It has been on the lips of every fanboy, cosplayer, geek, goth, and gamer for months now. It takes place in downtown Atlanta. It is coming up on Labor Day weekend. It is Dragon*Con 2011.
Dragon*Con. Just the name of it sends shivers of anticipation and excitement down my spine. It is the ultimate time to geek out on everything you are passionate about, whether it is TV shows, books, games, art, costuming, or anything else. It is also a time of non-stop partying with friends new and old.
If you've never been to Dragon*Con, I suggest watching the PBS documentary titled "Four Days at Dragon*Con". It does an amazing job of summarizing the mass hysteria that is this amazing by-the-fans, for-the-fans, pop-culture convention.
Dragon*Con will take place over Labor Day weekend in the now five host hotels: Hyatt Regency, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Sheraton Atlanta, and now Westin Peachtree Plaza. Registration and some programming begins on Thursday, September 1, and the full convention will go from Friday, September 2 to Monday (Labor Day), September 5. These four days will be filled with programming including panels, costume contests, performances, people watching, and of course, partying! Follow this column for updates on specific parties taking place throughout the convention, and for full post-con reviews.
Being that this is my third year of covering Dragon*Con for Examiner, I'd like to get directly into the meat and potatoes of what will be Dragon*Con 2011. For some background on Dragon*Con, visit dragoncon.org and read my article "Dragon*Con 2009 is one week away".
Here is what has gotten me excited about Dragon*Con 2011:
Guests
- Charlaine Harris, Kristin Bauer, Joe Manganiello, Denis O'Hare , Jim Parrack (This means there must be a "True Blood" panel!)
- Christopher Llyod, Lea Thompson, James Tolkan (suspected "Back To The Future" panel)
- Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew (suspected "Star Wars" panel)
- David Anders, Michael Trevino, Sara Canning (suspected "Vampire Diaries" panel)
- Sam Huntingdon, Sam Witwer , Meaghan Rath (suspected "Being Human" panel)
- Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus (suspected "The Boondock Saints" panel)
- Chandler Riggs and Jon Bernthal (suspected panel on "The Walking Dead")
- Felicia Day , Amy Okuda, Robin Thorsen, Wil Wheaton (suspected panel on "The Guild")
- Adam Baldwin
- Julie Benz
- Robert Englund
- Elvira
- William Shatner
- Lance Henriksen
- Michael Madsen
- Tom Felton
- Stan Lee
Performances
- Atlanta Underground Club favorites DJ Nemesis, DJ Spider, and VJ Anthony will all host dance nights
- Atlanta's own Attention System
- Freezepop
- Hellblinki Sextet
- Voltaire
- Jefferson Starship -- yes THE Jefferson Starship. They have created a rock-opera mosh especially for Dragon*Con which they will be performing one night; the next night they will have a concert featuring their popular hits.
- Lips Down on Dixie "Rocky Horror Picture Show"
Events, Areas, and Parties
Every year I attend the Masquerade Costume Contest. But this year there are a few new contests and events I'm excited about, in addition to several of the standard events.
- The 10th Annual Dragon*Con Parade on Saturday at 10am
- Comic Book Babes Costume Contest Hosted by Elvira and Voltaire. This replaces the old Dawn Costume Contest.
- Mr. Star Wars Fanboy Contest
- Night at the Aquarium
- Professional photography
- Con*tourage parties
- Art show/auction
- Walk of Fame
- Dealers Room and Exhibition Hall
Note: All areas and events at Dragon*Con require a membership badge. The only event that is open to the public is the annual parade on Saturday.
As you can see, Dragon*Con 2011 is going to be awesome. And this is just MY selected list! So finish up on your costumes and start getting that pack list ready, because Dragon*Con will be here before you know it!
For more information, visit dragoncon.org. You can also follow Dragon*Con on Facebook, Twitter, LiveJournal, and Myspace. Read about Dragon*Con past events and reviews. Keep following this blog for more about Dragon*Con, from the Atlanta Underground point of view.
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