1Blobfest
The%20Blob%20might%20not%20be%20the%20most%20popular%20horror%20movie%20out%20there,%20but%20residents%20of%20Phoenixville,%20Pennsylvania%20are%20pretty%20proud%20that%20the%20film%20was%20shot%20in%20their%20little%20town.%20So%20much%20so,%20they%20host%20a%20yearly%20Blobfest%20to%20celebrate%20the%20movie%20that%20put%20them%20on%20the%20map.%20%20
Visitors%20can%20enjoy%20a%20self-guided%20tour%20of%20locations%20where%20The%20Blob%20was%20shot,%20screenings%20of%20the%20film,%20and%20other%20Blob-based%20events%20including,%20a%20beauty%20pageant,%20a%20fire%20extinguisher%20parade,%20a%20costume%20contest,%20and%20more.
2Merfest
The%20story%20of%20The%20Little%20Mermaid%20is%20all%20about%20a%20young%20mermaid%20who%20wishes%20she%20could%20walk%20on%20the%20land.%20The%20Merfest%20is%20for%20the%20humans%20who%20wish%20they%20could%20be%20part%20of%20her%20world.%20The%20convention%20is%20held%20at%20beaches%20and%20aquatic%20centers%20so%20aspiring%20mermaids%20can%20practice%20all%20the%20techniques%20they’ll%20need%20to%20make%20it%20in%20the%20sea.%20
Event%20panels%20cover%20things%20like%20holding%20your%20breath,%20underwater%20modeling,%20and%20mermaids%20in%20film.%20Entertainment%20usually%20includes%20an%20underwater%20fashion%20show,%20photo%20ops,%20and%20a%20performance%20by%20Ariel%20of%20Disney’s%20The%20Little%20Mermaid.%20There%20are%20also%20cocktail%20mixers%20and%20a%20ball,%20though%20guests%20will%20have%20to%20shelve%20their%20tails%20to%20attend%20these%20land-based%20events.%20
3Tedfest
No,%20we’re%20not%20talking%20about%20a%20festival%20dedicated%20to%20TED%20talks%20(that%20also%20exists)—TedFest%20is%20dedicated%20to%20the%20popular%20British%20comedy%20series%20Father%20Ted.%20
Just%20as%20the%20show%20was%20set%20on%20the%20fictional%20Craggy%20Island%20off%20the%20coast%20of%20Ireland,%20the%20festival%20is%20held%20on%20a%20real%20craggy%20island%20in%20a%20similar%20location.%20Events%20are%20based%20on%20happenings%20in%20the%20show,%20like%20Father%20Dougal’s%20Breakfast%20Movie%20Charades,%20a%20Lovely%20Girls%20Contest%20and%20Charity%20Auction,%20and%20Hide%20A%20Nun%20and%20Seek.%20One%20of%20the%20biggest%20events%20at%20the%20festival%20is%20the%20football%20championship%20where%20participants%20compete%20for%20the%20Craggy%20Island%20World%20Cup.
4Lebowski%20Fest
The%20Big%20Lebowski%20has%20not%20only%20inspired%20themed%20bars%20in%20
Started%20in%202002,%20the%20Lebowski%20Fest%20features%20live%20music,%20bowling,%20cosplay,%20White%20Russians%20and,%20naturally,%20screenings%20of%20the%20film%20itself.%20Occasionally,%20stars%20of%20the%20movie%20even%20show%20up.%20In%202005,%20Jeff%20Bridges%20performed%20the%20Bob%20Dylan%20song%20″The%20Man%20in%20Me”%20for%20fans%20at%20the%20convention.
Can’t%20make%20it%20to%20Kentucky?%20Well,%20there%20are%20smaller%20Lebowski%20Fests%20throughout%20the%20U.S.%20put%20on%20by%20the%20organizers%20of%20the%20original,%20and%20there%20is%20even%20a%20festival%20held%20in%20the%20UK.
5BrickFair
LEGOs%20have%20legions%20of%20fans,%20which%20has%20led%20to%20the%20establishment%20of%20eight%20theme%20parks%20around%20the%20globe,%20as%20well%20as%20various%20conventions.
The%20largest%20in%20the%20U.S,%20(and%20possibly%20the%20world)%20is%20BrickFair%20in%20Virginia.%20The%202014%20convention%20pulled%20in%20over%2022,500%20LEGO-loving%20fans%20for%20LEGO%20models,%20seminars,%20contests,%20games,%20shopping%20and%20more.%20Attendees%20also%20get%20a%20special%20badge%20made%20from%20engraved%20LEGO%20bricks%20and%20exclusive%20coupons%20and%20giveaways.
For%20those%20who%20can’t%20make%20it%20to%20Virginia,%20BrickFair%20also%20offers%20smaller%20conventions%20in%20Alabama,%20New%20Jersey,%20and%20New%20England,%20promising%20one%20a%20season.%20
6Power-Con
Most%20kids%20who%20grew%20up%20watching%20He-Man%20and%20She-Ra%20and%20playing%20with%20the%20toys%20in%20the%2080s%20outgrew%20them%20by%20the%2090s,%20but%20some%20dedicated%20fans%20never%20abandoned%20The%20Masters%20of%20the%20Universe.%20For%20those%20who%20still%20dream%20of%20rocking%20a%20fuzzy%20loin%20cloth%20and%20riding%20a%20green,%20flying%20tiger,%20the%20Power-Con%20is%20the%20ultimate%20place%20to%20meet%20the%20show’s%20creators%20and%20cast%20members,%20talk%20to%20fellow%20fans%20and%20get%20your%20hands%20on%20those%20collectible%20toys%20your%20mom%20never%20bought%20you%20as%20a%20child.
7BotCon
The%20BotCon%20also%20is%20dedicated%20to%20an%2080s%20cartoon%20show%20and%20toy%20line—Transformers.%20That%20franchise%20has%20gotten%20more%20over%20the%20last%20decade%20thanks%20to%20all%20those%20Michael%20Bay%20movies.%20Despite%20its%20popularity,%20BotCon%20has%20been%20swallowed%20up%20by%20Hasbro’s%20HasCon,%20which%20will%20feature%20toys%20and%20programming%20based%20on%20all%20types%20of%20Hasbro%20franchises,%20including%20not%20only%20Transformers%20but%20G.I.%20Joe,%20My%20Little%20Pony,%20and%20Magic:%20The%20Gathering.%20
Not%20surprisingly,%20many%20fans%20aren’t%20too%20happy%20about%20a%20convention%20specifically%20focused%20on%20their%20favorite%20franchise%20being%20taken%20over%20by%20a%20corporation.%20That%20said,%20those%20seeking%20a%20Transformers-only%20convention%20can%20now%20attend%20the%20TFCon,%20an%20unofficial%20Transformers%20gathering%20that%20is%20fan%20operated.
8BronyCon
In%20the%2080s,%2099%%20of%20My%20Little%20Pony%20fans%20were%20girls%20under%20the%20age%20of%2010.%20But%20there%20was%20just%20something%20special%20about%20My%20Little%20Pony:%20Friendship%20is%20Magic%20that%20aired%20in%202010.%20The%20program%20managed%20to%20attract%20two%20distinct%20groups:%20the%20predictable%20audience%20of%20girls%20under%2010,%20but%20also%20an%20audience%20of%20male%20teens%20and%20adults%20known%20as%20Bronies,%20many%20of%20whom%20probably%20never%20picked%20up%20an%20MLP%20toy%20before%20watching%20Friendship%20is%20Magic.%20As%20a%20result,%20there%20are%20a%20few%20different%20types%20of%20conventions%20catering%20to%20the%20show’s%20fans.%20
The%20biggest%20gathering%20of%20all%20is%20BronyCon,%20held%20in%20Baltimore.%20With%20only%2030%20people%20at%20the%20first%20meet%20up,%20the%20convention%20has%20grown%20exponentially%20and%20attracted%20over%207,600%20attendees%20in%202016.%20Despite%20Hasbro’s%20takeover%20of%20the%20BotCon,%20Bronycon%20will%20continue%20for%20the%20time%20being.
9MineCon
Between%20E3,%20PAX,%20BlizzCon,%20and%20others,%20there%20are%20plenty%20of%20gaming%20conventions%20out%20there,%20but%20only%20MineCon%20focuses%20on%20the%20simple%20joys%20of%20digging%20and%20crafting%20in%20the%20world%20of%20pure%20pixel%20art%20that%20makes%20up%20Minecraft.%20
Like%20BronyCon,%20MineCon%20started%20out%20organically%20as%20a%20meetup%20for%20around%2030%20fans%20and%20has%20grown%20into%20a%20full-size%20convention,%20with%20the%202016%20event%20pulling%20in%2012,000%20people.%20Every%20year,%20attendees%20score%20a%20free,%20exclusive%20in-game%20cape%20for%20their%20avatars.%20As%20for%20things%20to%20do%20at%20the%20convention,%20you%20can%20meet%20other%20fans%20of%20the%20game,%20battle%20in%20tournaments,%20compete%20in%20costume%20contests,%20and%20watch%20panels%20held%20by%20game%20creators.%20
10Pokemon%20Go%20Fest%20
This%20event%20is%20specifically%20dedicated%20to%20the%20Pokemon%20Go%20mobile%20app.%20The%20festival%20was%20organized%20to%20celebrate%20the%20one-year%20anniversary%20of%20the%20game,%20and%20despite%20its%20recent%20loss%20of%20popularity,%20there’s%20still%20plenty%20of%20interest%20in%20the%20convention,%20which%20sold%20out%20within%20a%20day.%20Scalped%20tickets%20are%20selling%20for%20as%20much%20as%20three%20times%20the%20original%20asking%20price.