The sun has set on another beautifully crafted, in person fan convention known as GalaxyCon Richmond.  Having returned to the Greater Richmond Convention Center last weekend, GCR provided fans of pop culture the – in some cases- once in a lifetime opportunities to meet their idols. Celebrities from all walks of entertainment happily greeted their loyal fans, with a passionate warmth that made the long periods of waiting in line worth it. Even now as I compose this review, I still find myself in absolute awe of having met two of the most amazing, regal actresses from the ABC show, Once Upon a Time.  P.S – I totally fangirled and forgot how to form sentences following my photo op with the Evil Queen herself.

   The lovely folks behind the scenes of GalaxyCon Richmond did a fantastic job hosting this highly anticipated, three-day weekend. I will be the first to admit that I was woefully caught off guard by just how many people attended Saturday alone. As I sat in bumper-to-bumper traffic in front of the convention center, surveying for a coveted parking spot, my jaw fell to the floor as I watched an endless sea of both costumed and non-costumed fans making their way inside. Note: It is always wise to arrive early to an event such as this to avoid such traffic and find a parking space early. Thankfully, there were several parking garages in the area with room to accommodate such demand.

    Once inside of the sacred walls – it felt like stepping into another world entirely. The amount of incredibly passionate fans – in and out of costume – was next level. There were so many Deadpools, dancing Pickachus, Evil Queens, Wicked Witches, Jedi Knights, and two particular costumed fans that received roars of applause and cheer. *I wish I had gotten a photo, but alas…* Two absolutely brilliant cosplayers dressed up as King Arthur and Patsy from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. There was even a killer rabbit mounted on Patsy’s backpack – like I said, brilliant. Everything from the seamless process of picking up badges to the layout of the vendors, even locating the various panels was seamless.

The only interesting caveat was how the autograph ques were set up for celebrity row. Normally, the word and associated feeling of claustrophobia is far from my immediate world. However, standing in one autograph line had me feeling like a cramped sardine. Playing devil’s advocate, I understand the organizers trying to maximize all available space…however, the space could have been made a tad bit bigger. Aside from that, everything else was smooth sailing. With that being said, waters that could have been otherwise turbulent were helped kept in check by the amazing house staff. These dedicated individuals were absolute saints in maintaining the, well, the venue itself. Guest services, security, custodial, food services, law enforcement – each everyone of this fine people deserve our thanks.

Did we mention that the actual venue itself was literally cool? For the amount of folks in attendance, and in turn their combined body heat – you couldn’t notice. Unless of course you were in a popular autograph line. Still, it was an amazing time that was well over a year in the making. To have had the chance to return to an in-person fan experience such as this…words alone cannot do it justice. Witnessing the palpable joy of fans both young and old as they converse with their favorite actor/actress – were some of the fondest moments. And speaking from experience, quite possibly the highlight of the entire convention last weekend.

Well, as the saying goes – all good things must come to an end. Plans are well underway for the 2023 GalaxyCon Richmond, being held once again at the Greater Richmond Convention Center. For further information, you can visit their official website at: https://galaxycon.com/. Can’t wait until next year? Their next event will be GalaxyCon Raleigh – July 28 – 31, 2022 at the Raleigh Convention Center.