Few People Know The Small Town Of Riverside, Iowa Is Home To The Largest Community Star Trek Festival In The World

Star Trek is probably the most iconic sci-fi franchise of all time, giving us all a utopian vision of a future full of exploration and cooperation between different species and planets - but did you know it has a surprising tie to Iowa? The charming, roguish Captain James T. Kirk is a human who will be born right here in Iowa, in the small town of Riverside - his future birthplace. There's even a monument to his future birth a couple hundred from now, so it only makes sense that Riverside is home to the biggest Star Trek festival in Iowa or anywhere else! Trek Fest isn't a simple convention. Rather, every June, it takes over much of Riverside, filling it with events dedicated to the most popular characters and settings from the Star Trek universe.

Riverside is a charming Iowa town of just over a thousand people, but it has an intergalactic claim to fame.

In a little over two hundred years, one of the galaxy's most famous citizens will be born here.

So it's not a surprise that this town has a lot of ties to Star Trek, including a museum and history center dedicated to Iowa's role in the franchise.

And for two days every year, the town is completely taken over by Star Trek.

Cosplayers are seen everywhere, as well as re-creations of some of the franchise's most famous scenes.

Panels, discussions, and other interactive features are hosted for guests of all ages.

There is typically a Star Trek parade with some of the most impressive displays of the entire event. Klingon Rock is pretty exciting!

There’s also a variety of live music acts to bring down the curtain on each day of Trek Fest in style!

Are you excited for Trek Fest in Riverside? Let us know all about your plans for this massive Star Trek festival in Iowa in 2023 in the comments section! You can learn more on the official Trek Fest website and Facebook page. For another unique festival in Iowa, check out the Hawkeye State's biggest paranormal event.