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(#1) DragonCon
Date & Location: DragonCon happens during early September at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Atlanta, GA. The website references specific dates.
Average Attendance: 80,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pass is $50, and a three-day pass is $130.
Past Highlights: The Julie Award, which commemorates comic book editor Julius Schwartz, is given to industry professionals every year at this convention. The past recipient list includes Ray Bradbury, Yoshitaka Amano, Alice Cooper, and Neil Gaiman.
Why You Should Go: DragonCon is one of the largest conventions in the United States; it typically focuses on science fiction and fantasy. There's always something exciting to see at the event, and it's even good for kids.
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(#2) Gen Con
Date & Location: Gen Con occurs during August in Indianapolis, IN. Details about the current dates are online.
Average Attendance: 60,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pay is between $60 and $70; a four-day pass costs $110.
Past Highlights: Each convention focuses on a wide variety of new releases in tabletop gaming. New editions of Dungeons & Dragons are sometimes revealed during this event.
Why You Should Go: If you like tabletop gaming, go to Gen Con. It's the largest tabletop-game convention in North America, featuring pen-and-paper RPGs, card games, and traditional board games.
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(#3) Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)
Date & Location: It happens in June at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. Check out specific days on the webpage.
Average Attendance: 64,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A three-day Gamer Pass costs $249, but supplies sell out quickly.
Past Highlights: Many video game companies announce upcoming titles at this convention. In 2015, the Fallout 4 E3 announcement caused quite a stir in the gaming industry.
Why You Should Go: E3 was once an industry-only event, but it opened to the public. Now, anyone can experience the latest in hot entertainment and technology. This con is also one of the largest gaming news expos in North America.
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(#4) San Diego Comic Con International (SDCC)
Date & Location: It takes place during July in San Diego, CA. You can find the current dates on their website.
Average Attendance: 130,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pass is between $40 and $55, and a four-day pass is about $245.
Past Highlights: Many franchises release important information at the SDCC. For example, Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War poster was revealed during a panel there in 2017.
Why You Should Go: This is one of the largest geek conventions in the world. Many celebrities and creators attend. If you are into cosplay, gaming, or comics, buy tickets for this event.
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(#5) PAX
Date & Location: There are five PAX conventions held throughout the year in Seattle, WA; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; San Antonio, TX; and Melbourne, AU. The dates vary, but specifics can be found on the website each year.
Average Attendance: 80,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pay is about $52.50; three-day passes are about $105.
Past Highlights: Every PAX convention is unique, but in 2017 at PAX Boston, Overwatch game fans came in droves. They all engaged in intense cosplay.
Why You Should Go: PAX is almost entirely focused on the video game industry, so it's fun for many serious gamers. Originally called the Penny Arcade Expo, this convention accommodates people all over America; you probably won't have to travel too far from your hometown to attend.
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(#6) Anime Expo (AX)
Date & Location: The Anime Expo happens in early July at the Los Angeles Convention Center in California. The website lists upcoming dates.
Average Attendance: 107,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A single days costs $55, and a four-day pass is $115.
Past Highlights: Every year, AX raises thousands of dollars to support organizations like the Children's Hospital of Orange County and the Japanese Red Cross.
Why You Should Go: AX is one of the largest and fastest-growing anime conventions in America. It has a significant cosplay presence and is regularly attended by industry professionals and YouTube personalities.
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(#7) Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC)
Date & Location: This convention happens during February or March in Seattle, WA. You can find the current ECCC dates on their website.
Average Attendance: 95,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: Single-day passes cost between $40 and $50.
Past Highlights: The Cosplay Competition is usually a major attraction.
Why You Should Go: The ECCC is one of the largest comic book conventions in the United States. Scores of celebrities attend, and revelations about new projects always occur.
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(#8) Go Play NW
Date & Location: Go Play NW usually happens in early July, following the Independence Day weekend in Seattle, WA. For specific dates, visit the website.
Average Attendance: Attendance records are unreported, but crowd numbers reach into the thousands.
Approximate Cost to Attend: It costs between $70 and $100.
Past Highlights: The con is uniquely designed to allow gamers to meet each other and play RPGs.
Why You Should Go: This is the only convention dedicated to role-playing games. Other tabletop game events certainly have some space dedicated to RPGs, but Go Play NW is the place to find information, recommendations, and new friends.
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(#9) WonderCon
Date & Location: WonderCon typically occurs in March or April. Locations vary, but it's always somewhere in California. For current dates, check out their website.
Average Attendance: 60,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: One-day passes cost between $20 and $35, and three-day passes are $75.
Past Highlights: WonderCon is deeply rooted in comic culture. Vendors sell rows and rows of elusive comic books.
Why You Should Go: WonderCon features booths and guests from popular films, but the event focuses on the comic book genre. Unlike larger conventions, WonderCon never strays too far from its roots.
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(#10) New York Comic Con (NYCC)
Date & Location: The New York Comic Con happens in early October at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, NY. The website lists upcoming dates.
Average Attendance: 180,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day ticket is between $45 and $50, three-day passes are $150, and four-day passes are $195.
Past Highlights: The Hey Arnold: The Jungle movie trailer was released at the 2017 NYCC.
Why You Should Go: This convention is perfect for people who live on the East Coast in the United States. It absorbed the former New York Anime Festival, honoring every aspect of geek culture from popular films and comics to cosplay, manga, and anime.
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(#11) IndieCade
Date & Location: IndieCade typically occurs during the first half of October in Culver City, CA. Current dates are on the website.
Average Attendance: 57,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pass is $25, but some four-day passes are $495 if you want an all-access experience.
Past Highlights: IndieCade chooses the top 40 independent games out of more than 1,000 submissions, so players get really unique experiences.
Why You Should Go: There are hundreds of amazing independent games, and IndieCade celebrates those titles. TIME even refers to the event as the game industry's Sundance. This convention is a great outlet for gamers and small-scale game designers.
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(#12) A-Kon
Date & Location: A-Kon typically takes place in late May or early June at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas. Current dates are always posted on the website.
Average Attendance: 33,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: A one-day pass is between $45 and $55, and a four-day pass is $79.
Past Highlights: Big YouTube gamers usually attend this event.
Why You Should Go: As one of the longest-running anime conventions in North America, A-Kon attracts many people. There are also a lot of Japanese vendors with video games and tabletop games. Sometimes there are martial arts demonstrations as well.
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(#13) BlizzCon
Date & Location: This event happens in either early November or late October at the Anaheim Convention Center in California. The BlizzCon website lists all event dates.
Average Attendance: 35,000+
Approximate Cost to Attend: Tickets for the two-day event cost $199, and the BlizzCon Benefit Dinner costs between $500 and $750.
Past Highlights: BlizzCon 2017 announced the return of vanilla World of Warcraft servers and a new hero for the Overwatch game.
Why You Should Go: The BlizzCon publishing company hosts this convention to promote their products. The event is all about Warcraft, Starcraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and Overwatch. If you love these games, this is the place for you to get important info.
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About This Tool
There was a time when "freaks" and "nerds" were derogatory labels, but nerds and geeks are the new fashion and not news anymore. Nowadays, parents are not surprised that their children go to role-playing conventions in different cities, and some of them are even curious about which one is the most fun to participate in with their children. Geek culture can be found in other fields such as painting, music, and games.
We have compiled a list of the 13 best and most famous geek conventions in the United States that all nerds would attend. You can find more specific information on the website of each activity to help you plan your schedule.
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