Lifestyle
Read More ›
Captain America, Lando Calrissian, and Emerald City Comic Con 2024
Four-day event kicks off Feb. 29 at Seattle Convention Center
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2024 issue of Seattle magazine.
Come meet Lando Calrissian this weekend. Stop by and see Captain America, or Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings.
OK, not really. They’re fictional characters. But the actors who played them (Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars, Chris Evans, and Elijah Woods in Lord of the Rings, respectively) will attend Emerald City Comic Con 2024 at the Seattle Convention Center, which begins Feb. 29 and runs through March 3. So will plenty of fans dressed as their favorite characters.
Advertised as a “celebration of pop culture from every corner of the nerdy galaxy,” ECCC serves as a space for those from all fandoms to collaborate and “nerd-out” without fear of judgment.
“The atmosphere, it’s extremely energetic,” says Fallon Prinzivalli, marketing director for ReedPop, the company that runs and produces the convention each year, along with numerous other gamer and comic/anime conventions across the United States. “Everyone who comes in is really passionate about their fandom, and people are very excited because sometimes this is the one event a year where they can come and really feel like they can be their authentic selves.”
Besides seeing an array of dizzying costumes from fans of several genres, Prinzivalli is excited for fans to meet and interact with Evans, Williams, Woods, and other celebrity attendees, including Christopher Lloyd, Christina Ricci, and the cast of Twilight, to name just a few. The list goes on.
The estimated 80,000 people in attendance are also expected to generate $26.5 million in economic impact, according to Visit Seattle. The convention has grown since last year, and is now taking place in two buildings with more panel rooms and additional exhibitors.
New this year are Taverns (spaces for all ages), based on Dungeon & Dragon games where people can hang out, play table-top games, and meet with like-minded communities. Guests can attend cosplay, writing, comic, and gaming workshops hosted by experts, as well as a B2B Programming track that helps connect novices with professionals.
“We always want to make sure that you’re not just having fun, but there is also some kind of education component, a leveling up component that makes it beneficial for folks in pop culture as a career as well,” Prinzivalli says.
Luckily, a few photo ops with Evans remain, but tickets are selling fast. Visit the website for details on Captain America and the convention.
“I can do this all day.” If you know, you know.
Follow Us
Your Guide to Halloween in Seattle and Beyond
The Pacific Northwest was made for this time of year. Here’s how to celebrate it.
It’s spooky season in Washington, which means haunted farms, fall festivals, pumpkin carving, costume contests for pets and people alike, and more. Here are some of the best ways to celebrate Halloween in Seattle and beyond. Halloween Fun and Frights in Snohomish October 10-11, 16-18, 22-25, 29-31, November 1 Stocker Farms Visiting a pumpkin patch…
5 Cozy Fall Outings
Sweater weather is here. These five adventures make a strong case for getting out and embracing it.
Autumn is the absolute best. I start pulling out sweaters and scarves before the weather even remotely justifies it, then spend weeks happily overdressed. I love the whole production—noodle soups, spicy drinks, crunchy leaves, dark afternoons, fogged-up windows. Bring it on! Here are five ways to make the most of every minute. 1. Dates after…
Soapbox Project Founder Nivi Achanta Centers Community and Joy in Climate Justice
The Seattle organizer shares why taking action helps her stay hopeful—and how anyone can get started.
If you were asked to envision what the world could look like in the future, you might take a page out of a dystopian book. But what about imagining a future that feels more hopeful, one where you have access to reliable transit, green spaces, and opportunities to gather in community with others? That’s exactly…
Remember When the Eastside Felt Like a Road Trip?
Months after the Sound Transit 2 Line began crossing Lake Washington, Seattle and the Eastside feel a whole lot closer.
There’s a particular kind of optimism and happiness you feel when a city decides to connect itself to its own future. World-class cities invest in the invisible things that make everything else possible. They make it easier for ideas to collide, for workers to access opportunity, for culture to flow. The East–West light rail Crosslake…