Awesome Con is back in Washington DC for 2023 and we couldn’t be more excited!
The event is taking place at the Convention Center for 3 days from June 16th to 18th.
If you’re into comics, movies, TV, toys and games…this is the place to be!
This year was my family’s third year visiting Awesome Con, DC’s version of Comic Con, and it keeps getting bigger and better.
What to See & Do at Awesome Con
There is a lot you can expect to see and do at Awesome Con this year. Your purchase badge gives you access to:
- 300+ panels and events
- 200+ vendors and stores
- 250+ artists
- Desination Cosplay
- Awesome Con science fair
- Book fair
- Awesome Con Jr.
- Celebrity sightings, photos & autographs
- 70,000+ likeminded fans
Who’s Coming to Awesome Con
One of the really fun things about Awesome Con is getting to see which celebrities show up.
And the chance to get your photo taken with them is even more exciting!
This year, they have many well-known people coming including:
- Elijah Wood
- Ashley Eckstein
- Billy Dee Williams
- Billie Piper
- Danny Trejo
- Levar Burton
- Tony Kim
- And many, many more
What to Expect
When entering Awesome Con, or even if you are few blocks away, you can’t help but notice the multitude of impressive costumes people are wearing.
There are favorites from comic books, like Batman, as well as characters from video games, movies, princesses, and more obscure characters I had a hard time placing.
There are many favorites from Star Wars as well, including replicas of BB-8 and R2-D2.
Nearly everyone is willing to pose for a photo if you ask!
We spent about four hours walking around this year’s Awesome Con and could have stayed longer if we had more time. We are already looking forward to next year’s event.
If you’re bringing kids with you…
A lot of exhibit space is dedicated to merchandise including comics, new and vintage toys, and a lot of art that appeals to kids, and you must walk by vendors in order to access the rest of Awesome Con.
You may want to set ground-rules regarding any purchases ahead of time.
There are also several panels discussing nearly every aspect of comic and pop culture. Every single day there are new panels to check out.
Awesome Con Jr
This year’s Awesome Con is packed with kid-friendly activities including Awesome Con Jr.
In Awesome Con Jr, the kids will have special access to:
- Performances
- Movement zone with costumes, superheros, yoga, stories & more
- Workshops from drawing Pokemon to potions classes
- Free play area
- Special guest visits
There is an entire section devoted to activities for teaching scientific concepts to kids.
The last time we went, my children really enjoyed learning about the upcoming solar eclipse and scoring a pair of eclipse-friendly glasses and playing with small robots.
The Smithsonian and NASA have booths with kid-friendly exhibits as do many other organizations.
Some of the Awesome Con Jr events & shows include:
- Dilemma games
- Kids lightsaber training
- Meet & Greet with an eagle
- Kids superhero yoga
- Cartoon factory
- And a whole lot more
Celebrity Photos & Autographs
For an extra fee, there are plenty of photo op/autograph opportunities available.
In past years we’ve been lucky enough to take pictures with some of the stars including characters from The Walking Dead, Doctor Who, and more.
You can purchase tickets ahead of time for autographs and photographs, however, there will be other celebrities available who you cannot purchase advanced tickets for.
Science Fair
The science fair brings science and science fair together and you’ll see all kinds of new things.
There are all kinds of events and demonstrations here including:
- NASA Roman space telescope
- Wonder women of NASA
- Land of DNAosaurs
- Nerd Nite signing
- Dugongs & Seadragons podcast live
- Liquid nitrogen demo
- And a whole lot more
Book Fair
The book fair is a great place to find new books based on science and fiction. And of course you’ll see plenty of dragon books here!
My oldest loved the Explorer Academy table as he’s read a handful of the books already.
Plus, they’ll also have book meetups and plenty of author signings.
Artist Alley
Much of the exhibit space is dedicated to artists and others selling:
- Comics
- Costumes
- Collectibles
- And more
Even if you are not planning on making any purchases, you will see many interesting, fun, and unusual items (and people) walking around.
Other Activities
Other features include a large video game/arcade section and board game room.
Tickets & Pricing
A badge is required for admission into Awesome Con. If you purchase badges in advance, they will be mailed to you. Otherwise, they will be available for early pick-up at select locations.
Purchasing in advance helps you avoid the lines on the day of the event, however you can purchase on-site if needed.
They have a number of different badges depending on the experience you’d like to have and the prices vary for each. You can choose from:
- Single Day Badge ($45 – $58)
- 3 Day Badge ($95)
- Premium Badges ($170)
- Club Awesome Membership ($415)
- Club Awesome Reserve ($1,025)
- Kids Jr. Badge (for ages 3 to 10; valid for all 3 days) ($15)
Family 4-Pack
They also have a family 4-pack of tickets available online only that gives you some extra benefits like saving money on tickets, kids badges, stroller parking, ability to reserve popular kid activities and access to a family breakroom.
Awesome Con 2023 Hours
Awesome Con is taking place from June 16 – 18, 2023. The hours for the event each day are:
Friday: 1pm to 8pm
Saturday: 10am to 7pm
Sunday: 10am to 5pm
There are programs that run until 10pm through, on Friday and Saturday nights.
Getting There & Parking
Awesome Con is held at The Walter E Convention Center which is located at 801 Mt Vernon Pl NW, Washington, DC 20001.
There is metered street parking available in the blocks around the Convention Center but it may be hard to find so you may want to consider taking metro or parking in a nearby garage.
It’s Washington DC, so make sure to give yourself extra time to get there in case of traffic.
You may also want to consider taking public transportation. Just remember others will be to and they are running on weekend hours.
Good to Know Before You Go
- There are several food and drink options on site at AweSome Con
- There is a lot of walking, as well as lines to stand in. Bring some patience and comfortable shoes.
- Costumes are encouraged for kids and adults – anything goes! Most people in costumes are friendly and love having their photo taken – but be sure to ask first.
- Make sure to bring your phone and an extra charger (or phone) so you have plenty of space and battery to last for the full event
- This event is cashless so make sure to bring your credit card
- Most autographs and photos with celebrities
