by Courtney Goodrum
edited by Jen Schleusner
A Decade at Dragon Con and a First-Timer by My Side
DragonCon is a unique event that has a special place in my heart. Every Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, over 70,000 people join together to celebrate cosplay, celebrities, voice actors, scientists, and pop culture artists.
This year was extra special—it marked my tenth Dragon Con, and I had the privilege of bringing my fiancé for his very first experience. I had tried to prepare him, but words can’t do this convention justice.
Prepping for Con Together
Throughout the year leading up to Dragon Con, I am in constant prep mode of creating costumes, swag and deciding what clever saying to put on my badge ribbons I am bringing to share. I have tried to prepare my fiancé for what is Dragon Con but sadly, words can’t do it justice. Every year we wait patiently for the app to upload and fill our eyes with all the events that will take place for 24 hours over five days. I encouraged my fiancé to take the time to look over the app and find a few things he would like to see or a panel he would like to attend. He found a few things and I was excited because they were events that were new to me too.
First Impressions of Atlanta and the Marriott Marquis
We arrived on Wednesday, checked into our hotel, and walked the footprint of the convention. For a first-timer, the skybridges, food court, and sprawling hotels can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, I know the layout like the back of my hand.
Then came the moment of truth—stepping into the Marriott Marquis. His jaw dropped at the alien-like architecture. He took countless photos, and I couldn’t stop smiling as I watched him soak it all in.
Traditions, Parties, and First Night Magic
That evening, I introduced him to one of my favorite traditions—dinner at Trader Vic’s. Afterward, we headed to the welcome home party at the Marriott, just in time for the midnight countdown. When the crowd roared to signal the official start of Dragon Con, he finally understood why I call it “coming home.”
Dancing the Night Away
Thursday night was one of my favorites. We started at the DrunkenDragon Tiki event, sipping some of the best drinks at the convention. From there, we made our way to the 120 Minutes dance party, where we danced until our feet ached.
Treasure Hunting in the Vendor Halls
The next day on, Friday we woke up early to go the vendor hall. He was the most excited for this because he loves to treasure hunt. We saw some great artists on the pop artists floor and he saw some comic book artists he is a huge fan of. When we made it to the venders, he was amazed at the variety and sheer amount of booths to check out. We spent majority of the day wandering the aisles and finding amazing trinkets, t-shirts and books. That evening he wanted to see the Costume Contest Display exhibit. This was where costume contest winners of the past displayed their creations. It was fascinating. This is an event I have never been to before but glad we did.
Cosplay, Contests, and a Night at the Aquarium
Saturday morning, he had chosen to go the video game costume contest. We found our way over to the Westin and waited in line and made our way to our seats when the doors opened in the ballroom. The costumes were great, I was a little lost as to who they were since I am not really a gamer, but my fiancé was in awe being that he is. Saturday evening, we had VIP tickets for the Night at the Aquarium. The VIP room was amazing and he was excited that the private ball room was set aside for us. The food was delicious. There were even waiters bringing around gourmet grilled cheese and moon pies. The DJ was spectacular playing classic 90’s tunes that had the dance floor buzzing. The Aquarium was also his first cosplay. He chose to dress up as Gojo from his favorite anime. We grabbed some drinks and began to wonder the aquarium. It was such a fun evening. His favorite exhibit was the walkway where you are walking in a tunnel with all the sea life and whale sharks swimming all around and over you.
A New Tradition and Serendipitous Discoveries
Sunday was a more relaxing day. We slept in and had lunch at Gus’ Famous Fried Chicken that was right next to the food court. He said it was the best fried chicken he had ever eaten. We both decided it would be our new tradition for a lunch date at Dragon Con. That evening, we wandered around and went to a magic show featuring Jon Armstrong. It was a delight. After the show we stumbled upon a new event I didn’t know existed called Liquid Light Guerilla Strike. It was artists using a projector with water and color to create images on a screen. The music was ambient and haunting with a DJ and live violinist. The patrons of the event were relaxed and chill laying down watching the light show.
Wrapping Up and Looking Ahead
By Monday, my fiancé had gained enough confidence to explore solo. He found a panel (that he was unable to get in due to capacity – but so proud he found his way all alone), braved the vendor hall again, and even surprised me with a thoughtful gift – an autographed photo I had been eyeing earlier in the weekend.
On the plane ride home, he was already plotting cosplays and swag for next year. Seeing Dragon Con through his eyes reminded me of the magic that first drew me here. I know I have a “lifer” on my hands now—and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
