Were you in San Francisco for the “Salute to Supernatural” convention last weekend? We were! Connect with us in the comments and tell us what you thought (spoiler alert: we loved it!).

Photos: 1) Osric Chau as Ariel and Gil McKinney as Prince Eric by Olya Vasilyeva from vk.com 2) books by The Supernatural Fox Sisters 3) Louden Swain by @OsricChau from Instragram

Conventions showcasing TV shows, comic books, movies, anime, literature, games, and other media are becoming increasingly popular. There are all kinds of conventions out there, some of which may end up on your bucket list. Conventions provide fans with insider knowledge, behind-the-scenes access to creative talent, and connections with other fans. Conventions such as San Diego’s Comic-Con have become fairly mainstream since Comic-Con started out as a comic book convention in 1970 and Star Trek fans organized their own first convention in 1972. Creation Entertainment, which organizes conventions for Supernatural as well as Star Trek, Stargate, Xena: Warrior Princess, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, and others, was founded in 1971. Creation held its first “Salute to Supernatural” in Chicago in 2007.

Creation’s most recent “Salute to Supernatural” was held last weekend (January 16–18, 2015) in San Francisco. This was only the second time it has been held in that city, so there were a lot of people in attendance who had never been to a convention before. The show’s longevity and increasing popularity, along with a fun destination city and an impressive program, helped drive the attraction for new attendees. A strong synergistic community exists between Supernatural fans and the actors, producers, and writers involved with the show. Supernatural’s responsiveness and commitment to its fans was reflected at the 2015 San Francisco con.

When we say an impressive program, we mean it. Fourteen of the show’s actors appeared in San Francisco’s 2015 “Salute to Supernatural.” That’s right, fourteen! Most appeared in multiple panels/events, and several were present for all three days.

The entire event was emcee’d by the hilarious Richard Speight, Jr. (Gabriel), while the band Louden Swain, fronted by Rob Benedict (Chuck Shurley/Carver Edlund), provided outstanding music throughout. Even if Speight and Benedict had never been on Supernatural, we still would have enjoyed all their performances because they are just that good. Each actor participated in a panel, with Benedict, Osric Chau (Kevin Tran) and Gil McKinney (Henry Winchester) all appearing in two different panels. Every panel was interesting in its own way: some were especially hilarious, some left us with lots to think about, and some touched our hearts. Jensen Ackles (Dean Winchester), Jared Padalecki (Sam Winchester), and Mark Sheppard (Crowley) managed to capture all three characteristics in their panels, though the predominant aspect was certainly humor. It was fun to have so many angels present, with Misha Collins (Castiel), Curtis Armstrong (Metatron), Tahmoh Penikett (Gadreel), and Mark Pellegrino (Luficer) in attendance. Several of the actors, including Ackles, Padalecki, Speight, and Chau, made what seemed to be very genuine comments about how inspired and motivated they are by the fan response to their work and the show, and how exceptional the Supernatural community is in terms of its support and involvement.

There was a lot of music throughout. Speight, Benedict, and Matt Cohen (Young John Winchester) hosted “The Big Dick ’n’ Matt-owski Cult Classic Karaoke” party on Friday night, during with attendees got up on stage and sang along with the three hosts, with additional appearances by Chau, McKinney,Felicia Day (Charlie Bradbury), and Sebastian Roche (Balthazar) as well. How many conventions let attendees get onstage and sing karaoke right alongside the featured guests? All you had to do was sign up ahead of time, which sadly we didn’t do (but we will know for next time).

Louden Swain were on stage all three days. They’re a fantastic band that you should hear even if you never plan to attend a Supernatural convention. They’ll be playing throughout North America in 2015, and their music is available on their website and Amazon. On Saturday night of the convention Louden Swain gave a concert that rocked the house, and which featured guest performances by several cast members and convention staff. This concert went beyond traditional convention fare, reflecting the quality and commitment seen throughout the entire event.

We have no complaints, but we have a small wish list. It was fantastic that Felicia Day was there because we love her, but it would be great to see another female guest as well such as Ruth Cornell (Rowena), Kim Rhodes (Jody Mills) or Alaina Huffman (Abbadon). It looks like some of these actresses will be at other “Salute to Supernatural” conventions later in 2015, though. Another wish list item would be a panel with technical support crewmembers. We would love to hear about the trials and tribulations of being a set designer, props manager, or location scout. That kind of behind-the-curtain talk would enrich our knowledge of Supernatural and showcase the amazing talents of the crew.

The whole event was fantastic—much more so than we anticipated. Find pictures of the convention online by using the hashtag #sfcon if you want to check it out. If you love Supernatural, consider attending one of the “Salute to Supernatural” events touring throughout the country in 2015—you can always choose one or two events rather than attend for a whole weekend. It’s a great way to connect with the rest of the Supernatural community too. If you attended the San Francisco 2015 “Salute to Supernatural” or another convention with the Supernatural family, tell us about it! Please let us know in the comments below.

Check out the slide show of pictures from Salute to Supernatural 2015.

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