Look inside the world's biggest Stranger Things fan event

With the final season of Netflix's biggest show on the way, I flew to Georgia, USA to get the full Stranger Things fan experience.

By Oliver Partridge

(Credit: Oliver Partridge)

The definitive fan event

Fan culture is a powerful thing, and Netflix's flagship show Stranger Things has one of the most passionate fandoms I've come across.

Searching for the definitive fan experience, I attended the Upside Down Convention, hosted by event company Epic Cons on the weekend of October 19-20.

This huge scale, one-off event was held in Jackson, Georgia, USA, which is the very town the show has filmed in since it took the world by storm in 2016.

The convention spanned two days, inviting thousands of fans from across the world to enter the real town of Hawkins and meet the cast of the show for an unforgettable experience.

Fans gathered at the convention centre for panels, photo ops and autographs with the cast of the hit show, where I got the chance to meet and interact with eight members of the ensemble cast.

The weekend offered interactive events, from intimate meet and greet sessions to cosplay competitions, and even a dance party gala.

Food trucks, games and merchandise stands were dotted around the convention centre, the latter of which selling high quality, handmade clothing.

Famous faces in attendance included Millie Bobby Brown, Joe Keery, Gaten Matarazzo, Jamie Campbell Bower and many more.

I parted with a sizeable sum to snag some stellar photos and autographs with the cast, and enjoyed listening to the panels across the weekend where the cast dived deep into their time working on the show.

Stars - I met Gaten Matarazzo and Joe Keery, who play Dustin and Steve on the show. (Credit: Oliver Partridge)

"The convention was unforgettable, truly an amazing experience - I'll remember it forever."

Chris Buie
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(Background image credit: Oliver Partridge)

Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin and Noah Schnapp

"An Amazing Experience"

Over the weekend, I spoke to super fans from far and wide who each had their own connection to the fandom, cast and show itself.

Everybody I met was dressed either in a character cosplay, or like myself donned some non-specific 80s fashion.

Heather Maurer, fan, said: "Me and my dad travelled from Florida for this and it's been amazing.

"Its so surreal being here where they filmed the show and meeting the cast too - I can't believe we're here."

Jacob Dollarhyde, fan, made the trip from Kentucky with his wife and one-year-old son Gaten, in the hopes of meeting his namesake, actor Gaten Matarazzo, who plays Dustin in the show.

Jacob said: "We've met Gaten at a con before, but I had to come again and introduce him to our baby Gaten."

Epic Cons were responsible for this unforgettable event, having hosted conventions in the past, celebrating other fandoms such as The Vampire Diaries.

This was the first convention of this scale that Epic Cons hosted, and everyone I spoke to agreed that they did a fantastic job.

The team at Epic Cons are a group of friends who met through their love of conventions and fan experiences, starting their own company as a group to deliver events for other fans.

An Epic Cons spokesperson said: "We are fans, first and foremost, and that will forever remain at the forefront in everything we do."

Fandom - Chis Buie, content creator and fan, cosplayed as his favourite character Jim Hopper, famously played by David Harbour. (Credit: Oliver Partridge)

Stepping into Hawkins

Given that Stranger Things has filmed at dozens of locations in and around Atlanta, Georgia, it was only fitting that I checked them out while I was there.

On the week of the convention, I travelled across Georgia state visiting as many filming locations used in the show as I could find, alongside other fans who had the same idea.

The map below showcases some of the towns I visited on my tour of iconic locations featured in the hit show, from Hawkins High School to Hopper's cabin.

Standing in these spots I recognised from my television screen conjured a feeling like no other, as I was suddenly transported into the world of Hawkins Indiana with every location I visited.

Along the way, I bumped into other fans that I recognised from the convention, who shared their stories of their love of the programme with me and pointed me where to check out next.

As if my excitement for the upcoming fifth and final season of Stranger Things wasn't already at an all time high, it surged to new heights after I spotted film crews actively filming scenes for the highly anticipated season 5 at the set of the Creel house in Rome, Georgia.

After a week of experiencing the excitement, passion, warmth and friendliness of the Stranger things fandom, I can certainly say this trip to the ultimate Stranger Things experience was worth every penny.

Now, fans across the globe are eagerly awaiting the final batch of episodes, set to debut on Netflix later this year, almost 10 years on from the first season.

The count down is on for November 26, when volume one of the final chapter arrives on the streaming platform, containing the first four episodes.

The excitement will continue for a month, with episodes five-seven dropping in volume two on Christmas Day, and volume three landing on New Year's Eve with a feature length grand finale episode.