6 Things to Do at Rhode Island Comic Con this Weekend

Photo by Meaghan Smith

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 Alec Baldwin (Beetlejuice), Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future and Who Framed Roger Rabbit?), David Tenant (“Doctor Who” and “Good Omens”), Fameke Janssen (X-Men and Goldeneye), Henry Winkler (“Happy Days”), Jack Quaid (“The Boys”), John Cena (WWE), Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher”, Spider-Man and “The Walking Dead”), Ken Jeong (K-Pop Demon Hunters), Mae Whitman (“Avatar” and “Parenthood”), Ryder Strong (“Boy Meets World”), Stephen Amell (“Arrow”), and many more.
   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, suit up for the Legacy of the Green Arrow panel or grab your lightsaber for the STar Wars Legacy panel. On Saturday, celebrate thirty years of Toy Story or join your childhood crushes Sean and Eric for Boy Meets Panel. On Sunday, wander into uncharted territory with Nolan North or travel to the upside down for the “Stranger Things” 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 this year Comic Con wants to make sure everyone has their chance to shine. The Cosplay Red Carpet will open at 2 p.m. and Saturday and encourages all to come “celebrate the absolute chaos and creativity that is cosplay.” If you’re interested in making like-minded creative friends, there will also be a number of cosplay meetups throughout the weekend — find the schedule here.
4. Multiple Attractions
   RI Comic Con always has a few new tricks up their sleeve every year. If the ‘derpy cat’ was your favorite character in K-Pop demon hunters, you’re going to want to snap a selfie with the full-scale interactive experience by sculptor John Marks. Or, if you’ve been an X-Men fan since day one, look out for the ultimate fan experience complete with fourteen handcrafted life-size statues of the likes of Wolverine, Professor X, Storm and more.
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 Boonta Eve Special Edition: Into the Groguverse afterparty from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Saturday night at the Omni Hotel. Bring your dancing shoes so you can groove to tunes by DJ Elliot, and get ready for meets and greets with special guests from a galaxy far, far away. Tickets are $25 in advance online or $30 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.