If you’re an anime aficionado, you probably know that the Glass City Con 5, a convention for lovers of Japanese pop culture, is happening on August 29 and 30. It’s been a popular destination for anime fans in Ohio for the past four years.
If you don't know anything about anime, the convention might not seem to be anything special. I’m here to tell you, that even if you’ve never seen Dragonball Z or Akira, that Glass City Con 5 will have a lot in store. Yes, even those who have no idea who Naruto is can enjoy marveling at cosplayers' elaborate costumes, perusing local artists' wares and playing all sorts of games.
Previous Glass City Cons have taken place on the campus of Owens Community College. This year the convention needed more room and has moved to the Seagate Center. Now, the convention will take over multiple rooms of the much larger venue. This means there's more to offer this year for anime die-hards and new attendees alike.
The art of the con
In the anime world, conventions like these are stomping grounds for cosplay enthusiasts, who take their love of anime and channel it through the art of dressing up as their favorite characters. While many might not consider cosplaying to be an art, the con will serve as an opportunity to showcase the quality of work people put in their costumes. That's enough for anyone to understand the merits of cosplay. You'll be able to see the costumes all over the convention floor, and in cosplay competitions, where awards for best costume and best performance are up for grabs. Alternatively, if you're looking to get into cosplay, many artists will be on hand for assistance.
The list of craftspeople in the Artist Alley is exceptional in terms of artistic diversity— browsing through the available artists, you can see chainmail forgers, jewelers, stuffed animal makers, and even people who work with fur, as well as various comic book and print artists. If you don’t see what you are looking for, many of the artists are glad to take custom orders.
On top of all the art and vendor booths, there will also be plenty of games to play at various side events. Local theatrical "escape room" purveyors, Trapped Toledo, will have a version of one of their popular escape rooms set up at the con. One room of the Seagate Center will be turned into an arcade with every game system you can think of, "from XBox One to Vectrex," as the con's website says. There will also be foam sword fighting, lazer tag and tabletop board games. It's amazing all of this is being contained to just a two-day event.
For two days of anime-fueled fun, even if you don't like anime, get your passes now for Glass City Con. Visit the event website for more info on Glass City Con 5.
Saturday, August 29 & Sunday, August 30. 10am-2am Saturday, 10am-6pm Sunday.
$30. Seagate Convention Center, 401 Jefferson St.
glasscitycon.com/
