Sophia’s Guide to DMV Conventions

When it comes to conventions, people immediately jump to San Diego Comic Con (SDCC); the holy grail of conventions. As someone who was able to go to SDCC, and will be returning this summer, I can confirm that it is an experience like no other. That being said, SDCC is not the only convention in the United States. In fact, the DMV is home to many amazing conventions focused around anime, gaming, music, and general entertainment. Want to know about the various cons around the area? Well this is the post for you! My name is Sophia and I’ll be your guide to the world of DMV conventions.

D.C

Awesome Con

Price- $95 for a 3-Day pass

For some of you, Awesome Con may sound familiar because that’s where you found out about SJA last year. Awesome Con is a pop culture convention held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center from June 16th to the 18th. This year, Awesome Con will be celebrating their ten year anniversary! Now that may not sound like long for some people, but as someone who's been going for the past eight years, it’s crazy to think about.

If you’ve never been to a convention before, this is a great starting place. Awesome Con isn’t tied to one form of entertainment, it offers guests and panels spanning from anime to Marvel to Star Wars. Last year, Simu Liu who played Shang-Chi in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was a guest. The guest list for this year is still being released but so far we have multiple voice actors from the anime series My Hero Academia, actors from Star Wars, Amy Jo Johnson from Power Rangers, and more! You can find something to do no matter what your interests are. And if you have kids? Don’t worry! There’s a kid-centric area at Awesome Con which features activities and panels especially for the young nerds in your family.

Otakon

Price- $75 for a 3-Day pass until April 17th

Otakon takes place in the same location as Awesome-Con this July from the 28th to the 30th. Unlike Awesome Con, Otakon focuses on Anime and Japanese pop culture the most. If you’re a fan of anime, I highly recommend this one. Otakon features voice actors and manga artists as guests, like most conventions do, but they also include musicians. I’m not talking about just having an artist or band there for a signing and maybe a panel, I’m talking about full on concerts included in your ticket. Last year the convention featured: the band G.L.A.M.S (a J-Rock group), Yuki Hayashi (a composer for various anime), and even a couple of Korean artists like Rolling Quartz, Pixy, and AleXa.

If you’re a fan of arcade games, and have always wanted to try some Japanese rhythm games, Otakon has you covered! Out of the D.C conventions, Otakon has the best line-up of games. You can find Project Diva, Sound Voltex, Taiko no Tatsujin, Pump It Up and more! They even feature an Indie section where you can play up and coming games from various Indie studios. In addition to the game room, they host a Maid Cafe, a formal ball, local DJ’s and more. Otakon has the bang for your buck, especially if you go for all three days.

Maryland

MAGFest

Price- TBA, usually around $125 for the full weekend

Anime and TV not your thing? Don’t worry! MAGFest is a four day/twenty four hour convention focused around music and gaming that takes place in the Gaylord at the National Harbor. It features four rooms focused around gaming: one for consoles, one for arcade games (classic and Japanese games), one for Indie games, and one for board games/tabletop gaming. I’m telling you now, that you can go the whole four days in those four rooms and it will be amazing. The arcade room includes classic pinball machines, the X-Men arcade game, Dance Dance Revolution, various fighting games, and more. In the console room you can find Just Dance, various generations of Smash Bros, Rock Band, Mario Kart, Sonic, pretty much any video game you can think of. In the board game/tabletop room you can playtest new games, play some of your favorites, and join card game tournaments. The best part? All of these games are free to play as long as you have a ticket to the convention.

As for the music side of MAGFest, there’s music playing practically all day everywhere. In the halls of the convention there are dedicated music zones, when anyone can set up their instrument and play. During this year’s MAGFest I saw a mini orchestra playing music from various video games, a man with a portable drum set which he pulled out of a small suitcase, someone playing an Ocarina from Legend of Zelda, and more. One area is specifically focused on ChipTune music, which is 8-bit music made from computers, arcade games, and video game consoles. For full blown concerts, MAGFest has you covered there as well! The convention has a concert hall that typically has various nerdy bands and artists that play throughout the day. Powerglove, Chibi-tech, Bit Brigade, Master Sword and The 8-Bit Big Band have all been guests in the past. MAGFest also features a free rave on Saturday night with various DJs from around the US. This is by far one of my favorite conventions to go to with friends or on your own. There’s no way for you to be bored while at MAGFest. Though the dates for 2024 have yet to be announced, MAGFest usually takes place around the first weekend of January.

Magfest 2022 Chiptune Showcase

Katsucon

Price- TBA, Early Bird is usually around $55 for a 3-Day pass

Looking for amazing cosplays? Katsucon is where you’ll find them! Katsucon happens every year around Valentine's Day weekend at the Gaylord at National Harbor (same place as MAGFest!). Though I haven’t been to Katsucon since the pre-COVID days, I know it’s still an exciting one to go to. The main draw is cosplay for sure. Cosplayers from all around the US, and even internationally come to Katsucon to snap a photo at the famed gazebo. The gazebo is the most sought after photo location in the whole convention, so if you want your picture taken there you better get there early (or just cheat the system and snap your pic during MAGFest). Not only does Kastucon give you amazing photo opportunities, but it also features panels to help hone your craft. From panels based on makeup to panels based on sewing, you can find help for anything.

Similar to Otakon, Katsucon also features a Maid Cafe if you need a break and want to snack on something during the day. There’s also a fashion show focused around Japanese Fashion for those who want to dip their toe into the world of fashion design. Don’t worry cosplayers, there is a separate show to highlight the craftsmanship of your cosplay! One of the big draws of Katsucon is the Formal Ball. Bring your most formal dresses, or create a formal cosplay to enjoy the ball and dance with friends, loved ones, and soon to be friends. Don’t know how to dance? Don’t worry, before the ball you have a chance to go to a dance lesson on Friday or Saturday. Though I have yet to make it to the Formal Ball, it seems to be such an amazing experience that guests should make time for.

Virginia

Galaxycon

Price- $110 for a 3-Day pass

Look out! Galaxycon is quickly approaching. Held in Richmond, VA, Galaxycon takes place over March 24th to the 26th of 2023. This is another general entertainment convention which includes Pro-Wrestlers, Voice Actors, Actors, Comic Artists, and more. Now Galaxycon doesn’t have any crazy draws compared to the other conventions, but it still makes for a great weekend. With over 30 guests, special add-ons, and local partnerships it’s definitely worth the trip down to Richmond. This year, Galaxycon is offering some After Dark events. These events are geared towards the 18+ fans, and include crazy dance parties, panels, special cosplay contests, and more! Due to the close proximity to Virginia Commonwealth University, Galaxycon is full of college and graduate students letting their inner nerd out. It makes for a fun experience, and it allows you to explore the capital of Virginia!

Last year Galaxycon held a panel where you get to learn how to fight with a lightsaber! That’s me getting into an intense battle 😊

Blerdcon

Price- $70 for a 3-Day pass

I have to be honest here, I’ve never been to Blerdcon. I’ve been meaning to for the past few years I promise! It just hasn’t worked out yet. Even though I haven’t personally attended it, I’m still including it in the post because I know others in the community love it. Blerdcon is a convention focused around welcoming the LGBTQ community, POC, the disabled community, the international community, and anyone looking for a fun, nerdy weekend. It takes place in Arlington, VA, (plus one point for it being local!) from July 7th to the 9th. From what I’ve heard and seen online, it seems like a great convention and I hope to actually have the chance to go this summer.

AnimeUSA

Price- $70 for a regular 3-Day pass

AnimeUSA is another convention that I haven’t been to since the pre-COVID days. Despite that, it holds a special place in my heart because it’s a local convention. Granted it’s been a good four years since I last went, but from my experience it had a great environment with interesting panels. It’s similar to Otakon and Katsucon where it’s geared more towards anime, but it makes room for everyone. The thing that makes AnimeUSA different from the other cons is that it includes Idol*USA. What is Idol*USA? It’s a chance for Idol groups, people who either dress up and perform as anime idols or those who form a dance group focusing on Idol songs, to perform and showcase their moves. It’s fun to watch, and a lot of the groups are really good! If you go out to AnimeUSA, I highly recommend checking out Idol*USA.

In Con-clusion

The DMV area is full of conventions, and there’s so many I didn’t even mention in this post! As someone who has been going to various conventions in the DMV since 2015, I have to say that this is one of the best regions to experience conventions. Though we don’t get crazy big ones like SDCC, Anime Expo, or New York Comic Con; these smaller conventions are still amazing. If you have the money and the free time to go to any of these conventions, please do! And if you can’t find the money but would still love to go, apply to volunteer at the convention. You get to help the convention run smoothly for 4-6 hours a day (depends on the con), and then enjoy the con as a fan once your shift is over.

I hope to see some fellow SJA members at some of these conventions in the future and who knows, maybe SJA will be tabling or presenting at one of these cons. If you see us, come say hi!

D.C