It’s hard to believe that Dragon Con 2015 is nearly upon us. The South’s annual convention held in Atlanta, GA is less than a month away over the course of September 4-7,2015, and if you’re not already thinking about the geek revelry that will be happening under one roof (well, five – or is that six now?), you should be! For the uninitiated, Dragon Con is billed as the “largest multimedia, pop culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe!” If that sounds like a completely wide-ranging list of fandoms all mashed together, that’s because it is. There’s something for everybody!
It’s easy to dismiss Dragon Con as just another Comic Con, but it is so much more than that. I’ve been a faithful Dragon Con attendee since 2003 and have seen it grow from a respectably large fan convention with 15,000 guests in two hotels to a gigantic mega-convention for over 57,000 attendees in five hotels and an additional expo hall. With the current outlook for this year’s event looking just as enticing as ever, I’m sure those numbers will only continue to grow.
In the coming weeks, I’m going to write a few articles from a Dragon Con veteran’s perspective of what to do at the convention, but for now, I want to focus on a few 2015 scheduling highlights you should be excited about.
Featured Guests
Just like the fandoms they represent, the guests at Dragon Con are plentiful and varied. It’s always good to see new guests or ones who haven’t been back to Dragon Con in a while. Here’s a few I’m looking forward to:
- Steve Whitmire and Caroll Spinney – Henson puppeteers for Kermit the Frog and Big Bird (!)
- Stephen and Robbie Amell – Cousins in real life and superheroes on screen as Green Arrow and Firestorm on the CW.
- Game of Thrones stars Julian Glover (Pycelle), Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell), Kristian Nairn (Hodor)
- Felicia Day – The brains behind Geek & Sundry, roles on Supernatural, Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, The Guild
- Scott Thompson – Kids In The Hall
Attending Professionals
In addition to special “celebrity” guests, Dragon Con always has great representation from different fields with astronomers, artists, theater producers, podcasters, authors, and more. I always enjoy the podcasting track and peeking into the writer’s room for some professional advice on the craft. This year, be sure to check out GeekDad’s own Kishore Hari who will be discussing some of the science behind Andy Weir’s The Martian among other topics.
Live Performances
In years past, Dragon Con has had everyone from Jefferson Starship to Jonathan Coulton. This year, however, I’m most interested in checking out singing sister sensations The Doubleclicks. If they’re not up your alley, don’t worry, there’s plenty of other options out there over the course of the weekend, just be prepared to stay up late!
Special Events
There’s always great events happening throughout the weekend. You can never go wrong with Dragon Con night at the Georgia Aquarium, especially if you’re from out of town. I’m always a big fan of the wrestling show on Friday evening, and this year the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra listing piques my interest. However, the biggest draw is always the parade. Costumers come out in force, shutting down Peachtree Street for a parade of geeky goodness lasting over an hour! Bring the family, but get there early to enjoy a sight you won’t soon forget.
Costuming
Even though the Saturday morning parade lasts over an hour, the costumes on display are only a small portion of what you’ll see throughout the weekend. From professional cosplayers to “Joe Schmo,” the costumes at Dragon Con are part of what makes the weekend special. I guarantee you’ll see costumes that will make you laugh, costumes that will amaze you with their detail to accuracy, and plenty that will be stuck in your nightmares as well. It’s not too late to get your own costume in order to join in on the fun!
Nightlife
Well, let’s just say, they don’t call it Nerdi Gras for nothing!
Whether this year’s con will be your first or your twenty-eighth, I hope you are as excited as I am to make it to downtown Atlanta in just a few short weeks! If you’ve never been before, be sure to check back for my future articles about things to do to make the most of your experience at Dragon Con!
