So first I should probably explain why I went to Farleycon instead of Otakon, which was also this weekend, like I suggested last year. Well Farleycon is a three hour drive away versus Otakon which requires a flight and where I got to know the owners of Farleycon last year I decided I would honestly rather spend this weekend supporting them. For this event I only went on Saturday and that was to see how different the Saturday crowd this year was from the Sunday crowd last year so I can get a better idea of what this event is like at its busiest.

First starting off with the guests. Farleycon is on the smaller side but it still manages to feature a nice variety of fandoms. You have voice actors like Kyle Hebert and Ray Hurd. Stars like Ming Chen from Comicbookmen and several comic book artists and writer which make up about half of the list. I like how the guests have their own section adjacent but separate to the vendors which made them easy to find and it helped keep the entire venue from being crowded with lines. Most of the time the guests only had a few people in line at any given moment so there wasn’t a lot of waiting involved which was a nice change of pace from all the lines I’ve been in this year. This also gave me more time to just chat with the guests rather than feel like I needed to rush to keep the line moving and I ended up with a more memorable experience with them as a result.

The vendors area was very nice as well. Last year I had issues with how hot the room was but this time it was nice and comfortable. I walked around and saw a lot of vendors I’ve never seen before. Many of them that we talked to didn’t have online stores so it made for a rare opportunity to find stuff that was new to me like a wooden Snorlax card. I even found some Fire Emblem art which I’ll admit I was not expecting at all. I also saw some familiar faces like Otaku Dezign and found out they sell more than just tumblers but also imported snacks which meant today I cheated on my diet a bit. Speaking of snacks I also got to meet the owners of a local coffee shop called Plus Ultra Coffee and got a cool coupon that I plan on using next time I’m in the area.

The convention also features panels but because they have one panel room they have one panel every hour mainly featuring their guests but they also have cosplay runways and an auction. Now I did find the panel room a little humid but it wasn’t bad enough for me to consider it an issue.

So to summarize my thoughts Farleycon is a great event to attend especially for comic book fans but it has something to offer for all kinds of fandoms. It’s a fantastic gem for anyone local to the event and it’s well organized making every part of the convention experience a breeze. However, because it’s quick to do everything you want to do, I don’t think you’ll spend an incredible amount of time which might deter anyone who has to take a lot of time and effort to travel to the convention. With that being said, if the event has anyone you’re really wanting to meet it’s hard to find a better opportunity because while it is quick to do everything it also has the added benefit of giving you plenty of time to talk to everyone in attendance, including the guests.