Kent in disguise: An unofficial, underground Transformers fan fest for Washington

Robots in disguise have been a considerable part of U.S. pop culture for 40 years, and over half of that time, there has been a fan event dedicated to all things Transformers in Western Washington.

"People have been very enthusiastic of CybFest when I've told them, even if they have no interest in Transformers," said Cybfest NW coordinator Ben Harpold.

Even though it's an unofficial Transformers convention, put on by fans, Cybfest NW organizers are anticipating that 2024 will be its biggest event yet.

What: Cybfest NW, an unofficial Transformers festival for fans and families, featuring toy dealers, artists, STEM features, and more. Special guest this year is Sue Blu, voice actress for the character Arcee from the original "Transformers" series, as well as a voice director for other series.

When: Aug. 3, 2024, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Kent Commons Community Center, 525 Fourth Avenue North, Kent

Harpold began collecting Transformers toys in the 1980s, when the cartoon series originally aired. Specifically, he collected the character Bumblebee. In 2005, he returned to his Bumblebee passion as an adult.

"What I wasn't prepared for was the Transformers live action movie that was in production was going to make Bumblebee the main character," he said. "In 2007, there were many new figures and various merchandise of Bumblebee. Over the years Bumblebee remained one of the main characters of every new Transformers movie and TV series, resulting in many new figures every year. I kept up with buying them and have formed one of the largest collections of Bumblebee figures."

Harpold is not alone in Western Washington. Others like him — either collectors or fans of the shows and movies — gather in Kent each year for Cybfest NW. They network, talk Transformers, or hunt down new treasures.

"CybFest NW is first and foremost a Transformers-themed convention, so if you're a fan of Transformers, CybFest is the place for you," Harpold said. "There are also toy dealers that sell other brands, so fans of '80s toys and other types of robots will also find things of interest."

Harpold said that the 2024 event has preregistered the most attendees in the history of the convention. It also sold out its dealer space weeks in advance. With the September release of the film "Transformers One" coming up, a Paramount rep will be present to hand out posters. Attendees could also win tickets to an advanced screening. This year, a limited number of transforming Carbot Darcy toys will be available for sale, custom made just for Cybfest.

"There is a kids' play area with Transformers toys, books, and coloring pages, trivia and transforming contests," Harpold said. "We have a special guest, voice actor and director Sue Blu, who will be participating in one of the panels. This year we have added a Lego display with sci-fi builds from members of the Seattle Lego Users Group."

Cybfest NW: A Cybertronian festival

While Cybfest NW is celebrating its 11th anniversary, its legacy actually goes back 25 years. It's an extension of a previous event called Cybcon that was started in 2000 and bounced between Tacoma and Auburn. Harpold was a Cybcon volunteer. He took over ownership in 2014, changed the title, and established it in Kent.

"Many friendships have been made at Cybcon and CybFest NW, so it is very important to us to maintain a welcoming community, where we can all enjoy these robots in disguise," he said.

Harpold said that there were a lot of local fans who often chatted on Transformers message boards, where they would have nicknames. When Cybcon was founded, it was the first opportunity for them to all meet in person.

"Over the years we became closer, and been there for each other during life's best and hardest moments," he said. "With CybFest NW, we want to continue that tradition by providing a place where people can get to know each other, share their mutual enjoyment of Transformers. We strived to make Cybfest NW more than just an adult centric event, by having discount family prices, a kids play area, coloring contest and other kid's centric activities. My son was 3 when CybFest NW started, and it's been a joy to watch him grow from a toddler running around to helping us promote the convention at different events."