nullGloria sends in this reminder about Fantasy Festival 2008 to be held this Saturday on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City: Programming includes classes on knitted chain mail, corsets for the well-dressed elf, Beowulf presentation, foam prosthetics, wizard rock music, costume contests, children’s activities, vendor room, evening dance and much, much more. Featured speaker will be Dr. Michael Drout, editor of J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Beowulf and the Critics.” Proceeds benefit Ballet West’s Community Share program, allowing disadvantaged children to attend the Nutcracker ballet, and Reading for the Future, providing books to children. Registration begins at 8 a.m. $25.00 for adults and $15.00 for students and children. Find Out More

Shadowfax EAU CLAIRE, Wis. — A horse that appeared in the ‘‘Lord of the Rings’’ movie trilogy will make an appearance next weekend in western Wisconsin. Blanco — better known as Shadowfax from the movies — will appear with current trainer Cynthia Royal next Friday through Sunday during a clinic at Merrimount Morgans Stable between Holcombe and Cornell. Blanco, a trick horse, is known for his ability to work without restraint and to respond to vocal and visual cues. Blanco is an Australian Andalusian gelding and was bred in Australia. ‘Lord of the Rings’ horse Shadowfax coming to Wisconsin

For the first three of its four-year history, Vacaville’s Medieval Fantasy Festival arrived with mostly earnest and serious-minded matters and pursuits. They included guest lecturers and experts on fantasy, especially the kind imagined by British author J.R.R. Tolkien, who wrote the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and serves as the festival’s spiritual godfather. And the two-day event’s themes center around the sober ideas of friendship, community and environmental stewardship, that is, being “green.” Medieval fling

Sean AstinThis just in – Samwise Gamgee, Sean Astin, has just been announced as a guest at this years DragonCon, and everyone on the D*Con Tolkien Track staff couldn’t be happier! Dragon*Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the US. It is held August 29th through September 1st in Atlanta, Georgia. TheOneRing.net will be in attendance at DragonCon 2008 and hopes to be presenting a panel on ‘The Hobbit.’ Schedule your hotel and flight plans now! [DragonCon.org] [Tolkien Track]

Middle EartH WeekendShire Productions alerts us to their upcoming ‘Middle Earth Weekend’ event taking place May 17th-18th 2008 at Sarehole Recreation Ground, Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, Birmingham, England.:

This popular event, formerly known as the Tolkien Weekend, takes place at Sarehole, the hamlet where J.R.R. Tolkien spent a very happy childhood. It will include all the usual attractions for fans of J.R.R. Tolkien (including Elvish speaking lessons and writing) plus new events and interests for all people of any age from the world of mortals, who appreciate a festival with an ‘old-fashioned’ air about it. The theme this year is ‘Myths and Monsters’ and there will be dragons patrolling the field and no doubt as targets with the Bowmen of Swanshurst. Visitors in costume will be very welcome and using giant puppets and live performances Shire Productions will be performing extracts from Beowulf in the atmospheric Moseley Bog. Tolkien made his own translation of Beowulf from the Anglo-Saxon, but this has, regrettably, not been published.

Sounds like a great event! For more information visit their website. [Read More]