Fans arrive from every corner of Middle-Earth for an ‘Evening with Hobbits’ at Denver’s Fan Expo
The halls of the Colorado Convention Center transformed into their own Tolkien-inspired world, filled with elves, wizards, hobbits and even a few dark lords
“There is some good in this world Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
It was worth more to some fans at Denver’s Fan Expo on Sunday than just fighting for.
The humble hums of Galdalf the Great rang through the halls of the Colorado Convention Center on Sunday as fans eagerly lined up hours early for their once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see and hear Lord of the Rings cast members for “An Evening With Hobbits” panel.
The Expo drew more than 110,000 people over the four-day event, with fans showing love for their favorite franchises by dressing up as recognizable pop-culture characters.
There were an abundance of anime characters like Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender, Naruto and Sailor Moon. There were Rumis from K-pop Demon Hunters, Clickers from The Last of Us, and even some internet memes like Patrick Star Legs and Me as a Baby.
With a stacked celebrity guest list of cast members from The X-Files, The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Scream, The Goonies, and many more, there were plenty of great character options to get inspiration from.
Tolkien enthusiasts lined up as early as 1 p.m. for a chance to get a good seat for the event, wrapping around the theater on the third floor, where Hobbits shuffled past one another with their large, hairy feet and pointed ears poked out from behind colorful wigs.
Arwens were seen around every corner, in every version, dressed for an epic chase or flowing gracefully down the halls in their velvety, blue gowns.
In celebration of 25 years of the Lord of the Rings franchise, actors Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan made several magical appearances at the Expo with a Second Breakfast, individual or full cast meet and greets and autographs, as well as an “Evening with Hobbits” panel.
Denver fans who had tickets to the Second Breakfast event eagerly awaited word on Sunday morning that the Hobbits had made their journey safely from Fan Expo events in Philadelphia.
The panel kicked off with the crowd greeting the four most famous Hobbits, Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin in a blacked-out room with a lighter legacy using smartphone flashlights.
“I was pretty sure we had been sucked into another dimension,” said Sean Astin, looking out into the crowd of flashlights.
The Hobbits opened up questioning by thanking Denver’s Lord of the Rings fans for their hospitality, warmth and kindness after spending the day signing autographs and taking selfies.
“I was just saying backstage that Denver, y’all have been notably kind and lovely,” said Elijjah Wood. “It’s clearly something in the water in Denver.”
Wood went on to say what a wonderful day he had meeting fans in Denver, with fellow Hobbits joining in on a chant saying “Go Denver!” to echo his sentiments of the city.
Wood said that the Hobbits had landed in Denver late on Saturday, getting back to their hotel around midnight, and that they hadn’t had a chance yet to get out into the Mile High City to enjoy themselves.
Yes, 2026 has been a busy year for the Hobbits with the cast of the film touring North America, making five stops before landing in Denver for Fan Expo. But, according to the Hobbits, they still make time to sit down at each tour stop to enjoy a meal together.
Perhaps elevenses?
There is one journey this group of Hobbits couldn’t complete, though.
“I just found out today that Casa Bonita is like closed right now,” Wood said softly. “and it won’t be open until Tuesday.”
The panel concluded with a Hobbit reenactment of the movie, ‘Shrek,’ just so that organizers could make sure there were wigs involved.