6 Things to Do at Rhode Island Comic Con this Weekend

Photo by Meaghan Susi

You’ve read over the Rhode Island Comic Con survival guide and bought your passes, now it’s time to plan your schedule for the weekend. Lucky for you, we’ve gone ahead and compiled some can’t-miss highlights for the pop culture convention’s highly anticipated tenth year at the AMP and Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence.

1. Must-See Celebrities
   This year’s convention will host a ton of celebrity guests. Some highlights include Anthony Starr (“The Boys”), Bryce Dallas Howard (Jurassic World), Candice Patton (“The Flash”), Charlie Cox (“Daredevil”) , Chevy Chase (Caddyshack and National Lampoon), Deborah Ann Woll ( “True Blood” and “Daredevil”), Geena Davis (Thelma and Louise and Beetlejuice), Jason Lee (“My Name is Earl”), Jon Bernthal (The Punisher), Juliette Lewis (“Yellowjackets” and National Lampoon), Lana Parrilla (“Once Upon a Time”), Laura Prepon (“Orange is the New Black” and “That 70’s Show”), Marisa Tomei (Spider-Man), Mike Colter (“Luke Cage”), Misha Collins (“Supernatural”), Molly Ringwald (Pretty in Pink and the Breakfast Club), Pam Grier (“Jackie Brown”), Rainn Wilson (“The Office”), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka”), Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy and “Gilmore Girls”), Susan Sarandon (Thelma and Louise), Thora Birch (American Beauty and Hocus Pocus) and Tyler Posey (“Teen Wolf”). Snap a professional pic with and/or get an autograph from your favorite actors, artists, creators, and writers. Or simply take a walk around the convention floor and you may just bump into someone famous — some actors like to arrive in disguise and explore the con, so keep your eyes peeled! Find the full list of guests here.
2. Panels
   RI Comic Con offers a variety of events to suit all your creative and informational needs. On Friday, don your gi for the Cobra Kai cast panel or grab your bestie for the Thelma and Louise: Together Again panel with stars Gina Davis and Susan Sarandon. On Saturday, take a trip back to the eighties with the Pretty in Pink panel featuring Jon Cryer and Molly Ringwald and suit up for the “The Flash” Reunion panel. On Sunday, round up the fam for the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation panel. There are so many options; you’ll have a hard time choosing which to attend! Some panels do have limited seating so be sure to get there early and reserve your ticket for free. Head here for the full schedule.
3. Cosplay
   One of the best parts of Comic Con is the excuse to dress up as your favorite character even after Halloween is over — and you can win a prize for it! The kids contest will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Omni’s Narragansett Ballroom while the adults contest will be held directly after at 3:30 p.m. in the same location. Find more information about the rules, guidelines and rubrics here. The con is also hosting various cosplay meetups dedicated to different fandoms throughout the weekend. See the schedule here to see if you have a cosplay that fits the bill and for the chance to bond with new friends over your latest fixation!
4. Multiple Attractions
   RI Comic Con always has a few new tricks up their sleeve every year. If can recite all of Dwight from “The Office”‘s lines by heart, you’re going to want to attend Rainn Wilson’s book signing on Sunday. or, if you’re on your fiftieth rewatch of “Psych,” catch a live podcast recording of “The Psychologists are In” with Maggie Lawson and Timothy Omundson  on Saturday. Meanwhile, future Jedi can also get in on some lightsaber training, 90s kids can relive the Blockbuster Experience and the charitable amongst us can help Team Zombie Leader raise funds for the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer with the purchase of a Simpsons Couch photo op.
5. Gaming
   Are you a master gamer? Prove it at one of the weekend tournaments for the likes of Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, Super Smash Bros and more. The con also has separate rooms with a whole slew of board games available for free play throughout the weekend should you want to steal a few hours away from the chaos.
6. After Party
   You can keep the fun going well after the regular convention hours by attending the Happily Ever Afterparty from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday night at the Omni Hotel. Bring your dancing shoes so you can dance the groove to tunes by DJ Darth Fader. Tickets are $15 online or $20 at the door. Guests must be eighteen or older to attend. Purchase your tickets in advance here.

For more information about RI Comic Con, check out the website at ricomiccon.com.