Trek Fest Will Take North Texas to the Great Beyond for a Day

Science fiction has continually underestimated our futures as a dystopia filled with hardships, bloodshed and greed. Classic dystopian science fiction novels like H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine, George Orwell’s 1984 and Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World didn’t predict it. Mad Max and Bladerunner didn’t show us. Battlestar Galactica and Black Mirror didn’t show us, either. But one long-running sci-fi classic showed us something different: the goodness of our humanity.

In the Star Trek universe, we do OK. The needy are helped, political figures are held accountable for their wrongdoings, the disabled are accommodated and valued and the Great Beyond is explored and studied. Ultimately, the prime directive allows for independent growth among other cultures. Its creator, Gene Roddenberry, must have been an optimist for our actual civilization. And 60 years after its premiere, Star Trek still gives us a glimpse of the future we could be proud of. Here at home, a DIY Star Trek festival is the perfect place to embrace this inclusive, forward-thinking way of life. 

Trek Fest kicks off at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. In the Rubber Room, fans can expect vendors, DJ sets, live music performances, Easter eggs, goodies, a cosplay contest — all-around good vibes. Shep Shepard, co-founder of Dentonpalooza and creator of Trek Fest, is a longtime Star Trek fan who came up with the festival idea about a year and a half ago.

“I go to [other local conventions], but I never see Star Trek,” Shepard says. “So I brought it up to Joey [Liechty], and he was like ‘Well, yeah, do something then.’”

Liechty, a prominent local DJ who goes by Yeahdef, and Shepard founded the quirky local festival Dentonpalooza back in 2021. Liechty, a Trek fan (particularly of Star Trek: The Next Generation), was quick to join in the festival fun. He says he jumped at the chance to “promote peace and understanding throughout the universe.”

Shepard often gifts friends Star Trek swag when he can. He brings things like figurines and cards to shows when he knows there’s a fan there. When he finally set his idea for a festival in motion, he approached others to help bring it all together.

“I just wanted to be like ‘Hey, here’s what Star Trek is for me, you know, all these things we care about — you know, love for all. That’s what Star Trek’s about,” Shepard, who made all original art for the posters and will have larger Trek-themed pieces on display at the event, says. 

And it hasn’t been hard for Shepard to recruit help, as friends have shown up at warp speed, even as this is all funded grassroots-style from the pockets of those involved. Shepard’s longtime friend Jack Montgomery offered to help produce the event. Liechty, meanwhile, teamed up with DJ Sober to offer their record-spinning skills for a DJ set under the hyper-Trek moniker Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Shepard’s wife, Danielle, used her talent for handwriting to contribute creatively to the event’s posters, and local Denton-centric vendor Mandy Metts Makes will have custom Trek-inspired cookies available for purchase. 

Performers at the event include SharParty (Sharla Franklin of Helium Queens), Side Chicks, Darstar, Assisted Living and two DJ sets by Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Shepard also hints at some surprises throughout the night, as well as a $100 prize for the best-dressed cosplayer.

“Star Trek has always been a warm place I can go back to,” Shepard says.

Tickets for the all-ages event are available online or $10 at the door.