Bubba's.
Matt (:Ha ha ha.
Matt (:Little O from Bubba Sandwiches. I didn't know. I didn't know they had a truck. That's fun.
Jeremy Mullins (:for it.
Jeremy Mullins (:If that doesn't tempt you, then there are plenty of restaurants in downtown area that we would hope that our patrons may also, once they're done at the popcorn, maybe venture over into downtown Sanford and see what it has to offer also.
Matt (:Yeah, there's quite a lot to do in little downtown Sanford. since you're, you're going to park a tiny bit to walk over to the, to the library. So make sure you browse around and see what kind of little shops we've got there. There's a lot of good stuff going on. now the weather is probably going to be a little hot. So usually is. So be mindful of that when you go in for your sunscreen or hats or things like that.
What's the plan, Jeremy and Chris, if we got a little rain that day?
Jeremy Mullins (:We're to have fun. We'll be here.
Matt (:Yeah, there'll be the rain or shine. I love it. Chris, what's one of the things at the PopCon you're most excited to see?
Jeremy Mullins (:I am a big fan of board games and adventure games. So I am always happy to see Raven Forge games coming through. I like to browse through and see what new games are out. And sometimes it's fun to just sit and watch. Some people do, they even will do some short D &D campaigns. So I love seeing what's going on in there.
Matt (:That's fantastic. Jeremy, what are you looking forward to seeing?
Jeremy Mullins (:I love seeing all the artists and all the creations that our vendors have brought to sale. And I'll tell you what too, we also have something called the Birds of Prey that come here. So if you're interested in seeing some feathered friends, they actually will have some here. And that's really exciting to see. And you can even have pictures with them. They're very friendly.
The team is friendly that brings the animals and everyone really has a good time. But now I'll tell you what also, if music is your thing, Thunder and Spice are making another show with us again. So they will be back and they will be performing out in the parking lot also. They are a duo and they have some really good music that everyone enjoys hearing as they're meandering through the popcorn itself.
Matt (:those are the folks are playing like traditional Renaissance music, right? If I remember thunder. Yeah. And it is very traditional. it is really great to listen to and hear cause that's another thing you don't get a lot of in your day to day, livens is some good old fashioned, Renaissance playing. So I love that. one of my favorite things to see is.
The little kids facing off against the Knights and some little kid just wailing on, on the guy that's there, you know, being the good sport to let the kid, swing away at them. it is really, really a lot of fun, to see all those kids make some memories. And, also Jeremy, the birds of prey are really great. My wife's got a great picture, of her with a Raven.
They had one year they were passing around and yeah, they're quite quite photogenic birds out there.
Jeremy Mullins (:Yeah, that group is claws rescue birds of prey, so they have been with us now for a few times. I do believe and they are very popular when the attendees see all their feathered friends.
Matt (:Yeah. So, make sure you come on out. There is plenty to do. There's plenty to eat, plenty to buy, plenty to watch. the co the whole event is free. If you just want to come and browse around for the day, you can do that too. and our little library is very cool. It's got a lot of neat little artistic features to it when you come in. and we're also looking forward to the future. Cause we're going to get a brand new Lee County library.
Jeremy, I can't remember off the of my head the proposed date for that.
Jeremy Mullins (:Pass that off to Christopher because he's the one who has all that information. As of right now, they are set to begin construction in September or October. We'll have an official groundbreaking ceremony sometime around then. And according to the architects and the construction manager, they're still planning to have
tion completed by December of: Matt (:All right, so August 26th, the Lee County PopCon is going to be off the chain in a brand new facility. So that'll be, yeah, that'll be very cool. Yeah, we'll have to add some roller coasters and some fireworks and do a stunt.
Jeremy Mullins (:A more space and hopefully a lot more options.
Jeremy Mullins (:Hey, Matt, let me just go ahead and do a little bit of a plug here. We do have over 40 confirmed vendors, artists, authors, and nonprofits who are attending the popcorn this year as our vendors. And we also have, you know, just in case anyone who has been here before, we have some returning vendors that were popular and some new entrances this year. So there's going to be a little bit of a new exciting things to see and maybe purchase if they're interested in that.
And also, just want to remind everyone as a safety thing, make sure that you are aware of when you are walking to the event, if you're not parking directly in the adjoining areas, that you are obeying traffic and safety and get to the popcorn safely so that you can enjoy yourself.
Matt (:That's right. This is not a street fair. This will be right here on the Lee County Library's grounds and then the church right next to them and their parking lot. So make sure you're on those sideways folks when you're walking around. So Jeremy and Chris, is there anything we've missed about the, popcorn that's coming up that you want to cover?
Jeremy Mullins (:Yeah, I just want to say a huge thank you to our sponsors for this year. We have some event sponsors, Sips and Sequels, Raven Forge Games, Visit Sanford, and Friends of the Lee County Libraries have all been full event sponsors this year. And then we have a few other sponsors as well. We sponsored some artist tables, Oxide Gallery of Arts, CONC Cuts, the barbershop.
and Craft 3D. So we're just really appreciative to all of our sponsors to help us make this possible. They've really supported us well this year.
And also thank you to the community for their support in attending our event and helping get the word out. Please go back to our website, library .leekcountync .gov. There will be a scrolling thing across the top of the website that will show the popcorn as a, what is that thing called? I'm just gonna call this, there we go, a banner. Yeah, it'll scroll across. You can click on the popcorn event. Also, there, once you click on the popcorn event there,
is a list of items below. has directions, parking map, grounds map, artists and vendors list, cosplay rules and contest application, cosplay contest information. just said that confirmed food truck list and information about our sponsors. And again, thank you to everyone who has helped make this a huge success. We continue to push forward and making it better every single year.
And we want to continue going forward with our community support and also remembering to let everyone know, please visit downtown Sanford and those businesses because a little bit of love goes a long way to everyone.
Matt (:That's right. Well, Chris and Jeremy, thanks for coming on the show, guys.
Jeremy Mullins (:Thank so much for having us. It's always great. It's a great pleasure to be on your show and we have fun with this. Yeah, we're excited for it.
Matt (:So make sure you, yeah, I'm very excited for the popcorn. Make sure you guys come on out to beautiful Lee County library on August 17th from 10 to four. Remember the parking is going to be limited right there at the event. So please go ahead and find somewhere in our nice downtown area, find a place to park and stroll on over. you will not be disappointed whatsoever.
So remember folks find what makes you happy and get to it. In this case, it's the Lee County PopCon on August 17th. There's a lot of life out there to live. So make it a good one. Be kind, be nice, be good. And everyone attend the PopCon. We'll see you later, fellas.
Jeremy Mullins (:One more quick plug, County Libraries NC also has social medias, so if you're on social media, look for us. You can get information to the library and the PopCom there too.
Matt (:Alright folks, check out those social medias for Lee County Libraries and we will see you on the 17th.
