Infinity Con, located in Lake City, Florida, turned out to
be a surprisingly impressive small sci-fi convention. This was the first time I’ve
attended Infinity Con and only the second time the event has been open. Sci-fi conventions
are usually spread out over a weekend but this one was only on Saturday, July
18th.
My initial reaction to the convention when I arrived was, “Wow.
This is small.” My typical convention route includes big names like MegaCon and
Star Wars Celebration, which are both flooded with over 30,000 people on
average. Infinity Con was located in a temporary tent, which was covered and
air-conditioned for comfort. There was a small exhibit hall with local vendors,
an artist room, and a panel room. I would say that only a few hundred people
were in attendance.
The biggest draw for Star Wars fans was Roxy the Rancor, a 700-pound,
17-foot long replica of the rancor we see in Return of the Jedi. Roxy was free
for guests to take photos with but donations to UNICEF were encouraged. Most of
the vendors were selling Star Wars merchandise. This included action figures
from the Power of the Force line as well as some of the more recent action
figures, like the Black Series and Rebels line. One booth even had the 2015 San
Diego Comic Con exclusive Funko POP bobble heads. I noted that all of the Star
Wars booths had very reasonable prices and most of the vendors were willing to
negotiate on price if you bought multiple items.
The artist alley also had a large Star Wars presence.
Over half of the artists had sketches, paintings, and digital art featuring
characters from every Star Wars movie, even The Force Awakens. The convention hosted
a silent auction called “Art Wars” that displayed only Star Wars artwork and
allowed attendees to bid on their favorite pieces. The proceeds from the
auction benefitted a not-for-profit corporation called the Hero Initiative.
The 501st Legion and Rebel Legion had a booth
with various helmets and completed costumes on display. Trading cards and
temporary tattoos were given out for free to people who checked out the booth.
About 10 members of the 501st and Rebel Legion were walking around
in costume. Captain Rex, the new First Order Stormtrooper, and a Rebel Pilot
were popular with guests. The Jedi Academy of North Florida were also in
attendance and showed off some of their lightsaber dueling skills during the
day.
I would definitely encourage Star Wars fans from North
Florida to check out this event next year if it is hosted again. If you’re
interested in buying hard to find Star Wars merchandise, take pictures with 501st
members, and see Roxy the Rancor in person, then Infinity Con is definitely for
you.
Comments
Post a Comment