What to Expect at a Mid-Pandemic Fan Convention

At this point, it’s a cliche to say that these are difficult times we’re living in. So much of how we interact with the world has changed out of necessity, with many things still up in the air and evolving every day. While the majority of the pop-cultural spotlight has been cast on the movie industry’s struggles to adapt to pandemic life, an under-evaluated aspect of the age of COVID is its effect on the fan community. Many beloved fan events and conventions have been indefinitely postponed or watered down beyond recognition – San Diego Comic-Con has been a series of video calls for two years in a row now. What does fandom look like in the middle of a pandemic? Fortunately, the Washington DC fan convention “Awesome Con” has modified its typical setup and opened the socially distanced doors for their first con back in these “difficult times.” As Pop Culture Maniacs’ resident East Coast American, I masked up and attended this weekend’s festivities in order to relay to you all…

What to Expect at a Mid-Pandemic Fan Convention!

1: The Size

The first thing I noticed as I entered the convention floor this past Friday was how radically scaled back it was in comparison to the cons of the past. Attendance was somewhat light, but the people who were there had plenty of space to move around comfortably. The aisles between booths were more spacious than I’ve ever seen. Gone are the days of being packed into convention center floors like sardines. Say goodbye to waiting in endless lines, as most panels now have a surprising amount of open seating. This was a pretty socially distanced con for better and for worse. Some may find they miss the fast-paced environment we’ve come to associate with big fan events, but I personally took comfort in having my personal space.

2: The Masks

 “Awesome Con” had a very strict mask mandate in place on the showroom floor, which is truly fantastic from a health and safety standpoint. It did, however, put a damper on the cosplay element of the fan experience. (What might have been a great Harley Quinn was now rendered screen inaccurate by the necessity of the mask.) So if you’re planning on attending a similar event, plan accordingly! The standout costumes were the ones that incorporated the face-covering into the look. Now is the perfect time to bust out that Jason Vorhees cosplay. Why not slap a Facehugger onto that spacesuit? Everybody loves a Mandalorian! Real heroes wear masks!

3: The Food

Specific to this year’s gathering was a designated floor of the building for eating and drinking. To prevent people from unmasking, food was only available in specifically designated areas of the building where eating was permitted. Another big win for the more COVID-cautious attendees. Unfortunately, I can also confirm that convention food is still hot garbage. Aside from a small setup from landmark DC restaurant Ben’s Chili Bowl, the majority of the food sold at the con was overpriced and disappointing. I paid around $10 for a veggie wrap that I swear was just one entire zucchini inside a tortilla and nothing more. So a lot has changed in terms of the availability and consumption of food at a convention center, but much is still exactly as one would remember it being.

4: The Guests

This year’s “Awesome Con” featured appearances from some heavy hitters in the world of pop culture. From George Takei and William Shatner to Micheal J. Fox and Christopher Llyod, the guest list was pretty stacked. That being said, my personal favorite guest is hands down Carl Weathers. Yes, the Apollo Creed actor was everything I could have hoped for and more. His panel was so joyful and positive. The man loves acting so much, and proudly performed all his famous catchphrases for the eager audience. In short, Carl Weathers is a national treasure who must be protected at all costs. While most of the celebrity panels were free with the price of admission, some of the more high-profile events were not, which is disappointing but somewhat understandable given the times we’re in. If you’ve got a deep enough wallet, there are still several stars happy to meet you from a safe distance. 

5: The Vibe

The most rewarding aspect of attending a fan convention in 2021 is the positive environment created by those in attendance. These are people with passionate interests who haven’t been able to share in their obsessions for over a year. You could feel in the air the overwhelming sense of community as we came together to proudly be our nerdy selves. 2021’s “Awesome Con” was attended by some of the most upbeat fans I’ve ever encountered at any convention. No one was pushing. Everyone was complimenting each other’s costumes. It was a truly cathartic experience in the middle of such a worldwide nightmare. 

In the end, I definitely had a good time at “Awesome Con” 2021. If there’s a fan convention in your area that you’re considering attending, I’d say go for it. That is, of course, if the area you live in is doing okay COVID-wise and proper safety measures are in place. I applaud “Awesome Con” for scaling back and insisting common sense COVID precautions be implemented, providing a safe space for fans to gather and geek out.