I have to say there's not a lot of people in the convention, and most of the people here is attending just because of the guests. It's heavily comic and film based, so if you are really into gaming and anime, this might not be the convention for you. That said, there's a lot of niche book vendors and artists, but there's only a limited amount of programming that is actually interesting and worthwhile. If you aren't a convention-goer that goes to different conventions all over the states and just wanted to stick with local conventions, then this might be of interest to you. However, it doesn't offer a lot of entertainment, unlike Katsucon or Otakon, but it does focuses more on American comics and gaming in general. read more

My DS and I had a marvelous time at AwecomeCon '26. This was our first time visiting the convention center, as well as our first time attending an event like AwesomeCon in the DMV. We scored a pair of 3-day passes and ended up going on Fri (~5.5 hrs) & Sun (~4 hrs). Given how expansive the event was, we tried our best to do a little bit of everything (video games, panels, celebrity sightings, cosplay, vendors, book fair, tabletop gaming, etc.) There were certain activities we never got around to, but that was highly dependent on what my DS gravitated to. Given his age and attention span, we kept gravitating back to the (free play) video games ... go figure! Next time ... more panels, less video games LOL TY so much #yelpnova for hookin' it up! #itsneattobeelite #YES And TY to all the super friendly AwesomeCon staff that assisted us the entire wknd! read more

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First time at Awesome Con! I went on a Saturday afternoon. Since the Convention Center has no parking - I drove down to DC, parked in the parking garage @ Union Station - and then Ubered over. Awesome Con is the largest Con to date that I have attended. It was a bit overwhelming - so much to see! I saw a lot of really cool Cosplayers! My favorites included Giyu Tomioka (Water Hashira) from Demon Slayer; Tom Baker's version of Dr. Who - and someone who was dressed as "Alastor" - the Radio Demon from Hazbin Hotel. I was so stunned and surprised at how good the Cosplay was that once I had finished reveling in how cool the whole get up was - I forgot to ask the person if I could take a photo... Next year I think I'll get a hotel room next door so I can park closer and attend the Con in pieces and therefore see and do more! #AwesomeCon read more

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Attended Awesome Con on Friday night, and while there were highlights, I couldn't shake the feeling that I had essentially paid a hefty entry fee just for the privilege of going shopping. It often felt more like a sprawling comic shop bazaar than a fully integrated convention experience. The Atmosphere & Layout The layout was a bit of a missed opportunity. Everything felt too spread out; condensing the floor plan would have created a much fuller, more energetic atmosphere. As it stood, the "spirit" of the Con was truly carried by the attendees--the cosplay was top-tier and provided the most authentic fan energy of the night. Highlights * Gaming Community: The folks running the card games, Warhammer, tabletop, and arcade sections were incredibly friendly and helpful. This felt like the most interactive part of the floor. * Indie Creators: I was most impressed by the artists and startups. Seeing people publishing their own video games and comics was the highlight of the trip. * The Find: My son picked up #2Land Comics, and they've been a huge hit with him so far. read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The convention was awesome. Lots of great costumes, vendors, and panels. Convention was spacious and well-ventilated. read more

Awesome Con - Artists Alley - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Always love stopping at awesome con! Always so amazed by all the cosplayers awesomeness! We always find something to buy at the booths!

I love Awesome Con; I've been going every year for all three days since 2021. This was the first year I wonder if I should go back. Keep in mind I tend to focus on gaming. I attended one panel, which was great, but I mostly play board games and RPGs. Usually, Labyrinth (in DC) runs the game stuff but this year they switched to Game Kastle (in College Park). It was a mess. 1. The biggest problem was the TTRPGs. To sign up, you went to this link (which was hard to find) and was bombarded with a bunch of paid gaming options that had little to do with the Con (I saw several options for D&D summer camp, for example). It's simply inexcusable--I paid to come to the Con and they made it difficult for me to do the thing I came here to do. To find the free games (the ones people are attending the Con to play), you had to click through something unexpected and even then the list was incomplete or contained faulty info. For example, a game will claim there are multiple sessions, but list only one time, or no time at all. I heard some options got deleted entirely. The whole thing was janky. Some people figured it out, though, and D&D tables filled quickly, but there was no comprehensive list of games taking place so it was hard to find or fill last-minute vacancies. The only games I played, neither D&D, happened to have open slots when I was walking by. 2. The board games were better, but the selection was lacking. Labyrinth has 3x the game options, and had organized them alphabetically (great if you're looking for a particular game). The GK options were just strewn about some tables. 3. There were some play to win games, but very few of them and they didn't look very good. I didn't bother with those. It felt like GK was just trying to dump some games that couldn't sell. 4. GK did not provide teachers for games, as Labyrinth had. Labyrinth also had a "Looking for Players" sign you could display on your table, but nothing like that for GK. 5. The store section of the board games was well-organized and large, which to me only highlights how little GK cared about doing the thing they were actually hired to do. When I first started attending AC in 2021, I would've been satisfied with GK's execution because it was all pretty bare bones before Labyrinth stepped in (especially the board games). But knowing what it could've been, the execution felt cheap and haphazard. read more

This is my second time at awesome con and it was really unique and amazing to experience. My girlfriend and I cosplayed as Stefani from Steven universe, and we got to watch the cosplay costume contest , see a free drag show, wander through the vendor hall, and play many of the arcade games that they had at the game hall. While there were many panels and autograph singing and celebrity meet ups, we didn't do any of those. Even Steve from Blues Clues showed up this year! It was a Perfect all ages event for your inner nerd ! Huge thank you to Yelp for inviting us :-) read more

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This was such a cool convention! All the merchants were kind and friendly, and I even got to talk about my favorite Pokemon (Charmander) with some collectors. My favorite part was talking to the artists who did live art, and seeing them sketch and draw in person. Can't wait for next year! read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Day Three is in the books!! Had a great time listening to panels, watching some short films, exploring the exhibit hall, people watching, and connecting with fellow EliteYelper! read more

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Thanks for the Awesome Con 2024 tickets, Yelp! This was my first comic con, and the experience was good, felt more family friendly, and more low key in comparison to than the other cons that I've been to in the past (magfest, katsucon, otakon.) We enjoyed arcade room and board games on the first floor, and I especially enjoyed watching attendees sing along and play Rock Band. We also played old-timed videos games and learned about new board games. My favorite part of cons are the artist alleys and shopping. The artist alley here is very much similar to the other cons and the hall is filled with artists and merch, so not much less than the other cons, which is great for no long lines! In anticipation of the event, I downloaded the recommended Guidebook app to schedule my day and make a to-do list. The app was super helpful and included a copy of the Awesome Con map. Thanks to Yelp and Awesome Con for an awesome time! read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love AwesomeCon! This was my second year going to this convention and it is the only one I've attended locally so far! I love the exhibition hall and the panels and people go all out with their cosplays. For someone who is an avid anime lover, this convention is my jam. It's also the perfect size! read more

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First time I ever got to attend awesome con! The experience was very interesting! Loved all the cosplays and outfits! Everyone was just having a good time and enjoying it. Had a blast walking around the Artist alley and checking out all the awesome vendors! Got to add a bunch of cute stickers to my collection too! The convention itself was a great experience to try at least once. You get to learn a lot about different fandoms and even connect with gamers! I like that everyone can bond over their favorite fandoms at a convention together. It's located at the Walter E. Convention center and very close to Chinatown. Thank god the building has air conditioning since the event is during the summer and everyone that dressed up won't overheat. The food here however is a bummer. The prices are overly high for very poor quality. I ordered chicken teriyaki with lo mien for almost $20! They didn't even fill the box fully... one Rita's custard cup was $12!! Honestly that's a huge rip off for not even great quality food. Most convention goers did walk down Chinatown to eat instead which I'm sure saved a lot more. read more

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It was my first time at Awesome Con and I thought that it was Awesome!!! It was definitely a good experience. There was lots to see and lots of different guest speakers. There were also a lot of very unique vendors as well as lots of Awesome characters all over which certainly made it fun. I definitely plan on coming back next year. read more

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A place for nerds to be themselves. (I mean that in a good way!) I saw such imaginative and inventive cosplay. It's like walking through an alternate universe. The venue was amazing because it was huge so you can actually breathe and enjoy the vendors. I walked through the aisles and was blown away by the talent of the artists. I walked away with a cute handmade crocheted frog and a bookmark. They have lots of cool celebs to take pictures with and get autographs from. It's expensive so I just walked by to just people watch the celebs. #lifehack read more

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I had the opportunity to attend Awesome Con in 2019. My husband and I had a great time. Wear walking shoes you will need them. We enjoy both the sessions and the shopping. We have been Sci-Fi/Fantasy folks for, well, forever. While we did not go in costume we did wear our fandom t-shirts featuring Dr. Who, Classic Lost In Space, Star Trek, and more. Cons like this are great because you can go and have fun just being you. I love that about this community. We saw Jason Issacs and he was really funny. He answered Harry Potter questions even though he was there to discuss his show, season one of Star Trek Discovery. I'm also a Potterhead. The con is held in Washington DC at the convention center. A huge space. It's not too expensive unless you go VIP. There is also an opportunity to get autographs. Like most similar events you need to pay and wait in line. It's all about who is there signing and who you want to meet. If you have an opportunity to attend I recommend it. read more

Awesome Con - Hanging with friends at Awesome Con 2019 - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Thank you Yelp for my tixs. I always look forward to this. I came here on Saturday and Sunday. I was surprised to see many vendors. Some were good. Some gave away freebies which was cool. A few activities on the ground floor for free. A few interactive activities for families that were free. Autograph alley, expensive. $90 for an Autograph or a selfie? Some celbs were: Will Wheaton, Giancarlo Esposito, Melissa Joan Hart and her two other cast members from Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Salem wasn't there :( However, I cant see myself paying almost a Benjamin for an Autograph or a pic with a celebrity. The tixs aren't cheap. I ďont know how much the celebrity actually gets from that. Food options:( you had to leave the premises and come back. The options there expensive and awful. Top floors had video games consoles that had classic games I love it. Another room had board games. A lot of them! Best part was seeing everyone in costumes!! Thanks Mike B the cool MD CM for my tixs!! read more

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I took my 10 year old with me to enjoy awesome con. This was more his speed than mine, but we had a great time. Friday night was my favorite. Why? It was calm, no lines, no big crowds. However, it did take us a while to figure out how and where to pick up badges. Obviously, not any fault to yelp, but the venue needed more signage. With that being said, all of the staff we encountered were extremely nice. My son got to meet up with some friends, and they got to enjoy the kids' fun areas, build some light sabers, and try many different items throughout the convention center. But boy, was it crowded during the weekend! It was our first time and plan to go again. read more

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It's all in the name -- Awesome Con was Awesome What's Awesome Con? It's the latest version of a fantasy and science fiction convention. It had superheroes, aliens, comic villains, coming in all shapes and sizes, adult and children. One nation of geeks and nerds, a badge worn proudly, celebrating together their passions of comic books, other worldly and fantastic adventures. The proud badge holders were dressed in varying degrees of geekdom, from simple outfits to elaborate costumes that took months to create. The convention center was massive -- with three to four levels, and many conference rooms. The vendor area was miles and miles of t-shirts, costumes, video gaming booths, fantasy books, and anything one would like to purchase. I enjoyed it completely-- I would recommend you wear comfortable shoes, pack a water bottle and take metro (parking was a beast). Parking in DC is never a pleasure but if you mix in a popular convention with thousands, Pride Month and a weekend, it was almost impossible to find a spot. For the organizer of Awesome Con -- it was a great event. Truly lived up to its name of awesome. I only have a few suggestions for improvements. 1-I would suggest a better designed website, perhaps listing the program on the website or providing a link. When we arrived they informed us there was a phone app with the program, perhaps that should've been mention when purchasing passes. 2- More signage would've be helpful and better informed staff -- we were directed to the 3rd floor for badges, when it was on the 2nd floor. It's a wonderful event, I'd say you'll love it if this is your type of thing. Also, be sure to look for coupon code before purchasing your tickets. Tickets are cheaper if they are purchased beforehand, in general. read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was really worried about being underwhelmed. However, the mix was great. Everyone was out in full force costumes this Saturday. The vendors had more variety then I expected and the photo/autograph ops were decent. It was a great time and def worth an annual visit! read more

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I really enjoyed this event, a lot of cosplayers and families having a great time. Music and dancing dancing scattered about the exhibit area, proper lightsaber wielding classes for the kids. I really enjoyed the energy that all of the attendees had. Plenty of great cosplayers including mini Marshmello, if you coughs the little guy it was pretty awesome. The only food that I was interested in was the funnel cake. I have been craving it and what do you know they had it! It was sooo good! The artist and and author section was really nice, and unexpected met some great and talented people. I just wish the Science Fair was a bit more...Science Fair'y but I really enjoyed the virtual planet exploration. The only down side was the traffic from the blocked off streets, event great, finding parking not so much. Will use the metro next time. read more

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Probably one of my least favorite cons I've been to. Although it is held in the great Walter E Convention Center - the convention itself has a pretty low turn out rate and is more geared towards Comic Lovers. The convention did have a wide spread of vendors and panels + guests! The hours weren't so bad but the set for artist alley was a pain... only available during a limited morning time frame. Friday seemed especially slow - not many people, cosplayers, seemed dry. However, the staff were extremely cheery and helpful! Overall, 4.5/10 to con experience! read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'd never joined Awesome Con in the many years living out here, but thanks to yelp elite, I scored two tickets to ride the fantasy train! And man was I in for a treat! I'd heard of cosplay but never seen the real thing. I'm just glad my first experience was with with such talent! My goodness were the costumes elaborate and compelling. Seeing so many pop culture and obscure Japanese references was really cool. It felt like my wandering through the streets of Akihabara in the streets of central Tokyo! My favorite part was being able to take a photo op with celebrities from one of of my favorite film trios the Lord of the Rings: Elijah Wood, Sean Aston, and Andy Serkis! They were fun and kind in the photo experience, which ought to be expected at $300 a pop. At the end of the day, I'm tired and exhausted but had a really great time! Definitely recommend as a first timer learning what it's all about, or as an experienced veteran as there's so much to jump into. There's a real sense of community welcoming one and all! read more

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For the fan this can be a great treat. Fellow nerds as far as you can see. A lot dressed up as superhero's and various Svfi hero's and villains. The venue was perfect for this type of show. Its main purpose is to give those who collect comics and other collectible items. To sell you stuff. You want a light saber? This is where you will find them all away up to 700 bucks! For those of us not quite ready to fight Vader yet. You may want something a little less destructive you might like a Hello Kitty doll or better you can BE Kitty and get a costume! A three day affair you have some time to mull it over. You also have workshops, stars of movies and TV that you can converse with and obtain autographs. That however will cost you some change. I was surprised to see a lot of families around. So despite the demons and others of that ilk, your kids are safe. Don't however bring your little dog. Unlike OZ he won't be allowed to enter the venue. LOL read more

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What an amazing experience! So much to see and so little time. Parking nearby was OK; we used Spot Hero to find a good rate nearby. Otherwise I'd recommend taking the train..it just one block away from the stop. Check in process was super smooth. All the vendors were very friendly and lots of people were dress in some sick outfits and custom made costumes. Most everyone was very happy to take photos with us. So cool. I would definitely recommend checking out this event next time it's in town. read more

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This is my second year going to Awesome Con and my third time going to a convention like this. I had a 3 day pass and came and checked in on Friday around 3PM there was no line at all so it was very quick to pick up my badge. I recommend coming to pick up your badge this day if you can even if you are not attending that day because the line for the other days were much longer. I absolutely love all the unique, nerdy things that you can buy here. Some of the knickknacks that I got included: various legos, movie and gaming posters, stickers, fake knifes for my costume, a witcher bracelet, a crystal pokeball, a wonder woman wet bag, and a wooden bottle opener for the wall with Darth Vader on it. If you have the time you should definitely do a multi-day pass. One day is needed just to look at all the vendors and another day is needed if you want to do to any of the events, meet and greets, get a tattoo, and if you want to cosplay. If you had a good costume people will want to take your picture and it takes away time from other activities so just plan for that. For improvement it would be nice if they had some of the planned activities be in the main room with the vendors. It is a bit inconvenient to have to go to the other side of the convention center to listen to speakers and attend the activities. So far I have yet to go to any of them because I end up spending all my time in one area for the most part. Also if they just have informational posters around that tell what other events are going on that would be very beneficial. read more

Awesome Con is every little nerd's dream. I went to my first ever convention, courtesy of Yelp and it was an absolute blast. I got to see some great people like Simu Liu and the cast of Shang-Chi, Hayley Atwell, as well as some great cosplayers. Everyone there was super friendly and the exhibit hall was an absolute geek fest. Each table brought something different from the Pokemon plushies to the fake swords to phenomenal artists, each with a unique art style. It gave bazaar energy. After reading some reviews from previous years, I was nervous about the criticism like the lack of food and seating here but it seems that Awesomcon improved on that. Besides a little less clear sense of direction, there were places available to sit and eat food. I also wanted to thank Yelp for giving me tickets, I was pleasantly surprised when I found 2 tickets in my bag instead of 1. I love the idea of cons being able to bring fandoms together and this con delivered. read more

If you don't necessarily love all comics, their characters, dressing up like them and doing something like that, awesome con is not for you. All it really is is a bunch of stands where you can buy things and chat about your favorite characters, etc. I'm not that kind of person so this was very boring for me. If you do like that kind of thing then this is definitely the place for you. read more

Due to scheduling conflicts, we were not able to attend until Sunday, the last day of the Con. Still, it was decently attended, lots of cosplayers and most, if not all of the booths were still up and doing business. Since this is my first Con, I have no prior experiences to draw from. My only wish was that I could've come on Saturday as well; it drew the biggest crowds on that day or so we were told. Still, we had a good time checking out all the exhibits and talking to some of the vendors; I even was able to find a collector comic- one that I didn't even know existed, but found nonetheless and I just had to have it! Given that there were a good number of cosplayers, I think I'll come fully suited up next year! So, what was there? About what you'd expect for a comics/games convention: comic book vendors, games (new and old) vendors, LARP and costume weapon sellers, costumes, collectibles- statuary from popular games and comics, handmade goods, arts and crafts, books, photo areas setup to assimilate certain franchises (i.e. Alien, Predator, superheroes) that you could have your picture taken with this or that character or setting. I even saw a couple of knights in armor! Always a cool thing for me, though they were wearing 'mundane' clothing underneath. There was also music/dancing areas and probably one of the coolest things: booths setup so you could meet movie stars that were engaged for the Con, like Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings) and Anthony Daniels (Star Wars). Their booths were on a break when we were there but we'd only just missed them! Apparently, I also missed Hayley Atwell (Captain America, Agent Carter) and the cast of Shang-Chi!!! Having just watched the show and the movie, I would've been really pumped had I known they were there. Anyway, there was plenty of access to bathrooms; the main exhibit hall was nearly full so that was a good thing. They also had a number of onsite food vendors which meant you didn't have to leave to sate your appetite! Though we did, as my next review will show. All in all, we had an enjoyable time- the staff and vendors were all very pleasant. This is a great venue for a family outing; everyone was just having a good time, no drama. Just my type of event! Thanks to Yelp, I managed to get tickets to attend. I'll definitely be attending in the future. read more

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I went for the first time to awesome con and can say it was a blast. So much fun looking at all the cosplayers and taking pics with them. As a huge anime fan, it was so cool seeing the artwork many artists brought. I indulged and bought many pieces I'll have to frame. The highlight of my trip was meeting one of my favorite villains of all time, Gus Fring (played by the talented Giancarlo Esposito). Soooo coool. The one thing I highly recommend is to metro there or ride share to the location. When I went, the streets were closed and parking was hectic. I got lucky I found a spot for my car. And if you wanna grab food, you're in luck cause Chinatown has a ton of good food. I'm definitely going to try and go again next year. read more

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I made it to my first con thanks to Yelp! I love being an elite member the perks are the best! I have always enjoyed seeing peoples costumes but I never knew what to expect. The amount of booths was extensive and therefore I left with a lot of dope artwork and props. I am a huge Game of Thrones fan so the amount of swords, dragons, dragon eggs was exciting. Then the different people that you could meet was nice. I met Melisa Joan Hart from Clarissa Explains it all and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. She was really nice and I got my picture with her. I can't wait until the next one. I will be even more ready next time! But I definitely spent way too much at the booths lol read more

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My first Awesome Con courtesy of Yelp. I had a great time. Saturday corresponded with Open Streets DC which closed the streets directly adjacent which was great with live music. Surprised by how many people actually dress up probably 1/4 of people. Was able to see some of the stars but it's a separate cost to get an autograph and photo. Went to the talk by C3PO Anthony Daniels. He's was a great speaker and storyteller. Great behind the scenes stories about the original star wars and George Lucas. Huge vendor section with all sorts of goods. From funco pops, to original art, minifigs, costumes, weapons, etc. Really great area to window shop and people/costume watching. Was a great experience and family friendly. Nice atmosphere. Recommend to take Metro which was reduced cost on weekends. read more

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I can't possibly with good conscience recommend this event to anyone. Average ticket costs at least $50 and what do you get with that? well, my ticket was for Sunday only and I was very disappointed. 1. Will call/pick up your pass Those who have paid for their pass will need to go up the stairs and walk for solid 5 minutes or more to finally find that not-well-labeled place. If you're disabled or have any kind of issue, you'll have tough time. It is looong walk just to pick up your paid pass. In my every experience, it is located close to the entrance. Don't even get why it was so far. There was NO ONE checking my pass. I am not going here again, but in case you wanna go, don't bother buying a pass. No one cares or checks, especially on Sunday. 2. Nothing to see/experience There was no event whatsoever. If that was the case, they should have disclosed it clearly, so that we'd choose a different day like saturday. Maybe they shouldn't make it a 3-day event if there was not enough agenda. Even the handout was not helpful, doesn't show what fun things one could see or do.. 3. Giant exhibit of sales Entire first floor was sales, lots and lots of vendors. You will need at least 2 hours to check them out just by walking by let alone spending time at a particular spot. If you wanna buy something, this was a good centralized bazaar. Very expansive. 4. Table top games and arcade This was kinda fun, but there was no one enforcing people to leave after certain minutes, so if someone decides to spend a day at a machine, you're doomed. They should organize better. 5. No food options Okay, it isn't that important. But in case you wanted, it is nice to have some option. Plus, food sales makes a lot of money for the organizers, so why didn't they? 6. Free board game room There was a giant hall, where you can join a game with random people to play board games. I think this is really fun and great idea. Nice break from all the walking and play, maybe meet new people while relaxing especially if you have nowhere to be. Not many people came dressed up. There was no opening or showing or anything fun to see or experience. It is just a waste of money and time. read more

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I received two 3 day passes from Yelp which was awesome! This was my first time to the convention center for Awesome Con 2022. Huge place with many halls and areas to meet. Multiple locations for bathrooms and some food selections as well. The staff was very helpful and super friendly. Awesome con was in fact awesome! Lost of cosplay, huge areas for original art, and many vendors for comics, cards, games, and so much more. First time coming to one of these and was very happy to be able to go. Next time will plan a bit better and spend more time and checking out the table top gaming areas as well. read more

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Thanks for the Awesome Con 2018 tickets, Yelp! I've been to the Convention Center many times, but never for a convention before. This was my first comic con, and the experience was super special because I got to hear from Ben Penrod, the Awesome Con founder, at the Yelp's Business Hours session back in March. It was a good preface to understand how Awesome Con has transformed into the giant convention that it is today. I showed up at 10am and there was already a line around the corner to go into the Convention Center. Volunteers were holding signs and directing the crowds. There were security checks for the cosplay weapons once we got inside and then it was off to the registration area on the second floor to pick up my badge. I'm so proud of my first comic con badge and am keeping it forever! Unsure of where to go, I got in a line to enter the exhibition floor on the basement level. There were lots of booths to visit and an endless supply of cool posters, comic books, trinkets, figurines, and merchandise for sale - basically anything comic con that you could think of! There was so much happening all over the Convention Center, and it was fun to see all the cosplay creativity from attendees. My favorite was the little Deadpools running around. I really enjoyed the Q&A panels and highlights of the day were seeing Tom Welling and Michael Rosenbaum from Smallville; Ben Savage, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle from Boy Meets World; the actual BB-8; and headliner John Boyega. I also got glimpses of Stephen Amell (Arrow), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Charisma Carpenter (Buffy/Angel), and the original Red Ranger. While I didn't splurge for any autographs or photo sessions, it was cool to see the stars interact with the fans. They also had an arcade room and board games on the first floor, and I especially enjoyed watching attendees sing along and play Rock Band. Panels were on the second and third floors, and the main stage was on the second floor behind the registration site. I do think they could have better signage to direct to the main stage and to designate volunteers. It was easy to spot volunteers wearing their blue Awesome Con T-shirts, but difficult to find the ones dressed in costumes. In anticipation of the event, I downloaded the recommended Guidebook app to schedule my day and make a to-do list. The app was super helpful and included a copy of the Awesome Con map. There was even a digital scavenger hunt that you can participate in and get a cool button. Thanks to Yelp and Awesome Con for an awesome time! read more

Awesome Con - Awesome Con badge! - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Awesome Con was... well, awesome! All of the comic book, gaming, and superhero show enthusiasts all came out to this event to show their spirit, which is really cool. What I loved about Awesome Con (besides all the really cool vendors) was the people. The people at these events were so respectful of one another's cosplays, costumes, and just presence in general. It was really refreshing to be people watched in a positive light (as I was one of those in costume). I give this 4/5 stars because of the food. The food was awful. A burger shouldn't be ruined, but it was ruined. It tasted terrible. The fries were severely undercooked and the employees were just super cranky. Awesome Con, please bring some reasonable food to this establishment. People come from all parts of town and even the nation to come to an event like this. Make sure they're fed well. read more

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Disclaimer: I won two 3-day passes via Yelp Elite. I paid to go to AwesomeCon in 2021 and went, via Yelp, in 2019. Something something global pandemic for 2020. This year, I went for some portion of all three days. Anyway, apparently someone over there read my first review from 2019. The exhibit hall HAS seating near the food area now. Formerly, it was just a huge space and folks were sitting wherever. Good stuff. The exhibit hall remains one of my favorite parts -- its fun to walk around and see all the vendors and cosplayers. The panels are interesting and I think there is enough variety that you can find your own niche or interest fairly easily. I would appreciate it more if moderators repeated questions coming from the audience in panels (less so on the Main Stage). Humans without microphones are hard to hear. I haven't been to other cons so my experience has only been this. I'm fairly confident that major ones like ComicCon probably have cooler offerings. read more

Another year, another Awesome Con experience. I want to state up front, before describing my day here in 2017, that after last year's fiasco involving Peter Capaldi and Jenna Coleman Awesome Con's event management did seem to improve in some areas. This is evidenced by the fact that I was only in line 30 minutes for a photo and two hours for an autograph - for David Tennant, a man so popular that he could absolutely have brought the con to the same standstill we saw last year. That sort of speed for a celebrity that popular comes from a system that is at least good at its core, so I really do give the team credit where credit is due. Unfortunately I personally did not have a great con experience this year. A lot of this was due to a ticket change that I admittedly did not catch before arriving. Due to new VIP guest pass benefits, guest pass holders no longer got the first shot at the guest's panel and autograph lines. While I do take some responsibility for missing the update, the adjustments in badge benefits were very badly advertised and widely misunderstood. This is evidenced by the number of other people who had no idea about the changes. Unfortunately, all VIP ticker holders were more or less lumped into giant lines during Saturday, with a few exceptions. I definitely think splitting up the different VIP pass levels - particularly when assigning autograph times - could have helped with some of the crowd control issues I saw this year. Speaking of crowd control: on Saturday the entry hall lines became intertwined and some unfortunate guests trying to get to David Tennant's panel line were diverted downstairs to the vendor room. I feel so bad for them, as any delay impacted your seat at that panel. I personally was in line for it at 7:30am, 3 hours before its start time. I arrived that early because I wanted time to navigate the extra security put in place this year. I had no problems with that, BUT security did impact another part of my day: food. Because of the new bag checks, I don't think anyone wanted to leave the building and risk getting stuck in a re-entry line. The result? People were waiting up to two hours in line for burgers and fries in the con. I eventually ate my first meal of the day at 5:30 (after being fueled by small snacks in my bag + an amazing guest who shared her granola with me). But there was nowhere to sit when I DID get the food. The seating we had last year had disappeared, I suspect because of the number of vendor booths on the floor. To summarize why I wasn't thrilled with my experience - I unfortunately spent my day either in disorganized lines or running to try and get to another line across the building by my assigned time. I never had a shot at seeing any other guests or panels. I had no access to food, as mentioned. I got yelled at by a volunteer when I got lost at one point, and they did nothing to point me in the right direction - that was quite the treat. I really did not feel like a VIP ticket holder any time during my day. And my experience was pretty mild compared to the posts I saw from other guests; I was especially sad for people saying that they were flat out turned away from the guest panels they thought their guest specific passes included. This was the first con where, after my Saturday experience, I decided enough was enough - while I was enjoying parts of my day (Wonder Woman's costume was here - badass!), this con was not feeling very fun. After the Sunday last year and my Saturday this year, I just didn't want to come back. I was promised an improvement after last year's "growing pain", and unfortunately I personally did not get it, primarily due to poor communication. The changes in ticketing in particular were the most confusing, and not very well emphasized to those of us used to the original system. (I really think a product chart like major brands make would be helpful for those of us trying to read the massive webpage and pick the right ticket package for our day. Hint hint!) I didn't change my star rating despite my day because, as I mentioned at the beginning, clearly at the core of the event something was going well. Some of the bumps I hit were my fault, some were just part of the con experience, and I've tried to be fair in my review despite my less than ideal day here as I know organizing these events is rough. Next year I am definitely taking a break from the expensive trip to D.C. and to Awesome Con. But I'll be keeping an eye on their social media feedback before I completely write them off for all future visits, because they did keep the crazy day moving along at a steady albeit slow pace, and I have to accept at least some of the blame for not understanding all of the VIP package options. More clarity - and more food! - would still be very helpful and appreciated as a potential guest. read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Had a great time experiencing the comic world thanks to Yelp! Not being very knowledgeable of this world, it was a fun, eye opening experience. I loved seeing everyone so passionate about these characters and shows, walking around with pride in their costumes. It was great to be around people with such passion and energy! I think this is the ultimate heaven for any comic lover. There's so much to see and do, you can easily spend several hours walking around people watching! Shoutout to Commonwealth Joe for having an active presence at the convention, showing off their nitro cold brew & kombucha vending machines! read more

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This was my first time ever attending a CON festival/show and had a pretty good time. I saw, but did not meet: Anthony Michael Hall (Sixteen Candles), Lou Ferigno( The Incredible Hulk), Weird Al Yankavic, Ralph Macchio (The Karate Kid) and many others for the Star Trek Next Generation. i was really there for the print art. Found some Black Panther charater posters and some Hip hop art as well. Cosplay is really big in DC and Baltimore and had no idea that so many people are into this stuff. It was an eye opener. Looking forward to see what else comes around. read more

Awesome Con - Festivals Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia