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SALT LAKE CITY — More than 55,000 guests attended the inaugural FantasyCon last weekend, and organizers say they are already making plans for a 2015 convention.
The three-day interactive event at the Salt Palace welcomed guests like Simon Pegg, John Rhys-Davies, Sean Astin, Sylvester McCoy, Billy Boyd and Summer Glau. Guests attended movie screenings, a cosplay contest, aerial acrobatic and magic performances, and participated in plenty of gaming.
“Considering that FantasyCon is a first-year convention without an established brand behind it, the response was amazing,” said Josh Patel, founder of FantasyCon. “We had people travel from across the nation and around the world to immerse themselves in the FantasyCon adventure. Created right here in Utah, FantasyCon brought the most talented fantasy artisans from around the world to our doorstep. This is only the beginning; we’re already looking at ways we can improve on FantasyCon next year.”
Rather than open the floor to vendors and exhibitors, the convention used its space to provide archery and swordfighting lessons, LARPing opportunities and fantasy-world food. A 25-foot castle, costume contests with cash prizes, and a three-story-tall dragon with a 63-foot plus wingspan also took up space on the floor.
In addition to guests attending the main event, FantasyCon reached out to more than 400 families of critically ill children or children with special needs during its July 2 “Night of Dreams” preview event. At The Complex that same evening, Elijah Wood DJed a kick-off party.
Last year, Salt Lake Comic Con proved Utah had a taste for nerdy events after the September 2013 event sold more than 50,000 tickets. In addition to its April FanXperience, [Comic Con will return in 2014 with guest Stephen Amell, the star of the CW's superhero drama "Arrow.”
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