Vulcan, Alberta celebrates 'Spock Days,' but Star Trek-themed museum opening delayed

Star Trek fans strike a pose at the annual 'Spock Days' festival in Vulcan, Alta, on June 8, 2013. (Brendan Miller / CTV Lethbridge)

Legions of devoted Star Trek fans will have to wait a while longer before they can visit a new Alberta museum dedicated to the popular science-fiction series, after its grand opening was delayed.

The Trekcetera Museum located in Vulcan, Alta., was scheduled to open Saturday, to coincide with the town’s annual “Spock Days” festival.

But according to media reports, the museum’s opening has been delayed.

Devan Daniels, Vulcan’s tourism administrator and co-owner of the museum, told the Calgary Herald Friday that the museum wasn’t ready, but wouldn’t elaborate. He said the new opening date would be announced shortly.

The museum – billed as Canada’s only Star Trek museum – will display memorabilia and artifacts from the series, according to a press release on the museum website.

“Beam yourself back to the days of Star Trek while viewing original costumes, screen-used props and pre-production artifacts utilized in both the television serious and various Trek movies that followed,” said the release.

Actors Robert Picardo and Ethan Philips were supposed to take part in the museum’s ribbon-cutting ceremony, according to the release. Both actors played roles in Star Trek: Voyager, Picardo as “The Doctor” and Phillips as “Neelix.”

The actors, as well as Star Trek senior illustrator and technical consultant Rick Sternbach, are still expected to attend the Spock Day festivities, during which Picardo and Phillips are slated to be inducted into Vulcan’s Star Trek Walk of Fame.

All three guests are scheduled to give performances and talks, and there is a video dance party scheduled for Saturday night.

The annual celebration of all things Star Trek has been running in Vulcan for the past 21 years. This year’s festival wraps up on Sunday.