DragonCon: a community of 80,000 people

Emma North, Photography Editor|October 3, 2017

Emma North

Once I reached the Marriott Marquis I became fully submerged in the Dragon Con experience. It can be a lot to take in, with three open floors full of people. The Marriott Marquis during DragonCon is definitely one of the best places to go people watching.

For many people, Labor Day weekend in Atlanta means DragonCon. If you haven’t already heard, DragonCon is the “largest multi-media, pop culture, convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the universe,” and occurs annually over Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday of Labor Day weekend. The convention took over Atlanta for the 31st time, hosting a variety of guests and events in five hotels. As one of the 80,000 people who attended, I will tell you it can definitely be intimidating but if you give DragonCon a chance it can be so much fun.

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Emma North
Before one can partake in the fun at Dragon Con you must get there. The MARTA is a popular form of transportation for Georgia residents attending the convention. Waiting for it to show up can be awkward for those in cosplay but the closer and closer you get to the convention the more and more attendees fill the train in a variety of fandom t-shirts and cosplays. Both this year and last year I ran into people cosplaying Westley and Indigo Montoya from The Princess Bride on the MARTA.

Overall DragonCon offers something for everyone; no matter what you’re interested in there’s bound to be something that will spark your interest. DragonCon can be a great way to spend a weekend with friends, meet celebrities, party, and geek out.