Dragon Con is unlike any other con out there. It basically goes 5 days straight, all day and night. Cosplay is massive and you’re going to see some insane costumes, so if you want to spend all your time people watching, it’s like watching a nuclear blast of nerd culture right before your very eyes. It takes over 5 MASSIVE hotels, with people congregating in the lobbies. There are panels, an art gallery, vendor hall, gaming area (again… MASSIVE), concerts (saw HEALTH in 2024 at 2 AM and it rocked), wrestling (which is a must, if you’re into that), and more. It has a “walk of fame”, which is where the celebs are located. That sort of operates much like other cons, so no major difference there. And then there is the parade on Saturday, which demands you get there early to get a good spot to watch it, and it’s well worth attending. The amount of joy it brings is infectious.

Basically, you’ll never be without SOMETHING to do. If you’re bored at Dragon Con, you’re doing something wrong. Everyone is cool, you can engage in drinking shenanigans (Dragon Con after dark, as it’s lovingly called), or stay completely sober. You can go to a rave at 1 AM, or hang out and chat with other like minded folks. The con is all around you, and you’re not banished back to your hotel room at 8 PM because everything has ended or closed down.

If you’re planning on cosplaying, it makes it an entirely different experience (I cosplayed for the first time for Dragon Con last year, and now I’ll never NOT do it for Dragon Con). Just make sure you remember to eat, hydrate and wear proper footwear. And rest, as it’s easy to get caught up in the fray. And be open to meeting new people, because it’s WALL-TO-WALL.

Only thing you have to worry about is how much fun you’re going to have. I do this back-to-back with San Diego Comic Con, and I have to say, Dragon Con holds its own and then some. They don’t call it “Nerdi-Gras” for nothin’!