Magic City Con

The fourth annual Magic City Con science fiction, gaming and cosplay convention is coming back to Hoover on June 8-10.

This year’s convention will return to the Hyatt Regency Birmingham – The Wynfrey Hotel for three days of cosplay, video games, fantasy board games and panel discussions about everything from surviving the zombie apocalypse to making chainmaille.

This year, organizers have increased the size of the video game lounge, allowing for tournament play on one side of the room and casual play on the other, said Rita Houston, one of two owners and event coordinators for the convention. 

Two highlights include tournaments for Super Smash Bros. and Dragonball Fighter Z on Saturday, June 9.

The tabletop game room also will be larger, Houston said. People can check out games, such as Warhammer and Pathfinder, to play on their own, or instructors will be there to teach people how to play the various games, she said.

The convention is never short on costumes, including a Heroes and Villains Masquerade Ball and a costume contest.

Saturday features a KidCon, with programming designed specifically for children from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Star Wars Jedi training camp, Ghostbusters ghost hunt and slime making, and a pirates and princess tea party.

Special guests this year include: film and TV actress Virginia Hey, who starred with Mel Gibson in “Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior” and as a James Bond girl in “The Living Daylights;” Ming Chen, a podcaster and cast member of “Comic Book Men” on the AMC channel; and Justin Kucsulain of “The Walking Dead” and “Sleepy Hollow.”

About 7,000 people from 44 states and four countries attended last year’s Magic City Con, an increase of about 1,500 people from the year before, Houston said.

For more information or tickets, go to magiccitycon.com. Weekend passes cost $30 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-11 and military. Daily passes for adults cost $20 Friday, $25 Saturday and $10 Sunday.

Each movie is scheduled to start at dusk. The sun sets between 7:52 and 8:01 p.m. during the weeks the movies are scheduled. Hontzas encourages people to come early — around 6:30 p.m. — and have picnics in the park prior to the show. There is a playground nearby and Hontzas also encourages people to bring blankets or lawn chairs.

Little Caesar’s Pizza is scheduled to have pizzas available for sale, but people are welcome to bring their own food, she said. Hontzas plans to have an inflatable bounce house for kids, face painting and a balloon twister there. 

To get updates on movie cancellations due to bad weather, follow Backyard Movie Parties on Twitter at @BYMovieParties or on Facebook.