Magic City Con to fill 2 levels of Wynfrey Hotel

The Magic City Con, heading into its third year, will be much bigger than last year’s convention. Rather than taking up one level of the Hyatt Regency – The Wynfrey Hotel, this year the speakers, games, booths and cosplay will fill two levels.

Organizer Rita Houston, who co-started the convention in 2015, said this year’s Magic City Con will be June 30-July 2. Last year’s event had attendees not only from Birmingham, but also from 32 states and three countries, she said. Some fan favorite activities will return, including “Fear Factor” hosted by Ed’s Pet World, a replica of the Mos Eisley Cantina, a Heroes and Villains masquerade ball, tabletop and video gaming rooms and a Dealer’s Room with artists and vendors selling a variety of “nerdy” and handmade products.

Magic City Con also features a KidCon Saturday morning with kid-specific activities including Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry classes, a pirates and princesses tea party, a superhero meet-and-greet, Ghostbusters’ slime making and ghost hunt, Pokemon hunt and Star Wars training camp. Kids can also learn to make their own tabletop games, listen to age-appropriate scary stories and participate in a costume contest.

Adults can participate in a cosplay costume contest, play in gaming tournaments and attend panels to hear several famous guest speakers. This year’s guests include Ming Chen of “Comic Book Men,” actor Jonny Rees, voice actor Danny Shorago, “Dragon Age” creative director Mike Laidlaw and tabletop games creator Sean Patrick Fannon.

Several local groups lend their talents to the Magic City Con, including local chapters of Star Wars costuming organizations, Alabama Ghostbusters and Blanket Fort Hope, which helps prevent child sex trafficking.

Tickets to the convention are $36.50 for adults for the weekend and $15.75 for children ages 6-11, and single-day passes are also available. Visit magiccitycon.com for more information.