Setsucon returns to the Blair County Convention Center Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1. The annual event celebrates anime, cosplay, gaming and Japanese culture. Courtesy photo

Setsucon, an annual winter anime convention, is returning this month to the Blair County Convention Center for a weekend of cosplay contests, performances, fan panels and various gaming opportunities.

Friday, Jan. 30, is a limited programming day but will still include panels, anime viewings, video gaming, tabletop gaming, cosplay events and a musical event, according to press director Zach Foltz, one of the event’s organizers.

Throughout the weekend — Saturday, Jan. 31, and Sunday, Feb. 1 — there will be gaming tournaments featuring “Super Smash Bros.,” “Tekken,” “Street Fighter” and other video games. Foltz said there will be tabletop gaming tournaments and a merch hall, where visitors can support several East Coast artists who will be selling their work.

The premier cosplay event on the main stage is the masquerade showcase, featuring the prowess, fashion, singing and dancing of several cosplayers, Foltz said.

In addition to cosplay events, another highlight for many visitors is the chance to meet notable guests, he said.

This year’s guests include voice actors Megan Hollingshead, who’s best known as the original voice of Nurse Joy in the first six seasons of the “Pokemon” anime, and Reagan Murdock, known for his role as Aki Hayakawa in “Chainsaw Man.”

Other guests include Ryan Colt Levy, an actor and musician known for his work in “Chainsaw Man”; Antipode, an eccentric dance group that has combined their love of nerd culture and belly dancing to create a unique dance form known as “geek belly dancing”; disc jockey Awesomus Prime; comedian Karl “Uncle Yo” Custer; and guest lecturer Lex Winter.

From humble beginnings

Founded over a decade ago, Setsucon is run by the Penn State Anime organization.

It started as a one-day event, with 288 people filling the halls of the Days Inn by Wyndham Penn State in State College, Foltz said. The event later moved to the Blair County Convention Center in 2018.

More than 2,300 people from throughout the commonwealth and all nearby states — Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York — travel to Altoona to attend Setsucon every year, according to Foltz.

Setsucon continues to moderately grow in size, he said, noting last year’s convention drew a crowd of about 3,000 people.

Michael Tartaglia, Setsucon’s vice chair of public relations, has been an organizer of the event since 2015.

During his tenure as an organizer, Tartaglia said he has also seen the event’s staff grow from a committee of 15 people to over 40 people working hand-in-hand throughout the year to put on an amazing show.

Being able to see the students’ leadership abilities and confidence levels grow in their roles is one of the most rewarding parts of his job, Tartaglia said.

But there’s “no greater joy” than getting to see hard work pay off in the form of smiles on faces — from both attendees and exhibitors, he said.

Convention: ‘a family reunion’

For many people, Setsucon represents “a family reunion of sorts,” Tartaglia said, noting there’s an energy to Setsucon that’s unlike any other anime convention.

Organizers pride themselves on creating a welcoming and comforting environment, Tartaglia said.

“Between the attention to detail that all of our staff have put in, the meticulously designed schedule, and the minor unique touches that we put together each year, Setsucon is a testament to what happens when you put your entire soul into something,” he said.

At the convention, people are encouraged to try new things, meet new people and embrace new experiences, Tartaglia said.

A full list of things to do at the convention is available online, www.setsucon.com/programming.

People interested in attending this year’s convention can preregister online for weekend or daily badges or purchase badges at the convention during registration hours, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.

Admission for Friday is included with a Saturday badge, $40, or a weekend badge, $50. A badge for Sunday-only access is $30.

Mirror Staff Writer Matt Churella is at 814-946-7520.

If you go

What: Setsucon, “winter’s warmest anime celebration”

When: Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1

Where: Blair County Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Drive, Altoona

Registration: Online at www.setsucon.com or at the convention during registration hours