Crowds show up in Kahnawake for Star Wars Day at collectibles expo
It is Star Wars Day, and May the Fourth be with you.
Across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal, Darth Vader, some storm troopers, Luigi and Mario rubbed shoulders with vendors and collectors that the massive K-Town Collectables Expo at the Kahnawake Sports Complex for the annual day celebrating all things Star Wars and all things nerd.
The show has grown from humble origins to become one of the largest toy, card and collectibles shows in Quebec.
"It's fun," said nine-year-old collector Tommy Marquis. "You can look the things that people have and also get to know people too."
Marquis said he likes coming to comic-cons alongside his father Teiowí:sonte Thomas Deer, who has illustrated comics for years including Star Wars, G.I. Joe and Transformers.
For Deer, the appeal of the Kahnawake expo in his Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community is in its accessibility.
"First of all, it's affordable," said Deer. "If you go to Montreal Comic-con, yeah, it's a great show, but there's so much of an emphasis on guest stars and movie-related items. This kind of goes back to basics, where you have people that are generally interested in comic books and collectibles. It's just so much more accessible that a show like Montreal Comic-con is."
Teiowí:sonte Thomas Deer sells some of his work at the K-Town Collectables Expo in Kahnawake on May 4, 2024. (Daniel J. Rowe, CTV News)
Entry to the two-day show is $5. Organizer Will Rice said 2024 is the biggest show to to date with 108 vendors hawking wares at over 200 tables.
The first show in 2017 had 20 vendors with 40 tables.
"I was shocked at how many people," said Rice. "The smiles, the handshakes, people telling me how great this is for our community."
The K-Town Collectibles Expo in Kahnawake, Que. has grown from humble roots to become one of the biggest toy and collectible expos in Quebec. (Daniel J. Rowe, CTV News)
The show attracts collectors from both sides of the river surrounding the community. Part of the joy for some is meeing like-minded people looking for a light saber, video game or collector card.
"It's a fun day," said vendor Dave Hall. "I just had a 20-minute conversation with someone who's going to have children soon and my kids are a bit older so I kind of gave him a realistic preview of that. Collectors, we all gather and it doesn't always have to be about the collectibles."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Banking mogul suing government after intelligence leaks leave him shut out of Canadian economy
Chinese Canadian banking mogul Shenglin Xian has launched a $300 million lawsuit against the federal government. It’s a means to find the source of intelligence leaks which Xian says has cost him his livelihood.
Woman with liver failure rejected for a transplant after medical review highlights alcohol use
For nearly three months, Amanda Huska has been in an Ontario hospital, part of it on life support, because of severe liver failure. Her history of alcohol use is getting in the way of her only potential treatment: a liver transplant.
His SUV was stolen on Montreal's South Shore. Then he got a $156 parking ticket
A couple is frustrated after their SUV was stolen from Montreal's South Shore in March and they received a parking ticket for the same vehicle last week.
Evacuation orders lifted in Fort McMurray Saturday as rain dampens wildfire activity
Residents of Fort of McMurray who were displaced over wildfire concerns were told to return home Saturday.
Conservatives, NDP should be 'celebrating' EV deals: industry minister
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne says federal opposition parties should be 'celebrating' the recently announced electric vehicle deals, despite their criticisms the Liberals refuse to make public the terms and conditions laid out in the contracts.
Member of Israel's War Cabinet says he'll quit June 8 unless there's new war plan
Benny Gantz, a centrist member of Israel’s three-member War Cabinet, threatened on Saturday to resign from the government if it doesn't adopt a new plan in three weeks' time for the war in Gaza.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.
Serial sexual offender linked to unsolved 1970s homicides of four Calgary girls, women
An investigation into unsolved historical homicides from the 1970s has linked the deaths of two girls and two young women in and around Calgary to a now-deceased serial offender.