ETSU-Con returns March 7-8 for a weekend filled with fun.
“[The atmosphere] is one of a kind,” said Ellinor Campbell, social media manager for ETSU-Con. “We’re connecting with people that we’ve never met before, and we’re getting to see and learn new things.”
This year, the student-run event will have a cowboy theme and will bring cosplay contests, panels, vendors, gaming tournaments and special guests to campus. This year, the guests will be actors Chris Tergliafera and Roger Clark and creator Troy Wagner.
“There’s really something for everyone. We’ve had panelists from the Gray Fossil Site before, talking about Jurassic World and how logical it is,” Campbell said. “We had one [panel] that was really popular last year. It was just like: how many dollars in crimes did all of the Sonic characters accumulate?”
Alongside attractions, there will be an Esports competition drawing people in from across multiple states. For cosplayers, there will be craftsmanship and performance competitions.
“Essentially, you come in costume of a character that you like, or that you have a costume of. Normally, the people who win are the ones who hand-make their costumes,” Campbell said. “We also have a cosplay performance category this year that is new. So essentially, a group of people can come with you, do a lip sync and dance to a song in cosplay.”
ETSU-Con typically has over 3,000 attendees and will be held in the D.P. Culp Student Center. Students and community members who want to help with the event can sign up to volunteer.
“We love volunteers,” Campbell said. “The people who volunteer get free access to the Con, a free T-shirt and there are opportunities to get free merch as well. It really pays off to be a volunteer.”
All ETSU students can claim free admission at the door. For community members, Saturday tickets are $30, Sunday tickets are $20, or weekend admission is $40 online or in-person. Discounts are available for ETSU staff, alumni, first responders and others, with ETSU University School students also receiving free admission.
Campbell encourages every ETSU student to attend.
“Especially because it is free, but once you see the schedule, you realize, ‘oh, that could actually be pretty interesting,’ even if you’re not a huge gamer or somebody who watches anime,” Campbell said.
The full schedule is set to be released soon. More information can be found on the ETSU-Con website, and their social media is updated frequently.
