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DRAGON CON CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF POP CULTURE REVELRY

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 8/18/26

More Than 75,000 Fans Will Party on Peachtree for Five Days of Celebrity Guests, Eye-Popping Cosplay, Acres of Gaming, and Gloriously Geeky Awesomeness That Only Happens at Dragon Con

More than 75,000 pop culture fans are expected to pack downtown Atlanta over the five-day Labor Day weekend as Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture, science fiction, fantasy, and gaming convention, celebrates its 40th anniversary.

Fans come from all 50 states and several foreign countries to meet their favorite actors, artists, authors, creators, and experts, show off their latest cosplay, make new friends, and revel in the awesomeness that is Dragon Con.

Dragon Con runs from Thursday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 7 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand – plus AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

Guests – Oscar-nominated actor Edward James Olmos will lead a Battlestar Galactica cast reunion while Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk, stars of the fan favorite Firefly television series, anchor an only-at-Dragon Con mash-up of casts from Firefly, Castle, Resident Alien, and Tucker & Dale vs. Evil to meet fans, lead panel discussions, and sign autographs.

They will be joined by The Goonies’ Sean Astin, Stargate’s Richard Dean Anderson, Game of Thrones’ Lena Headey, Smallville’s Tom Welling and Erica Durance, Wednesday’s Evie Templeton and Isaac Ordonez, The Amazing Digital Circus’ Michael Kovach, Lower Decks’ Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome, legendary comics creator and co-founder of Valiant Comics, Bob Layton, best known for his definitive, industry-revitalizing work on Marvel’s Iron Man, plus author Matt Dinniman and voice actor Jeff Hays, the creative duo behind the massive multi-media franchise Dungeon Crawler Carl. 

Fans of the 1990s cult classic Starship Troopers will get a chance to meet Denise Richards, Casper Van Dien, Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, and Michael Ironside.

In addition, Dragon Con will host approximately 300 authors, artists, game designers, puppeteers, scientists, engineers, and other experts to lead panels and talk with fans across 38 programming tracks, from high fantasy to hard science.

Gaming – Dragon Con, one of the largest gaming conventions in the nation, offers more than three acres of gaming at AmericasMart Building Three, plus additional gaming and game-related programming in the nearby Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel.

Dragon Con offers the full array of games, including PC and console games, miniatures, role-playing games, collectible card games, social deception games, LARP games, and a basement full of familiar and rare board games. All gaming is free to Dragon Con members and begins Thursday, Sept. 3 at 4 p.m.

Fans can explore traditional arcade cabinet favorites and imports from across the Pacific in the ever-popular Japanese and Asian arcade, all of which are free to play. Atlanta’s own Joystick Game Bar returns with a pop-up version of its retro arcade in Peachtree Center Mall.

Programming highlights include game designer and astronaut Richard Garriott, a guest at Dragon Con’s first convention in 1987, discussing his efforts to regain control of his pioneering video game Ultima, while game designer and Origins Hall of Famer David “Zeb” Cook will draw on his 18 years’ of designing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns to lead fans in discussions of game design.

Celebrity Dungeon Master Mark Meer will lead a new D&D Live featuring the cast of Hades II, including Amelia Tyler, Erin Yvette, Jason Marnocha, Judy Alice Lee, Becca Q. Co, and Ashley Barrett; Final Fantasy XIV voice actors Peter Bramhill, Sena Bryer, and Javier Prusky will be on hand to talk about their experiences creating the game; and popular Twitch streamer AnEternalEnigma returns to perform his Silent Hill speedrun showcase.

Parade – Atlanta’s most colorful and always popular Dragon Con Parade steps off on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 10 am. The parade is free and open to the public.

The parade route remains the same as in past years. Beginning at the intersection of Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue, the parade will head south on Peachtree, east (left) on Andrew Young International Boulevard and north (left) on Peachtree Center Avenue. It will end on Peachtree Center Avenue between John Portman Boulevard and Baker Street, in front of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.

The route is convenient to three MARTA stations – North Avenue, Civic Center, and Peachtree Center. Parking downtown is expected to be tight. Dragon Con encourages parade spectators to ride MARTA.

The 2026 parade will be televised live on CBS Atlanta, with live coverage starting at 10 am and will remain on air through the entire parade. 

There are a number of live streaming options. DCTV will broadcast the parade live on a closed circuit to the convention’s host hotels, with rebroadcasts throughout the weekend. Parade coverage will also stream on dragoncon.tv, subscription required.

Cosplay – Dragon Con is well known for the quality of its cosplay and that tradition will certainly continue. The nation’s top cosplayers will show off their best work during the show, participating in costume contests every night of the convention and promenading throughout the five host hotels and the streets of downtown Atlanta.

Cosplay competitions remain a mainstay of Dragon Con. This year, there will be ten different contests, including the queen of competitions, Dragon Con Masquerade, the oldest continuously run competition in fandom; the craftsmanship-focused Friday Night Costume Contest; and the low-key and fan-voted Hallway Costume Contest.

Official Charity – Hope Atlanta, the state’s longest-standing nonprofit committed to preventing and ending homelessness,is Dragon Con’s official 2026 charity.

Combating homelessness is one of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ signature priorities, supported by $60 million in public funding to drive a historic public-private investment in dignified housing and supportive services. The city tapped Hope Atlanta to provide one-on-one assistance to individuals and families seeking housing and other basic needs.

This year’s effort follows a landmark 2025 campaign, which generated $325,000 for mental health advocate NAMI Georgia through auctions, exclusive merchandise, special events, and a dollar-for-dollar match from the convention. Dragon Con has raised more than $2 million for Atlanta-based charities since 2012. 

In addition to fundraising, Dragon Con conducts the largest convention-based blood drive in the nation. Each year, some 3,000 fans donate more than 6,000 units of blood and blood products in the annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive, benefiting LifeSouth, which serves more than 40 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 110 hospitals in the Southeast.

DRAGON CON 2025: A ONE DAY ITINERARY

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/15/25

Come with us to a day at Dragon con! John and I have attended Dragon Con for years, over 20 for him and in the teens for me. So needless to say, we’re veterans! So, we thought we’d put together the ultimate day at the con for you to grab for next year!

This itinerary is based on Saturday and you will need to purchase a badge to get into any of the Dragon Con hotels.

You’ll start your day by going to see the 10 am Saturday morning Dragon Con parade. It is the best way to see all the best costumes and this is free and open to the public. So, we would recommend you get there an hour early to get a good enough seat to see! Plus, bring water, camp chairs, and snacks as the parade is 2 hours!

Next you will need to fuel your day, so take a lunch break. Grab a bite at any of the local restaurants like Gus’ Fried Chicken for hot fried chicken. Other spots include the Peachtree Center food court, Aviva, or Willy’s to name a few. Plus, there is a food truck parking lot.


While at lunch, download the Dragon Con app and find some things to do during the day, like attend an early afternoon panel with one of your favorite celebrities, comic book artists, and more. This year we saw David Boreanaz who has starred in shows like Buffy, Angle, and Bones. The second panel was Simon Pegg from Sean of the Dead and Mission Impossible. I couldn’t make it to the 40th anniversary panel of Back to the Future, that would have been interesting to see Christopher Lloyd.


Go to the Marriott Marquis and take a walk around the walk of fame. It is a ballroom filled with all types of famous people from TV shows to movies to animators and voice actors. You can just walk around and see who is there or get in line to talk to one of your favorites. Typically, the celebrities charge for photos and signatures so bring some cash!

Then, go find your favorite cosplayers walking around and score a ribbon to attach to your badge! Usually if you interact with them or take their photo, they will give you one, and sometimes swag!

Are you into art? Head to America’s Mart to do some shopping. They have all kinds of goodies you can take home. This is something you could also do first thing during the parade, as we’ve heard that is lighter. The lines can be very long, so if you do this make sure you have at least an hour an a half.

Now, if you don’t want to do this you can head to the Hyatt Regency and people watch in the lobby. People are always happy to snap photos and video with you. They also have a fun “bucket of rum” you can get while doing this.

For our 21 and up readers, this is the perfect time to grab a drink and take a break. Some of our favorites are everything from the bourbon drinks at Sear in the Marquis to beers and Tin Lizzy’s and Skol Brewery to the famed mai tai at Trader Vic’s in the Hilton. There are other great cocktail, wine, and beer locations like Meehan’s Irish Pub downtown and cocktails at Red Phone Booth. Red Phone Booth even does a theme with specialty cocktails and food!

Take a trip down the skybridge, it is great people watching and take a stroll around the Hilton. It is the spot for group photos so you may be able to see a large group of Mario characters to maybe a Marvel meet up. Make sure to visit the Cult of John while you’re in the skybridge as well.

Make sure to turn right after exiting the skybridge between the Hyatt and Marriott Marquis, you’ll find a collection of working droids, and you can interact with! They are my favorite part of Dragon Con and there are so many new ones each year. Wall-e, R2, and BB8 are always there, as well!

It’s time to find another panel! There are so many, two a day is usually what I shoot for, and they are always fun and entertaining. I will never forget the one with Vincent D’Onafro last year! His story about how he got cast in full metal jacket is epic. Or the time, I went the Smallville panel, and all the stars stood on their chairs and sang.

Take a dinner break at one of the local restaurants or hotel restaurants around. We typically always eat dinner at Tin Lizzy’s Cantina, it is really affordable, and I love their So Cal bowl. Then, there is also Alma, they have the best Bulgogi beef tacos and a delightful fish dish.

After dinner, is the ultimate people watching time and the lobby of the Mariott Marquis is the best spot. You can grab some Mead from the Monk’s Mead and take in all the over-the-top cosplays! I’m sure you’ll find a photo op! This year, I really enjoyed what I call, “experience cosplay” where you can interact with the person, play a game, buy a trinket. Like the guy who dressed as a game show host and actually hosted a game show, or the battle of wits from Princess Bride. Also, hopefully you’ll see a herd of T-Rexes as well while you are there. They run a herd most nights!

It’s time for the Saturday night party in one of the ballrooms with dancing, drinks, and fun people watching. One is the Heroes and Villans Ball or the Zombie Prom.

If you’re up for it, concerts start at midnight and you can find some fun, entertaining acts. One year Here come the Mummies played and it was so worth the late night!

That is one packed day!


DRAGON CON 2024: THE YEAR OF THE PANEL

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/14/24

From Star Wars to the newest hit show to old school Anime and everything in between, Dragon Con is a yearly convention that brings all of the universes together for one big party. Whether you want to people watch or enjoy a parade, meet up with like-minded strangers, and enjoy a panel or two, there is so much to do at Dragon Con. This year with our 80,000 closest friends, was no different. Stunning cosplays, fun celebrity panels, enchanting parade, and a ribbon or two later Dragon Con 2024 was one for the books.

Panels

We are calling this year, Dragon Con 2024: The Year of the Panel! After the writers and actors strike last year prevented the usual TV show or movie focus, this year the panel came roaring back to life for us. We went to more than we ever had before from the entire star studded cast of 12 Monkeys TV show, the beautiful and funny Jared Padaleki best known for his time on Supernatural, and even dropped into a Marvel panel starting Vincent D’Onofrio, who I loved in Full Metal Jacket.

12 Monkeys panel had all of the stars like Aaron Stanford who played Cole, Amanda Schull who played Cassie and even Emily Hampshire that played Jennifer Goines. They spoke about their audition stories. The stand out was Shull who plays Cassie, she auditioned 7 or more times for this role. What she didn’t know is that a big star, they didn’t say who, was supposed to play Cole and wanted his wife to play Cassie. She would have a read with him and he wouldn’t show up or would just be super mean. I would never want to audition!! Some other fun facts were that they all hated the chair the most and they all spoke about what roles they would like to play other than their character.


The second panel was with the beautiful Jared Padaleki who started out in Gilmore Girls. Did you know he was only supposed to be in about 4, but ended up in 70? His biggest role came with Supernatural as Sam Winchester. On Supernatural is where he met his wife, Genevieve, who played Ruby, the demon. She was supposed to be with him on this panel but herself and her kids were all sick. He also revealed his least favorite episode was the Nutcracker and gave a descriptive detail of some of the stunts he had to perform. What I really enjoyed about this panel was how kind, warm, personable, and funny he is in person.


Finally, the best story of the entire con was at the Marvel panel with Vincent D’Onofrio. I am a huge Stanley Kubrick fan and am very familiar with his role as Private Pile in Full Metal Jacket. John and I agree we really loved his audition story about getting that role. He was good friends with Matthew Modine, who was the lead in the movie. He was bouncing and ran into him, Matthew told him to send in a tape. Back then you had to rent a camera to tape an audition and it was expensive. So, he sent in a tape to Stanley Kubrick and a bit later a British man called him saying Stanley Kubrick was on the line. He thought it was a prank from his friends and hung up on him! On Stanley! Kubrick called him back and said, “DON’T HANG UP!” So he sends him words to read. There was no punctuation or anything and he would have to tape himself again reading those words. He deduced from the words it was a Vietnam era soldier in training. He got the part. He also spoke about THAT scene in Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick’s only note was to channel Lon Chaney, you know from Nosferatu. Be epic. He said he knew he nailed it when Kubrick brought him back to see it on the screen. Did you know the drill sergeant was an actual drill sergeant? No wonder it was so lifelike!

Trends


Trends are usually a big thing, but this year it seemed like nothing really trended big like Barbie and Mario last year or Stranger Things the year before. One trend that is still going strong is the Loyal order of the ribbon. In case you don’t know, the ribbon trend is that people make ribbons and trade them for other ribbons. They actually were in the parade this year! I got an amazing ribbon about Supernatural this year that said, “Jared finally.” There are so many great ones, I am partial to the carpet ribbon and the 24601 from Les Misérables last year as my favorites ever.


With that another year at Dragon Con is done.