It is hard for one to fathom that Dragon Con 2022 has come and gone. For five incredible days, fans of pop culture from all over the world descended upon downtown Atlanta. There is no other sight quite like it – hundreds of fellow proud nerds congregating together in one place. Okay, technically, in several different places. Between the five host hotels, dedicated vendor mall, and everywhere in between. As a first time DC attendee – I can’t even begin telling you what an experience it was. It did get off to a rather rocky start for yours truly…suffice to say it is a good thing to have insurance.

  To summarize Dragon Con would be akin to attempting to capture lightning in a jar. While not necessarily impossible – it would be difficult in itself with words alone. Both of these instances fall nothing short of being an unforgettable experience. Having been to several pop culture conventions throughout the years…none of them hold a candle to Dragon Con. The eclectic pallet of activities to choose from, regardless of the hour, is bar none. Not to mention, even when you have a plan from the start, you may as well forget that plan. If memory serves, I only went to a panel and a half out of the eight panels I wanted to attend. The majority of the time was spent practicing self-control over in the vendor hall.

Pro Tip: Always remember to wear comfortable shoes with good insoles, your feet will graciously thank you.

   Dragon Con has been a convention I have long desired to attend. Being invited to not only attend but also to review it, well, suffice to say I still can’t believe it. Perhaps one of the most memorable experiences for me was getting to go out on the infamous parade route. Members of the press were invited out on said parade route, to capture some truly unforgettable images of this long-standing tradition. The streets of downtown Atlanta were packed, elbow to elbow, with hundreds of people that humid Saturday morning. Faces young and old eagerly peered out, lighting up with palpable joy as costumed characters from across the pop culture multiverse made their way down the street.

This, my dear reader, is all part of the magic that is Dragon Con. The ability to bring a smile to someone’s face, even for the briefest of moments, is powerful. Put aside all of the ingrained hustle and bustle that takes place at a convention such as this and you will find unequivocal happiness. Everything else is simply icing on the cake, and I for one, look forward to returning next year.

*Memberships are now on sale for next year and the highly coveted hotel block is open now. For additional information, be sure to visit: https://www.dragoncon.org/. *