Awesome Con, Washington D.C.’s Comic-Con announced three days of programming complete with panels, workshops, meetups, and celebrity appearances from Friday, August 20 through Sunday, August 22. This year’s Awesome Con programming includes LGBTQ-focused Pride Alley, a science fair for all ages, Awesome Con Jr.’s beloved kid’s programs, cosplay, gaming, and more. Attendees can start planning their Awesome Con experience and view the full schedule of programs online.
Like all good cons, Awesome-Con has lined up some amazing celebrity guest panels!
August 20
Adam Savage
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Charles Martinet
William Shatner
August 21
Christina Ricci
George Takei
The Lord of the Rings
Awesome Con’s Destination Cosplay Competition
August 22
Jonathan Heder
“Voiceapalooza” with Wes Johnson
Back to the Future (3 PM – Separate ticket required – Available online)
For the first time, Awesome Con unveils its newest programming track, Destination Cosplay, a forum designed to unite the cosplayer fan community. Beyond the show floor, fans can find cosplay changing areas, register for the revamped Cosplay Competition hosted by fan-favorite Mikal Mosley, and join various cosplay meetups from Pokémon to Power Rangers, Marvel to Harry Potter, and so much more. First-time nerds and con-goers can also visit The Lounge presented by Plus Ultra Entertainment, an inclusive meetup highlighting the BIPOC cosplayer experience.
The ever-popular, family-friendly pavilion Awesome Con Jr. returns with even more events planned to educate and entertain kids of all ages. Back this year is Pride Alley, presented in partnership with Flame Con, Geeks OUT, and Metro Weekly, shining a spotlight on LGBTQ creators and fans in an even more robust section of Artist Alley presenting special programs addressing diversity in pop culture. Pride Alley will unite all queer creators and fans with LGBTQ activities around Awesome Con through a dedicated section of Artist Alley and three days of panels and special events.
Powered by D.C.-based Solid State Books, the inaugural Book Fair will offer book signings, access to writers and publishers; see full programming online.
The annual Awesome Con Short Film Festival also returns with a new award. The “Best One-Shot” will celebrate favorite cinematic devices, the “Long Take” or the “Oner” by presenting selections in a new festival category.
Awesome Con has a little bit of everything at the Science Fair, filling a special area of the show floor with featured activations in collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation, including:
Women at NASA (Science Fair – 12:45 PM – August 21 – Room 144AB) meet just a few of the talented women who work at NASA. Hear about what led them to the space agency, the sometimes crazy paths they took to get where they are today, and the challenges they’ve faced.
Star Trek Tech (Science Fair – 2 PM – August 20 – Room 144AB) Star Trek contains advances in technology and science that push the limits of the human imagination. The National Science Foundation brings together a panel of scientists to discuss the tech behind Star Trek.
Uncovering Mars Through New and Future Missions (Science Fair – 7 PM – August 21 – Room 144AB) In this session, NASA scientists will discuss what we hope to learn from ExoMars, a joint program of the European Space Agency and the Russian Space Agency Roscosmos will launch to the Red Planet in 2022.
The Art of NASA: Visualizing the Future of Space (10:30 AM – August 22 – Room 144AB) Joins professional artists, designers, and modelers from Goddard Space Flight Center for a moderated discussion of art careers at NASA, the impact of art on NASA’s vision, and the role concept of art plays in mission proposals.
Tickets are still available for Awesome Con. You can purchase yours on their website.
Make sure you stay up to date with Awesome Con by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Will you be attending Awesome Con? We will! Keep an eye out for Fandom Spotlite on the con floor. Please share with us your convention plans in the comments and online.
