The unexpected Archie Comics thread running through '90s Con 2026 in Hartford

This year's '90s Con in Hartford has a surprising through line for nostalgia fans: a strong Archie Comics connection, even without Archie himself. The Oct. 16-18 event brings together stars tied to Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch and a much wider mix of music, TV and movie favorites from the decade.

A nostalgia convention with an Archie twist

'90s Con returns to the Connecticut Convention Center on Oct. 16-18, and one of the more interesting patterns in the guest list comes from the Archie Comics world. Archie and his familiar Riverdale circle are not part of the event, but characters linked to the company are showing up in a big way.

That starts with the 2001 live action film Josie and the Pussycats. Rachael Leigh Cook, who played Josie, and Tara Reid, who played Melody, are both expected in Hartford. The movie did not connect at the box office when it first arrived, but it later found a large cult audience. Its afterlife has grown enough to include fan gatherings and reunion concerts. For anyone who wants a refresher before the convention, the film is currently streaming on the Criterion movie channel in its "Girl Bands!" lineup.

The Archie connection continues with Sabrina the Teenage Witch, the 1990s series that ran for seven seasons. Melissa Joan Hart, the star of the show, is on the guest list alongside Nate Richert, who played Harvey, Sabrina's main love interest. Hart also remains closely associated with Clarissa Explains It All from her Nickelodeon years. Richert appeared less often as Sabrina the Teenage Witch went on, but he returned in a notable way for the series finale. Jenna Leigh Green, who played Libby, is also set to attend.

The guest list stretches far beyond one corner of pop culture

The Hartford event is not built around a single show, studio or style of entertainment. Its draw is the decade itself, which is why the lineup jumps from sitcoms to soap operas, teen TV, film favorites and pop music.

Among the music names expected are Joey Fatone, Zac Hanson, Nick Carter and JC Chasez. The TV and film side includes actors long associated with '90s heartthrob status, including Patrick Duffy, Jack Wagner, Lorenzo Lamas and John Stamos. Other familiar faces on the schedule include Heather Locklear, Selma Blair, Daphne Zuniga and Busy Philipps.

There is also a small reunion for Perfect Strangers fans. Mark Linn-Baker and Bronson Pinchot are both expected, and both have Connecticut ties through Yale. Linn-Baker attended high school in Wethersfield and later studied at the Yale School of Drama. Pinchot was an undergraduate at Yale.

Not everyone on the roster became known in exactly the same era. Some guests had careers well before the 1990s and then added a defining credit during that decade. Renee Taylor had already spent years working on Broadway, in improv and across film and television before many viewers came to know her as Sylvia, Fran's mother, on The Nanny. Jane Seymour had become internationally known through Live and Let Die, appeared in the original Battlestar Galactica and then had a major '90s television success with Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.

Others are remembered for stepping away after a run of cult favorites. Omri Katz, for example, worked as a child actor on Dallas before starring in Eerie, Indiana in 1991 and 1992 and Hocus Pocus in 1993. He retired from acting in the 2000s.

Why '90s Con stands out from other fan events

What has helped make '90s Con a major annual event in Connecticut is the way it organizes nostalgia. Instead of building the show around comics, horror, a single franchise or one entertainment medium, it centers an era. That simple shift lets the event pull together guests who might not otherwise share the same bill.

The convention is produced by the New Jersey based That's 4 Entertainment company. Over the years, newsy moments involving attending TV and music stars have helped the event reach beyond the convention circuit and into national headlines.

In practical terms, the format will feel familiar to anyone who has attended a pop culture convention before. Fans can pay for autographs and selfies during scheduled appearances. Many guests also take part in talks and panel discussions, sometimes with co-stars from their best known projects. The weekend also includes a cosplay competition, vendors and, at times, special concerts.

What to know before you go

'90s Con is scheduled for Oct. 16-18 at the Connecticut Convention Center, 900 Columbus Blvd., Hartford.

Admission is listed at $58.50 for Friday, with children's tickets at $16.35. Saturday and Sunday tickets are each $85.13, with children's admission at $26.70. A weekend pass is $176.10, and a children's weekend pass is $42.98. VIP and other packages are also available.

For nostalgia fans, the appeal this year is not just the size of the lineup. It is the odd, fun overlap the guest list creates, where Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, boy band alumni, sitcom favorites and cult movie names all end up under the same roof.