Downtown Tampa”s holiday cosplay convention happens this weekend

Sometimes, dressing up like Santa Claus isn’t enough, so the people who brought St. Pete its first anime convention are now calling on geeks and nerds to celebrate the season with Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay.

What organizers call the very first Holiday Cosplay Tampa Bay happens Dec. 10-11 at the Tampa Convention Center. It’s going to be an inclusive holiday-themed party, complete with appearances from more than 20 big names in the comic and cosplay world and special activities. Organizer Dewey Caruthers wants comic and fantasy lovers to enjoy the holidays in their own way.

“It’s really good for the community to have a place to gather to celebrate,” Caruthers told Creative Loafing. “You know, in a weird way.”

The event will feature more than 50 hours of programming ranging from cosplay contests to a TikTok Film Festival to a “Spiderverse Prom.” There will be pro cosplayers doing instructional masterclass-style panels, interactive games, discussion panels and dance panels. Some to look forward to include the anthropology of the action anime “Bleach,” a “My Hero Academia” special lecture and more.

Some voice actors to look out for include Jason Spisak (“Young Justice,” “Arcane”), Patricia Summersett (“The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild”), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (“Naruto,” “Danny Phantom) and more. There will also be artists from major Marvel, DC and independent titles like “Spider-man,” “Black Panther,” “Batman,” “Star Wars” and “Predator.”

And if you’re lucky, you might see Johnny Rico (actor Casper Van Dien) from “Starship Troopers” blasting unwanted bugs.

Single day passes to Tampa’s Holiday Cosplay convention are $33, weekend passes $48 and VIP priority entrance is $128. Tickets, a complete lineup and more information can be found via floridacomiccons.com.

This article appears in Dec 8-14, 2022.