Saturday April 13, 2024 | LANGFORD, BC [Updated April 15, 2024]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Watch out for the weirdness! Teens and adults of all ages will be dressing up in character as part of attending Island FanCon 2024 this weekend.
It’s the first time a cosplay convention will be held in Langford. The event runs Saturday April 13 and Sunday April 14 at City Centre Park (Eagle Ridge Community Centre), 1089 Langford Parkway.
Doors open today Saturday for VIPs at 10 am, general ticket holders at 11 am. Show closes at 6 pm, then reopens on Sunday at 10 am for VIPs, and general ticket holders at 11 am. Show closes at 5 pm.
For event organizer Lonnie Eckardt it’s a hobby. But a very important one. He has previously organized a long-running ‘Con’ in Prince George for years. One of his daughters has taken part in the cosplay world.
Red Carpet & Workshops:
Participants will ‘walk the red carpet’ at 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm and 5:45 pm on Saturday. More red carpet opportunities on Sunday at 1:15 pm and 3:15 pm.
Workshops run all day Saturday including ‘How to make your own movies’ and ‘Cosplay Photography, Modeling & Editing’. For beginners: ‘Cosplay 101: A Beginners Guide to Getting Started’. Workshops run all day Sunday including ‘Intro to Cosplay Makeup’, ‘How to Get into the Voice-Over Industry’, ‘Making Comics in Watercolour’ and ‘Finding Success With Online Webnovels’.
There will be a Squid Game Honeycomb Challenge at 2:15 pm on Sunday.
Tickets:
Tickets can be purchased online.
Single Day Passes: $32 (for either Saturday or Sunday) or 2-day weekend pass $55. The 2-day weekend VIP pass is $111; includes celebrity guest interview panels on both days.
Children 12 and under get in free when accompanied by a paying adult, courtesy of Westshore Rebels.
Beneficial for youth:
Slipping into the character of a favourite character from TV, movies or anime can be fun and entertaining. But it can also be therapeutic … a mental wellness safety valve for teens and youth to explore other sides of themselves in a creative, fun, social way.
Cosplay is a community that has created a social safety zone for itself. Participants know each and welcome newcomers.
Parents and grandparents are encouraged to know more about cosplay and its benefits for the children and grandchildren in their lives.
Many in the Zen-G age group have grown up with cosplay as part of their world.
Skill development:
Teens, youth and adults who take part in cosplay learn a lot about themselves, their peers, the fictional world and also about all the crafts and skills that are required to create costumes.
Many cosplayers learn to sew and build costumes, to create new hairstyles, and to deal with the excellence of theatre-quality makeup products.
Skills also get developed in terms of understanding story lines and the characters who bring them to life.
Other Cons in Greater Victoria:
The cosplay community has attended the popular Tsukino Con for many years in Victoria, held at the University of Victoria. A few years ago Destination Greater Victoria tried presenting a Con but coming strictly from a business event perspective it somehow missed the beat.
Bigger cosplay conventions are held in larger cities like Vancouver, Toronto and Los Angeles where high-profile celebrities draw big crowds.
People who are deep into the cosplay world do the best job of pulling of a Con with flair and good attendance.
Celebrity appearances and panels:
The April 13-14 Island FanCon program includes celebrity appearances by:
- Dave Foley (The Kinds in the Hall, Fargo, News Radio, and more);
- Emily Swallow (The Mandalorian, The Book of Rona Fett, Supernatural, and more);
- Hafbor Julius Bjornsson (Games of Thrones, The Northman, Mountain of Love, and more);
- Forrest Griffin (Ultimate Fighter Champion, UFC Light heavyweight Champion, and UFC Hall of Famer);
- Jess Darrow (Encanto, Grand Theft Auto V, Blue Bloods, Monster High); and
- Jon Cor (The Flash, Shadowhunters, Dark Matter, Lost in Space, and more).
The opening panel will be held at 12:30 pm on Saturday — that’s the Artists Panel featuring John Galbraith, Andy Poon, Renee Nault and Breed (panel moderated by local writer and publisher Mary P Brooke).
Merchandise:
Of course the ‘merch’ is always fantastic.
Shopping at Island FanCon will include items by many vendors including: 2 Bish Creations, Adventure Dice, Armshair Alien, Bookwyrm Games, EastPost Sticker Co, Rob Demers Art, North of Hadrian’s, Teasomethings x SirDinhosaur, Yarn for Me, and more.
A full range of merch includes dice, brand wear, crystals, and more.
Hotel discounts:
People travelling to Langford to take in the magic of Island FanCon, can get a discount at one of the partner hotels: Four Points by Sheraton Gateway, Solo Suites, Fairways Hotels on the Mountain, Holiday Inn Express & Suite – Colwood. Use promo code FanCon2024 when booking.
Some in-home accommodations may be available.
Bus and ferry info:
Bus and ferry info is provided on the Island FanCon website.
On-site repair:
There is an on-site repair shop for costumes, wigs and more. There’s also a resting spot for ‘human repair’ to take a rest and maybe recharge your phone.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
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Island Social Trends founder and editor is Mary P Brooke.
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