Oz-Style Magic to Twinkle at Mondo Pomona Con

Join a lively three-day festival devoted to the works of L. Frank Baum.

What to Know

  • July 26-28, 2019
  • Kellogg West Conference Center in Pomona
  • Saturday entry is $40 + service fee, but weekend-long passes and other ticketing options are available

We haven't yet discovered a Yellow Brick Road ribboning between Los Angeles and Pomona, but there is a very large asphalt freeway or two, and some rails, and a bunch of surface streets, and every single one of them will eventually get you from Point LA to Point P.

Of course, we don't exactly skip Dorothy-style down the 10 Freeway, YBR-style, instead choosing to vroom.

However you choose to call upon Pomona over the final weekend of July, just be sure to don your most whimsical Wizard-style get-up, your ruby slippers, or your clankiest Tin Man togs, for the 55th annual OzCon is landing as a fast as a farmhouse hits the ground in Munchkinland.

The literary meet-up, which is billed as "The World's Longest-Running Convention Celebrating L. Frank Baum and and Land of Oz!," isn't solely about the beloved 1939 film, though that gem will certainly be screened at the Fox Theater Pomona on July 25, a night before the July 26-28 event officially kicks off.

Fans of Mr. Baum's characters and vast world-building skills will be able to explore several aspects of his stories throughout the weekend.

The happenings are plentiful and including a Wicked Witch of the West impressionist, Collectors' Show and Tell, a costume contest, a celebration of Ray Bolger, a look at Mr. Baum's non-Oz works, and so much more.

The Scene

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An apt comparison to make? OzCon 2019 is as full of fanciful doings as the Emerald City is green.

And whether you're going for a day, or for the full weekend, there's a ticket for you.

Best explore the various levels of entry, and what each level means, as well as what is on the schedule, before you skip blithely along the 10 Freeway in the direction of the Kellogg West Conference Center in Pomona.

And by "skip blithely" we mean, of course, that you should carefully drive your vehicle at the appropriate speed, obeying all posted laws and avoiding all manner of Flying Monkeys, Miss Gulches, and other potential hazards along the way.

Should you encounter a rainbow, best go over it, if possible and safe to do so.

Dear OzCon, your magic is indeed persuasive. You don't even need to say "I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too," for we've been won over by your whimsy and devotion to the written word, the cinema, and how L. Frank Baum fans connect with both.

Copyright FREEL - NBC Local Media
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