By Kelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
CHICAGO — Picture it: Chicago, 2022.
More than 2,000 fans of the iconic 1980s sitcom, “The Golden Girls,” are expected to descend on Navy Pier through Sunday to celebrate all things Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia.
“Golden Con: Thank You for Being a Fan” comes months after the December 2021 death of 99-year-old Betty White, the last surviving core cast member of the show, which also showcased the talents of Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan and Estelle Getty during its seven-year run.
The show, which premiered in 1985, followed the quartet’s antics while they shared a home in Miami and tackled everything from aging and sex to homelessness and equal rights.
Like most fan conventions, typically associated with comic books and science fiction, the three-day “extravaganza” features panel discussions, a costume contest and autographs with actors who appeared on the show, as well as interactive games such as “Picture it… Back in St. Olaf Story Slam Contest,” CBS News reported.
The conference also features a vendors’ market with booths carrying “Golden Girls”-themed candles, masks, T-shirts and other merchandise. Fans can snap photos in a recreation of the kitchen where the “girls” always ate cheesecake as well as a giant replica of Sophia’s trademark purse.
Sisters Hillary Wasicek, 37, and Melissa Gluck, 43, made the trek to the Windy City from California, bringing with them a full-on cosplay vibe. Dressed as Dorothy and Blanche, respectively, the duo told The Associated Press that the show always held a special place for them because of its themes of inclusiveness and friends becoming family.
“It’s a fun expression of showing respect and appreciation for something you admire. It just makes you feel more a part of it. We just met so many people and heard so many stories. It’s like, ‘These are my people,’” Wasicek told the AP, noting that she plans to don a different costume each day.
According to CBS News, celebrity guests making appearances throughout the conference include Lyn Greene, who played a young Dorothy Zbornak in flashback sequences; Cindy Fee, who sang the cover of Andrew Gold’s “Thank You for Being a Friend” that became the “Golden Girls” theme song; Dinah Manoff, who played Carol Weston; and Amelia Kinkade and Dr. Melinda McClanahan, the sister and niece, respectively, of Rue McClanahan.
White, who played Rose, died Dec. 31, six days after suffering a Christmas Day stroke; Getty, who played Sophia, died in 2008 at the age of 84 from Lewy body dementia; Arthur, who played Dorothy, died of cancer in 2009 at the age of 86; and McClanahan, who played Blanche, died at 76 from a stroke in 2010.
Golden Con in photos Drag queen performers dressed as characters from "The Golden Girls" pose for a photo at the Navy Pier in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos Hillary Wasicek and Melissa Gluck, sisters, pose as the characters Dorothy and Blanche at a "Golden Girls" fan convention in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos A fan poses behind a sign at a fan convention for "The Golden Girls" on Friday, April 22, 2022, in Chicago. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos A performer and fan both dressed as the character of Sophia from TV's "The Golden Girls" pose with a giant replica of Sophia's trademark purse at a fan convention in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos John Schuck, left, and Dinah Manoff, previous guest stars on "The Golden Girls" speak on a panel at a first ever fan convention for the show in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos Attendees walk around a vendors' market at the first ever "The Golden Girls" fan convention Friday, April 22, 2022, at the Navy Pier in Chicago. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos Fans of "The Golden Girls" TV show browse a merchandise booth in Chicago, Friday, April 22, 2022. Golden-Con, which lasts thru Sunday, is giving those who adored the NBC sitcom a chance to mingle, see panels and buy merchandise. The show, which ran from 1985-1992, starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White—who died at age 99 in December. (AP Photo/Terry Tang) (Terry Tang/AP)
Golden-Con in photos FILE - Estelle Getty, from left, Rue McClanahan, Bea Arthur and Betty White, from the television series "The Golden Girls" appear during a break in taping in Los Angeles on Dec. 25, 1985. TV fan conventions are usually reserved for sci-fi shows--not sitcoms about four women of a certain age living in Florida. But some very fervent fans of "The Golden Girls" have put together what was originally a bar trivia event into a three-day extravaganza at the Navy Pier in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nick Ut, file) (Nick Ut/AP)