Can you believe “It’s Almost Time To Get Your CAPE On” – April 20th and 21st at The Benson Centre

Chatting with Carol and Randy Sauve, the founders of CAPE, Cornwall & Area Pop Event.

I can’t believe we are already in the month of April, and all Comicon fans in Cornwall know what huge event comes to Cornwall each year at the end of April – April 20th and 21st to be exact. A weekend known as “CAPE Weekend”.

I was happy to catch up with the founders of CAPE, Carol and Randy Sauve. Randy has owned Fantasy Realm here in Cornwall for 39 years and this year at the Cornwall and Area Chamber Awards received the “Lifetime Achievement Award”. This couple also won an award for bringing CAPE to our community back in 2015. As stated on the CAPE Facebook page, “Supported annually since 2015, with more than 75 specialty exhibitors, Celebrity Guests and Cosplay Guests, Cornwall & Area Pop Event – CAPE continues to be Cornwall, Ontario’s largest attended indoor community event for people of all ages” So let’s start off this interview with my first question.

1. For anyone who might not know, what exactly is CAPE and what inspired the creation of CAPE and how did the idea for the convention originate? Can you also share any anecdotes or memorable moments from the early days of CAPE that highlight the challenges or successes that you faced?

CAPE is a local pop culture convention featuring exhibitors, artists, celebrity guests and cosplayers (people in fun costumes) who gather every April to celebrate and share their love for all things pop culture. (which can include Anime, Sci-Fi, Movies & TV, comic books and much more). In 2014, after visiting numerous local and out of town conventions (Ottawa, Montreal, Niagara Falls, Toronto, Boston, etc), Carol proposed the idea that Cornwall should have its own show. Many hours of research and development went into the planning and CAPE2015 launched as 1-day show on April 18, 2015. We have not looked back since! Many memorable moments have been shared and experienced but one exceptional moment that stands out was seeing the lineup out the door at the very first show which snaked from the Benson Centre front door all the way to the end of the driveway at Seventh Street West! Of course our wedding is one of our big highlights as well (2016). We were fortunate to have the band Sam Hill reunite at our sold out After Party which was epic! (2022) Although we have had much success, of course all success does not come without challenges. The beginning stages were challenging as we had to learn how the industry operates and grow. We learned from what we did wrong and learned not to worry. The event will guide you and has led its own way. Our biggest challenge however was having to cancel our CAPE 2020 show less than one month before it was to happen due to COVID shutdowns. We faced this head-on and managed to grow through this and in fact to thrive with our return for CAPE 2022 which was THE first large event to be hosted only one month after all Covid restrictions were lifted!

2. What unique features or elements set CAPE apart from other comic conventions, and how have these contributed to its continued success over the past 9 years?

We pride ourselves on being a “Mom and Pop” show which we often receive compliments for. We don’t like the corporate feel to some of the bigger shows and the “cookie cutter” aspect so we try to be more approachable which results in more fun in our opinion. We focus on growing our local cosplay community and offer a family-friendly show. We believe we were one of the first conventions to offer children 12 and under free (most shows are age 5 to 10 and under) and this has become more common now among many other shows. Many of these features have contributed to our success over the past 9 years as we head into our 10th Anniversary. These features may not only be unique to us but many families now look forward to CAPE every year and we see them return yearly for their traditional attendance. We are especially grateful for our team of Volunteers who work so hard including as Team Leaders, Safety Team and Liaisons. They are our unsung heroes.

3. What special guests or celebrity panels can attendees expect at this year’s CAPE? Are there any workshops? Each year there are many returning vendors but do you have any new unique vendors that you might like to mention and what unique merchandise can we expect to find?

Our special guests are all featured on our website. It is notable to highlight a Meet & Greet for Crystal Reed which is not something CAPE usually features so this a new experience for CAPE and fans. This will be Crystal’s first Canadian appearance on Saturday only. We do have panels planned for Sunday but no workshops. Fans can visit our website and social media in the next few weeks for all the details. Many fan favourites are returning such as Nathan Salmon and his spray paint art all the way from Nova Scotia. We also have the usual comic books, Funko Pops and art but also sparkle tattoos, collectible movie posters, jewelry and more!

4. How has CAPE contributed to the local economy and cultural landscape of Cornwall since its establishment and are there any plans for the future growth and development of CAPE? CAPE has contributed to local economy every year with hotel bookings, fuel purchases, food and restaurant support and local small businesses for After Party and shopping or sightseeing while visiting Cornwall. Many fans only meet up once every year at CAPE but there are many others that return throughout the year to get together as well. CAPE offers something unique to Cornwall and has a great artistic value with the cosplay aspect. This is an artform and craft that is not at the forefront of the art scene and a talent in itself not often recognized. Some of the local cosplayers spend dozens of hours perfecting their craft and one of our guest cosplayers (Anniechie Designs) has even gone on to represent Canada at an International competition in Japan! We definitely hope that future plans for CAPE will include continued growth and development. We are always building, try to stay relevant, will continue to feature local vendors and talent and constantly have our fingers on the pulse of the industry as we focus on continuing to be a diverse and inclusive family-friendly show every year. 


5. Where can attendees purchase tickets for CAPE, and are there different ticket tiers available to accommodate varying preferences and budgets? 


Tickets are available in person at Fantasy Realm (227 Pitt Street, Cornwall) as well as by sending an etransfer to ca******@ho*****.com There are no tiers or VIP tickets like larger city shows, just one general admission fee with the exception of our Fan Experience with Crystal Reed. All of our ticket details can be found online. 


Bonus Question: I believe there is a CAPE After Party that happens on Saturday night. Can we get some details please? 
 Our CAPE After Party will feature comedian Mike Paterson and local band Semitone Down (Jason Sauve, Kirk Wallace, Scott Riesbeck and Stephen Murray) from 9:00 pm to 1:00 a.m. This is an 18+ event being held at Best Western for only $20. People can dress up if they wish in either 70s, 80s or 90s attire which is optional. And of course cosplay is always welcomed! 


Thank you for answering these questions. I know more info can be found on the website: cornwallpopevent.com but is there anything else you want to add? 


In conclusion we’d add that even if you think it’s not for you, come check it out as you may be surprised. You don’t have to dress up (unless you want to) but we think you’re bound to see something that interests you and if not you will perhaps learn something about our local pop culture community. 


This is definitely an event for the whole family to enjoy!

For more info, visit: www.cornwallpopevent.com