Chicago CoCoFEST!

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Home / Conventions - Chicago CoCoFEST!

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Chicago CoCoFEST!

MISSING PHOTO
Name	Chicago CoCoFEST!
Year	1993
Notes	Glenside took over after Rainbowfests and the CoCoPRO CoCoFests stopped. To date, no one has told them to stop...
Info Source	Allen Huffman
About the Info Box

Upcoming

2020

• The 2020 CoCoFEST! was postponed (new date TBA) due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic.

Past CoCoFESTs

1992

• First annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest by Dave Myers of CoCoPRO.

An Atlanta CoCoFest was also held this year.

1993

• 2nd Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest
• When: May 1-2, 1993
• Where: Holiday Inn in Elgin, Illinois.

1993 is a notable year because in addition to the Chicago event, the Atlanta CoCoFest was held and the one-time Middle America Fest was held in Des Moines, Iowa.

1994

• 3rd Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest
• When: May 21-22, 1994
• Where: Holiday Inn in Elgin, Illinois.

An Atlanta CoCoFest was also held this year.

1995

• 4th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest
• When: April 29-30, 1995
• Where: Holiday Inn in Elgin, Illinois.

The final Atlanta CoCoFest was also held this year. James Jones and Boisy Pitre visit Sterling, Illinois, the home of "Luther the Geek" for the very first time, taking the "scenic route."

1996

• 5th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest
• When: April 13-14, 1996
• Where: Holiday Inn in Elgin, Illinois.
• Fest Facts: This fest was marked with some hilarious wanted posters of software pirate Terry Simons, made by Eric Crichlow and Joel Hegberg. James Jones and Boisy Pitre visit Sterling, Illinois, the home of "Luther the Geek" for the second year in a row, taking the "scenic route."

1997

• 6th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFest
• When: April 26-27, 1997
• Where: Holiday Inn in Elgin, Illinois.
• Fest Facts: This fest featured Dennis Kitz, former proprietor of Green Moutain Micro. Mike Knudsen dropped a hint about a hangover on a trip back from Iruba. James Jones and Boisy Pitre once again took the "scenic route" through Illinois, visiting Sterling, Illinois, the home of "Luther the Geek" for the 3rd year in a row.

1998

Info needed.

1999

Info needed.

2000

Info needed.

2001

Info needed.

2002

Info needed

2003

Info needed.

2004

Info needed.

2005

Info needed.

2006

• The Fifteenth Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST will be held April 29 & 30, 2006!
• Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites Elgin
• April 29 & 30, 2006, Saturday 10 am to 5 pm - Sunday 10 am to 3 pm

2007

Info needed.

2008

• 17th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
• On closing day of the 2008 event, the Glenside CoCo Club announced it would be hosting "yet another" event for 2009.
• When: March 28 & 29, 2009
• Where: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Elgin, Illinois.

2009

• 18th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
• On closing day of the 2009 event, the Glenside CoCo Club announced it would be hosting "yet another" event for 2010.
• When: May 15 & 16, 2009
• Where: Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites in Elgin, Illinois.
• Notable Items: CoCo FPGA shown off at the Cloud-9 booth. John Linville showed a CoCo 3 playing full motion video with sound (full movies and clips). Roy Justus had a six legged robot being controlled wireless by a CoCo via bitbanger to Bluetooth adapter, in BASIC. Brother Jeremy had a laser comb that seemed to be regrowing hair! DriveWire 4. Don Weiss, Motorola engineer who worked on the 6809, spoke on Saturday.
• Attendees: William Astle, Alberta — Brother Jeremy — Rich Bair — George Bethea — John & Marge Chasteen — Malcolm Cleveland — Dick & Brenda Crislip — George Dorner — Rob Gibons — Brian Goers — Wally Grossman — Jim Hathaway — Chris & Nancy Hawks — Cy Herre — Allen Huffman — Roy Justus — Keith Kounovsky — John Linville — Mark Marlette & Sandy Weimer — Mark Martin — John Mark Mobley — Boisy Pitre — Frank Pittel — Tony & Linda Podraza — George Schneewiess — Brian Schubring — Karl Sefcik — John & Shirley Strong — Bob & Annette Swoger — Justin Wagner — Andrew Weiler — Don Weiss — Aaron Wolfe
• Exhibitors: Hawksoft, Tux Driver, Frank Pittel, Roy R Justus, The Music Man, Sinclair QL SIG, Wally Grossman, Pitre Technology, John Mark Mobley, Griffin Christian School, Lost Wizard Enterprises, Bargeman Research Labs, Richard & Brenda Crislip, Glenside MARK II IDE Interface, The Glenside Color Computer Club, Malcolm Cleveland's Not-For-Sale CoCo Memorabilia

2010

Info needed.

2011

Info needed.

2012

Info needed.

2013

• The 22nd Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
• When: April 27 & 28, 2013

2014

Info needed.

2015

• The 24th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
• April 25-26, 2015

2016

• The 25th Annual "Last" Chicago CoCoFEST!
• April 23-24, 2016

CoCoFEST! Facts

• Allen Huffman authored "Fest Reports" for the great majority of these CoCoFESTs, and offers them for sale in a book called CoCoFest Chronicles.
• From 1993 to 2004, every CoCoFEST was held in the same convention room at the same hotel, though the hotel changed names from time to time. The hotel featured an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, as well as a small arcade. Two levels of rooms in that area faced in towards the pool and fest room. During some of the earlier days, CoCoFEST vendors would get entire rows of rooms in this area, placing signs in their room windows listing what vendor was there.
• In 2005, CoCoFEST was moved across the highway to a larger and more luxurious accommodation. The former hotel is no longer a hotel.
• The 2005 CoCoFEST was the first CoCoFEST to have wireless Internet access available throughout the fest floor.