Source: LA Times
By Andrew J. Campa
Part of the fun of living in Southern California is discovering there’s almost always a little bit of wackiness around every corner.
Examples?
Driving up Lake Avenue from Pasadena, I came across Altadena’s Bunny Museum, home of more than 46,000 rabbit-themed items like tchotchkes, plush toys, zany clothing and art. That was before it burned down in the Eaton fire. A rebuilding effort is underway.
Out in the high desert near Cabazon, my favorite stops are Hadley’s Fruit Orchards, home of the famous Hadley date shakes, and the whimsically Cabazon Dinosaur sculptors.
In L.A., there’s the 32-foot tall Randy’s doughnut jutting out along West Manchester Boulevard.
Another of my favorite quirky SoCal gems is the Torrance home where the television cult classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was filmed. It still draws Buffy fans year round. This weekend marks the 10th annual gathering of hardcore fans, known as HellmouthCon 2026.
While fangs and stakes aren’t my forte, a gathering of friends and strangers acting goofy and reminiscing over childhood and teen memories sounded cool.
Here’s what I found out:
Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, was depicted as a teenager in a new town and new school who was also tasked with slaying vampires.
While there is a Friday night pre-convention mixer, the action gets going Saturday and Sunday at Torrance High School.
Actors Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, Amy Acker, Clare Kramer, Doug Jones and Emma Caulfield are among the show stars expected to attend.
Buffy’s 2,296-square-foot home is included in regular Torrance historical tours, while Sunnydale High School was actually Torrance High, where the first three years of the show took place.
“I’ve led private tours to the home, with sometimes as many as 80 people,” Torrance Historical Society docent Debbie Hays told The Times last year. “Fans come to the house, they cry, they take pictures, they hug the tree. They love it.”
Eventgoers take part in games, trivia, live panels, connect with friends they only meet annually and often dress up as their favorite characters.
“We’re grateful to the Torrance community for allowing us to host here and we give back with patronage at local stores and hotels and restaurants,” Cullen said. “It’s a great relationship.”
Cullen said some of the money raised from HellmouthCon will be shared with charities, including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the South Los Angeles-based Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center and San Diego-based Rainbow Spaces.
One of the big fundraisers is a charity auction, where clothing items from the show and other memorabilia will be put up for bid. All proceeds are donated to charity.
“This is something unique among events and allows our fans to give back and help others,” he said. “While we all come together as fans of Buffy, we appreciate being part of a larger community.”
By Andrew J. Campa
Part of the fun of living in Southern California is discovering there’s almost always a little bit of wackiness around every corner.
Examples?
Driving up Lake Avenue from Pasadena, I came across Altadena’s Bunny Museum, home of more than 46,000 rabbit-themed items like tchotchkes, plush toys, zany clothing and art. That was before it burned down in the Eaton fire. A rebuilding effort is underway.
Out in the high desert near Cabazon, my favorite stops are Hadley’s Fruit Orchards, home of the famous Hadley date shakes, and the whimsically Cabazon Dinosaur sculptors.
In L.A., there’s the 32-foot tall Randy’s doughnut jutting out along West Manchester Boulevard.
Another of my favorite quirky SoCal gems is the Torrance home where the television cult classic “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was filmed. It still draws Buffy fans year round. This weekend marks the 10th annual gathering of hardcore fans, known as HellmouthCon 2026.
While fangs and stakes aren’t my forte, a gathering of friends and strangers acting goofy and reminiscing over childhood and teen memories sounded cool.
Here’s what I found out:
What’s going on
The annual convention centers on the television cult classic series that debuted on the WB Network and later finished on UPN, running from 1997 to 2003.Buffy, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, was depicted as a teenager in a new town and new school who was also tasked with slaying vampires.
While there is a Friday night pre-convention mixer, the action gets going Saturday and Sunday at Torrance High School.
Actors Charisma Carpenter, Amber Benson, Amy Acker, Clare Kramer, Doug Jones and Emma Caulfield are among the show stars expected to attend.
Somewhere between Graceland and Dollywood is Torrance
Buffy lived in the fictional town of “Sunnydale,” which included many scenes filmed in Torrance.Buffy’s 2,296-square-foot home is included in regular Torrance historical tours, while Sunnydale High School was actually Torrance High, where the first three years of the show took place.
“I’ve led private tours to the home, with sometimes as many as 80 people,” Torrance Historical Society docent Debbie Hays told The Times last year. “Fans come to the house, they cry, they take pictures, they hug the tree. They love it.”
Who are these fans?
Christopher Cullen, board member and director of fan experiences for Hellmouth Events, which is organizing the event, said the convention gets a good mix of fans numbering around 1,500 in past years. Those fans range from original show watchers to recent discoverers, he said.Eventgoers take part in games, trivia, live panels, connect with friends they only meet annually and often dress up as their favorite characters.
“We’re grateful to the Torrance community for allowing us to host here and we give back with patronage at local stores and hotels and restaurants,” Cullen said. “It’s a great relationship.”
Offering a helping hand
Hellmouth Events is a division of Fandom Charities, which creates convention-like events connecting fans with worthy causes.Cullen said some of the money raised from HellmouthCon will be shared with charities, including the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the South Los Angeles-based Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center and San Diego-based Rainbow Spaces.
One of the big fundraisers is a charity auction, where clothing items from the show and other memorabilia will be put up for bid. All proceeds are donated to charity.
“This is something unique among events and allows our fans to give back and help others,” he said. “While we all come together as fans of Buffy, we appreciate being part of a larger community.”
