Ok, so, I’m not a huge fan of conventions. I want to be. I really want to be part of that nerd culture that thrives on conventions and panels and a room stuffed to the brim with people and product. But I’m not. I’ve tried. I’ve tried over and over again, but there’s just too many people, too much waiting, and too many over priced products that I didn’t want to begin with (minus the art, it’s always awesome looking at art). Plus, I’m very picky when it comes to how things are organized and how these events flow. Barring PAX in Seattle and possibly DiNK here in Denver, I tend to find conventions and similar events aren’t very well organized and it causes me stress. All that to say, it sucks, because I so want to be part of the geek crowd. Being part of a group and feeling like you belong is a necessity (in my opinion) of the human experience, so feeling stressed or anxious when I attend these things is a bummer. I’m glad other people can enjoy these gatherings, but for myself, I’ll just have to find other ways to fill that geeky part of my heart.
With that said, I still appreciate all the conventions that Denver hosts, even if I don’t go to each and every one of them. I want to highlight them today for those that are interested. And regardless of my presence, these happenings are great for people who do love giant nerd get togethers. It feels like there is one convention almost every month of the year. This is why I love Denver, because there’s always something going on, even if it’s not something I’m interested in. These types of events are accessible enough that if you are mildly interested, you can attend to learn more and see if the topic is for you.
This past Halloween weekend, Shari and I attended Fan Expo Denver (which I call Comic Con ’cause it’s way easier), and while I was hesitant to go because of past experiences, I was pleasantly surprised at how it went. Most of the panels didn’t interest me, sadly, so I still felt let down about that. It made me think, “Am I not a geek like I think I am?”. Perhaps not, perhaps I am more normcore than I thought I was and that’s ok. It’s alright for me to have a variety of interests. So we went to Fan Expo and we walked around Artist Alley where we saw lots of neat art (and lots of art that was not my style) and we saw Felicia Day and hung out with friends.
There’s more in Denver than just Fan expo though so check out all the cons and similar events I know about in Denver below so you can make your own choices about what you’d like to participate in. I know covid has caused the dates of these events to shift some so take my calendar below with a grain of salt and do your own research before deciding to attend one. What conventions and events am I missing on here?!
February:
- Genghis Con: tabletop gaming convention. Great for those interested in board games, role playing games, and card games (like Magic, not like Solitaire).
- Colorado Garden and Home Show: Landscaping, gardening, and home improvement.
April
- DiNK: Focuses on comics, especially independent creators. Smaller venue – 2 to 3 floors of comics and art.
May
- StarFest Denver: conventions within conventions, StarFest has multiple focuses including cosplay, Klingon, art, and science.
July
- Colorado Succulent Fair: (Previously held in April) Shop around for succulents and check out the plant show where people enter their plant babies in a competition.
August
- HearseCon: Yep, you get to see a bunch of different hearses (for funerals).
September
- Nan Desu Kan: For those that are a fan of all things Japan.
- Denver Tattoo Arts Convention: For those interested in tattoos, or even art in general. Some artists will even give you a tattoo there.
- Colorado Tattoo Convention: Doesn’t seem to be the same thing as the Denver one so putting this out there! Looks like they may also do a car and motorcycle show.
- Colorado Garden and Home Show Fall: turns out they have a fall show too? Shrug.
October
- Pikes Peak Zine Fest: In Colorado Springs
- Mile Hi Con: Focuses on literature but also has board games.
- Fan Expo Denver: (Previously held in June) All things nerd – Dungeons & Dragons, comics, writing, anime. Note: will be held July 2022.
Check out all the things I like about Colorado here!
Just Lauren 
I enjoy a home and garden show. It is like the literal polar opposite of Fan Expo…In terms of people anyway.
Ah, good to know conventions are back at your side of the world!
Nice read 🙂 always enjoy reading about other events and conventions across the Atlantic.