Photos and story by Toriana Williams / Contributing Writer
A place where gamers, geeks and nerds unite, Conapalooza is a gaming and pop-culture convention held annually in Kingsport, Tennessee. This year, the multi-day event was held from Oct. 12 through Oct. 14. If you’ve never been to a convention before, or “con” for short, you might not know what to expect.
Several things take place inside the hallowed halls in which adults, teens and kids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters from movies, video games, animes or books.
Inside the Meadowview Convention Center, panels, vendors and cosplay contests can be found. A panel is an activity or small event that a con-goer can attend or participate in. Many of these include discussions of particular shows, crafting, Q&As and more.
Vendors set up booths in the vendor hall to sell their products that are geared towards geek culture. Some products are pillows with people’s favorite characters printed on them, candles made to smell like Mrs. Weasley’s kitchen or a “Hobbit Hole,” illustrations by artists, clothes and the list goes on. Each vendor sells something unique and usually homemade.
Cosplay contests usually take place towards the end of the weekend. Cosplay is a shortened word for costume play and cosplayers create outfits inspired by or to look exactly like a particular character. People spend hours to even years on their cosplay outfit, making sure every detail is just right.
They’re then judged for their accuracy of the character they’re portraying and may possibly end up with an award for their efforts and skill. These awards vary from bragging rights to cash money to a feature on cosplay-centered magazines. Tickets to these events can be costly, but it’s an experience you’ll never forget.
Men, women and children gather to break the world’s record of the largest group of “Ghostbusters” at Conapalooza on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018 (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Jeffery Thomas dresses as an “Orc Barbarian” at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Donovan Leonard and his wife represent their company, Stoplight Stained Glass, and stand in front of their stained-glass creations at Conapalooza on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Michelle Capamaggio dresses as Sakura from “Tsubasa” at Conapalooza on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Members of the Johnson City Community Theater during the live-action performance of “Rocky Horror Picture Show” at Conapalooza on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Sarah Davidson flaps her wings during the cosplay contest while two of the three judges applaud her at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Sarah Thomas cosplays as a “wendigo” during the cosplay contest at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Kyle and Sarah Goodson cosplay as Harley Quinn and the Joker during the cosplay contest at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Expedition Cosplay’s Evacuations Shuttle, referencing the video game series “Fallout” at Conapalooza on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Ashley Forhkson poses during the cosplay contest at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct, 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Emily LeAnn, founder of the Uncommon Pixel, stands by her creations at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Ally Jones cosplays as a femme version of a male character from “Overwatch” at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Andrew Heath sits with his illustrations at Conaplooza on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Two children cosplay as “skins” from “Fortnite” at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Tina Walker, representing her business Serene Scents, displays her geeky candle creations at Conapalooza on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Hailey Schultz shows off her handiwork at Conapalooza on Saturday, Oct. 13, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
A member of the Johnson City Community Theater performs at Conapalooza on Friday, Oct. 12, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
Wes Peanutssen cosplays as Mr. Wilson at Conapalooza on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2018. (MTSU Sidelines / Toriana Williams)
To contact Lifestyles Editor Sydney Wagner, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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