The voices behind a generation of after-school cartoons are coming to Melville. ExtravaCon, a pop culture convention, takes over the Hilton Long Island at 598 Broad Hollow Road on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026, and its headline attraction is a 30th anniversary reunion for the Nickelodeon series Hey Arnold!, which premiered in 1996.

The show's ticketing page on Eventeny lists the convention as opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday and closing at 6 p.m. on Sunday, with free parking at the hotel. Tickets are sold through Eventeny, linked from the ExtravaCon website.

The Hey Arnold! reunion

Series creator Craig Bartlett leads the guest list. He is joined by cast members from the show, according to the convention's guest page:

  • Anndi McAfee, also heard in The Land Before Time and Recess
  • Olivia Hack, whose credits include Avatar and Star Wars projects
  • Danny Cooksey, known as well for Terminator 2 and Salute Your Shorts
  • Jamil Walker Smith, also of Stargate
  • Justin Shenkarow and Lane Toran, both also in the Recess cast

The rest of the guest list

The weekend reaches well past one show. Jim Cummings, the voice of Winnie-the-Pooh, is scheduled, along with Bill Farmer, whose work spans Disney and Looney Tunes. Candi Milo and Allison Moore come from Dexter's Laboratory, Terry McGovern from DuckTales and Darkwing Duck, and Kathleen Herles is the original voice of Dora. The organizers note that individual guests may appear only on certain days or hours, and that appearance schedules are posted once confirmed, so anyone coming for one name should check the schedule before picking a day.

What else is on the floor

The convention's activities page lists a full program beyond autographs and photo ops:

  • Panels with voice actors and cosplay professionals
  • A Cosplay Contest on Saturday, November 14 at 4:30 p.m.
  • Blast-A-Trooper, a stormtrooper target game run by the 501st Legion
  • Lightsaber lessons for beginners from Saber Guild
  • A Classic Console Corner of retro games, presented by the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo
  • Build 'N Bash, where visitors drive and battle a real combat robot
  • A Tamagotchi Club meetup hosted by the Long Island Tamagotchi Club
  • A Cosplay Repair Station for quick costume fixes
  • The Toon Zone, screening cartoons from the 1990s and 2000s
  • Kidz Korner, with creative activities for younger visitors
  • An Artist Alley of independent artists

Who is behind it

ExtravaCon is produced by Seepersad Entertainment. The convention ran its first edition in 2025, and the 2026 show builds its weekend around the cartoon anniversary. Questions go to [email protected] or 516-450-8921.

Plan your visit

The Hilton Long Island sits on Route 110 just south of the Long Island Expressway at Exit 49, which makes it a short drive from most of Nassau and western Suffolk. Check the schedule and floor plan on Eventeny the week of the show, since guest times are posted as they are confirmed. Those coming in costume for the contest should plan to be at the hotel well before the 4:30 p.m. Saturday start.

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