Nightmare Weekend was three days of creepy fun hosted by GalaxyCon. It ran May 2-4 in the Chicago area at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. This horror themed pop culture fan event is all about celebrating the scarier side of the fandom world and the first GalaxyCon event held in the Chicago area.
Nightmare Weekend Chicago was smaller than many I typically attend at this convention center, but in many ways it was better. As you entered the center it was very easy to find where you were to go to get your badges. This is also where they made their first impression on me. We were given actual badges instead of wristbands and a printed program. Way too many events do the programming entirely online. Online programming is nice and convenient until you are in the bowels of the convention center competing for a weak wi-fi signal with thousands of other people, vendors, and the event itself. These programs also give you a nice souvenir.
As you enter the convention you are guided up the escalator by these friendly dudes and a reminder.
The exhibitor hall was nicely laid out with nice wide aisles that gave plenty of room for the people to stand in front of vendors while others could go around them. It was also very nice to see new exhibitors and vendors. Too many of these events you see the same vendors over and over and over again. If you didn’t purchase from them the first dozen times, you’re probably not purchasing from them the next dozen times. Even if it is a vendor that you like, if you are a regular shopper then they already have you. I enjoyed seeing new vendors and new wares displayed.
It was also nice to see some of the displays spread throughout the convention center. These were decent quality displays that added to the atmosphere and represented some great movies.
One big difference between this and other horror cons in the area is that this is a more family-friendly event. Yes, it focuses on horror movies but it is a more humorous end of it with movies such as Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Mars Attacks, and Rocky Horror Picture Show being represented. There was some of the slasher and thriller type movies, but that wasn’t the majority of what was represented.
Now onto the cosplay photos taken by this amateur photographer. Tomorrow we hope to show you the con from a professionals viewpoint.
To see what cosplay conventions are coming up
be sure to check out our Cosplay Convention List!
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