Picture it:

Chicago … 2023.

Three men come together with a dream to assemble a celebration of one of the greatest television shows of all time.

People came from all over the world to commune with one another with a common love for all that made this show great.

There was cosplay, trivia, special guests, merchandise and more.

Those three men were Zack Hudson and Brendan and Brad Balof.

And the event was called … Golden-Con 2023: “Thank You For Being A Fan.”

After attending this celebration of The Golden Girls, I couldn’t help but slip into a little Sophia Petrillo while introducing my recap. Despite my friends being bigger fans, I totally got swept up in the nostalgia.

Following its successful debut last year, Golden-Con returned to Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk. The organizers did a great job of offering exhibits and events for every level of fan. I was mostly interested in meeting actors from the show or its spinoff, Empty Nest, while my friends enjoyed seeing inside jokes, wardrobes and recreated sets.

JoAnne and Tony Feddeler.

One of the highlights was Dr. Melinda McClanahan’s presentation about her sister Rue, who played Blanche. It was informative, heart-warming and entertaining. That was just one of the many special events during the convention.

For all the fascinating things at Golden-Con, my biggest takeaway might have been from the crowd. There was a palpable sense of happiness and warmth. Everyone was in such a great mood. In a room filled with strangers, everyone felt like family.

Dinah Manoff

Kristy McNichol

David Leisure and Tommy Else

I resisted the urge to break into the iconic theme song, although I did hum it a little at times. Seriously though, I don’t think anyone would have complained because everyone was simply having a wonderful time. Some of us even had a slice or two of cheesecake.

— John Wroblewski, online writer