Indeed people were - in 2002. Thankfully I didn't attend that year.
But if you care to relive it, check out this topic:
Dark Shadows Festival 2002 Reports
(The only CA Fest I've attended was 2005 because they were showing the '04 pilot in its entirety. It was billed as the
only time they were going to show it and there was no way I was going to miss it. But we certainly know now that year wasn't the only time they've shown it. But I wasn't bitter when it turned out I could have skipped that Fest and still seen it because I had a fantastic time in LA!)