Welcome back to Have Geeklets, Will Travel, a summer travel series that will help you think up cool travel plans that will appeal to both kids and adults. From geocaching expeditions in your backyard to factory tours in far-flung states, we’ll be providing ideas all summer long to get you out of your house and on the road for great adventures.
This fall, the twins and I will go to our first Comic Con. We’re starting with Baltimore Comic Con because it’s a nice, manageable size to navigate with two small children. We’ve talked about going for years but never managed to make it happen. And then this year, I stumbled over the idea again when I started to explore the convention world.
There are gatherings for every imaginable fandom — from Minecraft to anime to Doctor Who. You can hit a comic convention and see a plethora of characters, or zero in on a particular television show, such as Star Trek. We’ve rounded up a few that will take place in various parts of the US this summer, but start Googling to find out if people are gathering to discuss and celebrate your favorite things. Or better yet, throw together your own informal convention at home by trying to get a critical mass together to discuss a particular show, movie, superhero, or video game.
- Wizard World (New York): June 28 – 30; New York’s Comic Con.
- LeakyCon (Portland, Oregon): June 27 – 30; all-around geeky goodness or young adult fest.
- Star Trek 2013 (Las Vegas, Nevada): August 8 – 11; all things Star Trek.
- ConTemporal (Raleigh, North Carolina): June 28 – 30; all things steampunk
- Geek Kon (Madison, Wisconsin): August 23 – 25; everything from gaming to anime.
What conventions are you looking forward to this year?
http://WWW.DRAGONCON.ORG
HELL NO:
http://bentcorner.com/dragoncon-responds-to-the-call-for-boycott/
If you’re going to note family-friendly conventions, you really need to include Heroes Con in Charlotte. It is a good size and definitely tries to stick to the family-friendly theme while including lots of geeky fun.
Dragon Con I would NOT include. A- it’s more adult themed in general and it is GIGANTIC, jam-packed and involves crossing between the 3 or 4 different hotels it is hosted out of. For kids and a first convention, go elsewhere. B- Still half owned by Ed Kramer, subject of a long-running legal battle of alleged child molestation.
I will definitely check out Heroes Con.
This year I am most excited(and terrified-I’ll explain) for PalmCon in West Palm Beach(September 21st).
Excited because-PalmCon first came about in 2011 at our local American Polish Club. My family and I were so excited because we had not really had anything like that in this area before. It did not disappoint! It was such a great family event,everyone was so friendly, no snobbery/too cool for the pool attitudes at all. We had so much fun that for 2012 we made a count down calendar for our fridge that we loyally colored in everyday until the event. Everyone is so friendly. This year the event had to be moved to the local convention center due to it becoming more and more popular, and we just can’t wait!
Side note- I’m also terrified for PalmCon because it is the first time in my life I am going to be a vendor at any event ever. The pressure and nervous stomach feeling is only getting worse as it nears, but I’m still excited!
In my opinion, these events are great for kids because it gives them an “in your face” example of how “cool” it is to be creative and have a vivid imagination. 🙂
That’s what I like about it — that they see that it’s okay to get excited about things; to really love something.
Good luck with PalmCon!
ConnectiCon in Hartford, CT is a great, family-friendly con. It’s multi-genre, has video and board gaming, and I’ll even be running an official WBO Beyblade Tournament!