10 things you need to know about Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the largest fan-run, multi-genre, pop culture convention in the world, located every Labor Day Weekend in downtown Atlanta within five hotels (Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency, Hilton, Sheraton, and Westin), and a massive marketplace (AmericasMart). It was started in 1987 and has grown from 1,200 attendees to an out-of-this-galaxy 85,000+ members. Learn more about the convention’s signature personality quirks below.

CHECK OUT: Everything you need to know about Dragon Con 2022

Tracks

Tracks are programming clusters run by fan volunteers that include panels, workshops, discussions and night-time parties. Some tracks cover genres, such as Animation, High Fantasy and American Sci-Fi Classics, while there are more specific tracks, such as Star Wars and Star Trek, and niche tracks that include Puppetry, Costuming, Writing, Skepticism, Space and Electronic Frontiers, amongst others. With 32 tracks as of 2022, you’ll definitely find programming that will match your interests. Keep track of all the programming by downloading the Dragon Con app - it will be your best friend all weekend.

Parade

The Dragon Con Parade is one of the hallmarks of the entire weekend, taking place on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 10 a.m. The parade is one of the few “free” Dragon Con events and will allow you to see everything from Stormtroopers to Super Heroes (and other pop culture icons) swarming Peachtree Street. It begins on North Avenue and ends in between the Hyatt and Marriott hotels downtown.

Celebrities

Explore this year’s “people to see” list and you’ll find that it is full of talented individuals who are actors, authors, artists, illustrators and more. They are usually part of panel discussions, can be found at the Walk of Fame for autographs and can also be seen having fun (and sometimes even cosplaying) with fans throughout the convention. You might even end up having a drink next to them at Trader Vic’s.

Cosplay

Cosplay stands for “costume play” and makes Dragon Con great for people-watching. Attendees usually tend to dress up in their favorite pop culture character on each day of the convention. Sometimes, they spend the entire year developing their outfit. There are many Costume Contests at Dragon Con to celebrate the amazing talent of Dragon Con cosplayers, including contests for Animation/Anime, Star Wars, Literary Characters (“Page to Stage”), Video Games and more. Dragon Con also hosts one of the largest Masquerade Costume Contests in the world.

Vendors

In their words, Dragon Con has “more sellers than you’d find on Mos Eisley.” With more than 200 vendors on four floors of AmericasMart, you can find games, collectibles, comics, art, apparel, wigs, metalworks, cosmetics and more. Check out the vendor halls during your programming downtime, but just a fair warning - it can get crowded! Additionally, next to the vendor halls is the Comic and Pop Artist Alley, which will allow you to meet creators of comics, animation, art toys, pop surrealism and more, as well as purchase products and get autographs.

Gaming

Dragon Con offers plenty of opportunities for gaming. Whether you’re into Dungeons and Dragons or Magic the Gathering, or other traditional tabletop or video games (PC and console), you can definitely get your game on at Dragon Con. Also, an entire Kid’s Track has plenty of child-friendly social activities if you’re bringing kids along.

Dragon Con After Dark

Dragon Con can also be described as “Nerd Mardi Gras.” Since the convention occurs in five hotels, and the hotels are closed off to non-Dragon Con-goers, the parties at night tend to either take place in the hotel rooms, in the main lobby, or at DJ sets in the ballrooms, such as the Last Party on Alderaan. Adult-only programming also occurs, such as the Late Night Puppet Slam and Dragon Con Burlesque. And remember, what happens at Dragon Con stays at Dragon Con.

Dragon Con TV

Dragon Con also has its own streaming service, Dragon Con TV, broadcasting throughout the convention. Shows on Dragon Con TV range from educational to entertaining, including live coverage of panels to music videos, skits and parodies.

Workshops

In addition to the standard panels that are included in the membership pass for the weekend, Dragon Con offers workshops at an additional cost. Great for those who want to learn a new skill, workshops at Dragon Con include everything from game design, writing and voice acting to self-defense, tai chi and swordplay, as well as even beginner and intermediate magic workshops.

But Wait… There’s More

If time permits on your schedule, enjoy a performance by the Georgia Philharmonic Orchestra performing famous scores, become a spectator for the Palmetto Knights Tournaments, which recreates Medieval/Renaissance combat, or check out Twisted Toonz, a live movie read that mixes up voices from popular animated characters.