Gaming Conventions
First up, we have a number of different video games related conventions across the United States this weekend.
Chief among them is QuakeCon 2018. Founded in 1996, QuakeCon hosts thousands of gamers from around the globe every year, becoming North America’s largest “Bring Your Own Computer” LAN party. The four-day event is held from Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12 in Grapevine, Texas.
Minefaire 2018 rolls into Denver this weekend on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. The touring convention for Minecraft fans and their families features build challenges, cosplay, panels with YouTube personalities, and more. In addition to Minecraft and YouTube celebrities, attendees will have a chance to meet and interact with Official Minecraft Education Global Mentors.
Nintendo fans can gather at Super Smash Con 2018 in Chantilly, Virginia. The event boasts the world’s largest Smash Bros. tournament, as well as e-sports and arcade gaming, panels, cosplay, and more. The event runs from Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12.
Next up, we have the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo 2018, held in Long Island, New York. In addition to video game tournaments and freeplay, the expo hosts tabletop gaming sessions, for those looking for a bit of a tabletop gaming fix after last weekend’s Gen Con. This year’s expo will be held Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12.
Finally, we have Game On Expo 2018, held in Phoenix, Arizona. The event is the largest gaming event of its kind in the southwestern United States. Game On Expo features modern video games, retro games, arcade games, tabletop gaming sessions, collectible card game tournaments, and more. The event runs from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12.
Convention Camps
The next two entries are a pair of conventions for those who enjoy camping.
Play On Con 2018 in Clayton, Georgia combines the best of geek culture with a summer camp style experience. There are 24 hour gaming sessions, concerts, panels, and parties, as well as camp activities like archery, canoeing, swimming, and rock climbing. This year’s camp weekend runs from Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12.
Cosplay Fantasy Campout 2018 takes place from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 in Yorkville, Illinois. This year’s theme is Alien Invasion. Cosplayers, LARPers, artists, and performers turn the campground into a themed village for the weekend-long event.
Specific Interest Conventions
In addition to the gaming and outdoor camps, there are a number of niche-market conventions this weekend that cater to attendees interested in specific themes, genres, and properties.
The Coldwater Steampunk Festival takes place Thursday, August 9 through Saturday, August 11 in Coldwater, Ontario, Canada, featuring cosplay, artisans, walking tours, music, and more. OzCon International returns to Pomona, California Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12. Founded in 1964, OzCon is a celebration of all things related to Baum’s land of Oz, from the books to the films and beyond.
For those who favor Asian pop culture, there are a few offering this weekend, including AnimeThon 2018. The convention is celebrating its 25th anniversary of highlighting anime and Japanese animation this year. The event runs from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Convention goers in the United States can attend Otakon 2018 in Washington, D.C. from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12. Otakon features cosplay, gaming, dance, panels, and more, all celebrating Asian pop culture and fandoms.
Finally, for fans of The Walking Dead properties, Walker Stalker Con heads to Orlando this weekend, on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. The touring Walker Stalker conventions remain one of the best ways for fans of The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead to meet, interact with, and get photos and autographs with their favorite stars of the AMC series… you know, outside of being cast as a zombie extra on one of the shows.
General Geek Culture Conventions
Wrapping things up this week are a few general geek culture conventions.
First up, for our readers in the United Kingdom, is Film & Comic Con Glasgow 2018. The touring convention by Showmasters will bring actors, wrestlers, cosplayers, and more to Braehead Arena in Glasgow on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12. Actors from Doctor Who, Star Wars, Game of Thrones, and more will be on-hand.
Fan Expo Boston 2018 promises to bring attendees back to the future Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12. The convention will host an after hours “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance Friday night. The highlight of the weekend’s festivities is sure to be the Back to the Future cast reunion featuring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Tom Wilson. Also scheduled to appear at the convention are Jeff Goldblum, Evangeline Lilly, Jason Momoa, William Shatner, and more.
We close out this week in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, host to Steel City Con 2018. Slated to appear are a number of regional convention guests, including—among others—John Schneider, Tom Wopat, and Catherine Bach in a Dukes of Hazzard reunion. Steel City Con runs from Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12.
Heading out to a convention this weekend?
We’d love to see your photos (especially your cosplay photos). When you upload your convention photos to social media this weekend, tag @GeekDads on Twitter and GeekDad on Facebook and use #ConConnect. With your permission, we just might share your photos on our social media accounts.
Are you a convention organizer who would like your con featured in an upcoming Convention Connection?
E-mail joey@geekdad.com at least two weeks before the convention’s start date with details you would like shared with our readers. Submission of details does not guarantee that we’ll highlight your convention, but it certainly helps your chances.
Are you a convention organizer who would like your con attended and covered by GeekDad?
E-mail joey@geekdad.com at least two months before the convention’s start date with details. Submission of details does not guarantee that we’ll cover your convention, but it certainly helps your chances. Coverage depends on contributor availability for the convention. If you are willing to assist with travel and lodging for a GeekDad contributor covering your convention, please note that in the e-mail.
Are you a convention organizer who would like to give away entry to your convention (tickets, badges, etc.) on GeekDad?
Contact joey@geekdad.com at least one month before first date with ticket giveaway details. Submission of details does not guarantee that we’ll run a giveaway for entry to your convention, but it certainly helps your chances.
So I totally support this, and love what your doing with the article, but I travel for work, and was wondering, where are you pulling this information from. I always check for conventions where I go, but its a tedious process usually checking google and convention center calendars. I know where to find most of the board game ones, but you got a few genres here! Thanks!
Thanks for the comment. I pull the information for this series of posts from a number of sources. Some of it comes from the major convention production companies… Wizard World, Heroes & Villains/Walker Stalker, Showmasters, and the like. They are good about keeping their show information updated. As you mentioned, each genre keeps an aggregated calendar for major conventions in their area of interest. The problem that the aggregate calendars face are that they are only as good as the information they are given or can find. A lot of newer conventions aren’t always aware that the aggregate calendars exist so they don’t notify them. Same for many of the smaller conventions that tend to be strapped for resources; they just don’t have someone doing that. Additionally, this is my geeky thing, so I follow a lot of the regional conventions online.
That said, if you’re looking for a one-stop site that does a better job than most at aggregating most of the bigger conventions, the folks at fancons.com do a pretty good job. They suffer the same issues mentioned above, so they’re not perfect, but if you’re traveling and just want a straight-up list of what’s going on, when, and where, that’d be the place I’d direct you to first, then look at more genre-specific or regional information from there.
I hope that helps, and I hope you continue to check in with the series in the future!