Calling all Trekkies, Whovians and PokeMasters of Florida: It’s that time of year again.
SwampCon, a free, two-day convention featuring a combination of anime, tabletop and video gaming and science fiction-themed events, has come to UF’s Reitz Union for the third year in a row.
Megan Jones, a 20-year-old UF accounting junior and main guest coordinator of the event, said it was “a place where people interested in nerd culture can come hang out and have fun.”
A highlight of the event will include Whosical the Musical, a Doctor Who-themed musical. There’s also the Vocaloid Concert, a hologram concert featuring virtual pop stars, and the event’s very first drag show, which will feature local drag queens as well as some student performers, said Rachel Seaman, event coordinator and UF wildlife ecology and conservation senior, in an email interview.
SwampCon’s flagship event in 2012 had an attendance of about 2,000. It more than doubled last year with roughly 4,400 attendees, said Seaman.
This year, about 4,000 guests are expected from throughout Florida.
Some students will be coming to the event in costume, to celebrate the culture surrounding the convention.
Luci Behar, a 19-year-old UF nuclear engineering sophomore, said she was dressing as Kaylee from “Firefly.”
She said she likes seeing everyone else’s costumes and that she was planning on attending with friends from out of town.
“It’s close to home and it’s free,” Behar said. “It’s a good weekend to celebrate how nerdy everyone is.”
A version of this story ran on page 4 on 1/17/2014 under the headline "Pull out the capes and neon wigs: Fans unite at SwampCon"
