There’s no shame in indulging in geeky pleasures at Penti-Con.
It’s a comic-book convention for nerds to fully embrace the worlds of sci-fi and fantasy through dozens of novelty vendors, fanciful activities and enthusiastic cosplayers.
Pokemon trainers will be competing in Pokemon gym battles.
Dungeon Masters are travelling from Vancouver for the Dungeons and Dragons tournaments.
Fans of the medieval ages will be able to make their own armour at the chainmail keychain workshop, and there will be lip-sync battles aplenty.
The Penticton Art Gallery will be hosting interactive events. And this year’s featured artists include voice actor Matt Hill and ThermoCosplay.
Lily Knelsen, association chair for Penti-Con, expects characters from the games One Piece, Baldur’s Gate 3, and Super Mario Bros to be popular among this year’s cosplayers.
Many people aren’t as embarrassed to embrace the world of make-believe anymore.
Knelsen credits the advent of the internet — which helped fans of niche games and shows to connect with one another, and then the success of Marvel movies which elevated comic book culture into the mainstream.
“Suddenly realizing you’re not alone is a huge thing,” she said. “Realizing your weird likes are the same as someone else’s, you feel validated.”
Penti-con runs Oct. 21-22 at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.
More information about the convention is available online. Children under 12 can attend for free.