Awesome Con Celebrates the Geek in All of Us
"Awesome Con is a happy place for a lot of people," says Heather Barnes of the annual event landing in D.C. April 4 to 6.
“People just really wanna go to their happy place right now,” says Heather Barnes. “And Awesome Con is a happy place for a lot of people. Some people look forward to it all year long. And it’s finally here. It’s like Christmas.”
As a senior marketing manager at LeftField Media, Barnes is well-acquainted with the inherent joys of Awesome Con. The D.C. comic-con, held annually at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, is a strikingly massive event, boasting panels, showcases, celebrity guests, tons of artists, and more attendee cosplay than you can wield a Poké Ball at.
This year’s con, from April 4 through 6, features celebrity appearances by Sean Astin, doing double duty from the Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Goonies, Liv Tyler and Orlando Bloom from Rings, Martha Plimpton from Goonies, and the powerhouse comedy team of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shawn of the Dead, Hot Fuzz), among dozens of others, including noted voice actors and comic book creators who have their own avid fan bases.
There’s also a science fair, a book fair, a video gaming area with classic arcade games, and a sprawling artist’s alley.
“It’s close to 400 tables of artists that come mostly from the DMV area and all over the country,” Barnes says. “They bring everything from their 2D art to their paintings, to their crafted crochet key chains…. You’re gonna find a huge range of things there.”
With a presidential administration attempting to tear down inclusivity at every turn, Awesome Con is a safe space that not only celebrates individuality and inclusion, but elevates it to the highest level. “Here it’s okay to just be yourself and love what you love and do what you wanna do,” she says. “There’s a big sense of togetherness at Awesome Con.”
Awesome Con walks the walk. For years, organizers have included Pride Alley, a corridor specifically for LGBTQ artists. And Barnes points out that the official charity for this year’s event is Capital Pride Alliance. “We will be accepting donations on their behalf, which we will give to them after the show,” she says.
She notes that “the LGBTQ community has had a massive impact on all geek pop culture…. They are writers, they are creators, they are artists, they are performers, they are cosplayers. We would not exist — at least not in the capacity that we exist now — without the gay community.”
Awesome Con is April 4-6 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For more information, or to purchase badges, visit www.awesome-con.com.
Donate to the Capital Pride Alliance via Awesome Con at www.awesome-con.com/clarion-cares. After donating, show your receipt at the Awesome Con Merch Booth (#1921) to get a FREE vintage pin ($5 donation minimum) or a vintage t-shirt ($15 donation minimum).
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