2022 Sci/Fi Fantasy Fest at Hoover Public Library canceled

The Hoover Public Library has canceled this year’s Sci/Fi Fantasy Fest after the departure of the festival’s chairwoman.

Krysten Griffin, who also was known as the “overlord” of the festival, recently left the library to take a job as a school librarian. That left the library a little short-staffed and made planning for this year’s festival difficult, fiction coordinator Theresa Davis said.

After having the Sci/Fi Fantasy Fest seven straight years — including in a virtual format the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, library officials decided to take a year off for the festival to regroup, Davis said. “It may come back next year,” she said.

The Sci/Fi Fantasy Fest, described as “a celebration of all things science fiction, fantasy and geeky,” included panel discussions with science fiction and fantasy authors, actors and podcasters, as well as workshops on things like gaming, TV and media, Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons, cosplay, writing, comics and paranormal activities.

There was always a gaming room with board games and role playing games, and one of the more popular parts of the festival was the costume contest. The festival, typically held in July, frequently drew several thousand people.