Over this past Labor Day weekend, DragonCon once again came to Atlanta to give many gamers, comic book fans, and geeks a fantastic weekend full of celebrities and events. On September 1 - 4, over 77,000 fans from across the world came to Atlanta to attend the annual DragonCon convention. The people in attendance ranged from collectors, to cosplayers, to artists, and too many pop culture icons to count. Celebrities who attended the convention to greet their fans and have a good time along with them included fellow Georgia citizen Alton Brown, the original green ranger himself Jason David Frank, several actors from the DCW shows (Arrow, Flash, etc.), and the legendary Stan Lee. Yes, Stan Lee himself made an appearance in the parade, much to the fan’s delight.
The annual DragonCon parade was one of several noteworthy events that transpired for the convention. Thousands gathered all across the streets of downtown Atlanta as cosplayers and special guests made their way around the district. The people in the parade included representatives of the Star Wars fandom, comics fandoms, and many others. For instance, one fan from Hillgrove who was in attendance was dressed up as “Dean Winchester from Supernatural”.
Atlanta’s Mart Center was converted into an entire vendor section full of rare collectibles and unique clothing. Collectible booths sold items such as old action figures, rare video games, as well as other items people would not see in an ordinary comic book store. Speaking of comics, a plethora of stands were devoted to selling graphic novels and autographed issues to anyone with a full wallet as well. However, the most unique aspect of the area was the attire on display. Items like costume variations, jewelry, and too many creative t-shirts to count were all over the place.
Also included in the convention were special panels and even a party at the Georgia Aquarium. At the aquarium, people in attendance could enjoy a night of fantastic imagery from the ocean while dressing up as their favorite characters and posing for tons of cool pictures. The panels at the convention involved multiple popular TV shows, movies, and even one guest starring Stan Lee. On top of that, Alton Brown was able to host a live Good Eats panel where fans also got to see him announce a new cooking show. These events were accompanied by autograph sessions where fans could meet several of the celebrities in attendance and get their merchandise signed.
All in all, DragonCon hit another home run this year with another convention full of excitement and entertainment for pop-culture fans all across the world. Found in 1987, DragonCon is an annual event hosted in Atlanta over Labor Day Weekend. As it as grown more popular as time has gone by, the convention has attracted more and more people every year. In 2017, it was reported that the number of people in attendance hit a new record, making this year the biggest year in DragonCon’s long history.
