Zenkaikon held its 20th anniversary event this year! The con  returned to the Lancaster County Convention Center and nearby Holiday Inn Zenkaikon  had a cherry blossom theme and stepped up the decor even more than their previous year! Beautiful lights, parasols, and lanterns dangled on the ceiling. Social media posts and  badge designs also tied the theme together. The con had 9,287 attendees, an increase from 7,400 attendees last year. Zenkaikon is a solid convention which continues to grow exponentially. 

Cosplayers had even more photo ops to choose from. They could go over to the photography booth upstairs, or if they wanted some more shots,  could also pose by pre-made scenes, such as a balloon cherry blossom tree. The convention also improved signage and moved registration to a separate room and area. 

Zenkaikon offered gaming on Thursday again this year with the help of vendors like Psychic Drive. I’m a fan of rhythm games and played some Chunithm and Wacca throughout the weekend.  Thursday registration was organized and the nearby accessibility booth made getting a priority pass a quick and easy process. 

The con center also received a major upgrade on their lower level. I  saw the modern additions on Friday and loved them! Zenkaikon called the space a lounge. The lounge had additional panel rooms, many more cozy seats, and outlets which kept attendees and their phones running. I stopped by the lounge area throughout the weekend. 

On Friday, I went to the Holiday Inn for a speed-friending event. The con offered conversation cards on tables and small papers , so people could  trade social media handles. I liked the concept of the event and moving between tables. As someone with social anxiety, it got me out of my comfort zone. I was happy to help another attendee with similar struggles. The shuttle which went to and from the  Holiday Inn  provided quick and convenient access. 

 I have a priority pass for Zenkaikon and ran into some issues during Friday’s Idol Festival. Priority passes are used for accessibility purposes. The crowds, noise, and logistics of getting into the show were overwhelming.Even though getting my pass was a breeze, I struggled to use it without hurdles. People without priority  passes  rushed in.  Having a separate line for priority pass holders, and providing a clearer option for early entry  is a possible solution. 

In terms of the Idol Festival itself, it  had a  whopping 36 acts. The festival had solid performances which showed the different types of idols and franchises. People sang, danced, or both!  Some  performers were just beginning  their idol journey , while others graduated. Idols were celebrated on an energetic stage! I do think that future festivals should be trimmed down a little either in amount of acts or time limits. The festival ran until 8:30. The timing conflicted with the dance and many people in the audience left around 8.  Zenkaikon posted the festival on YouTube for those who missed it– or want to give the show a second watch!

The convention center was jam packed on Saturday. Attendees  filled the halls. I tried to stay clear of the major crowds.  I also went to many more con offerings! I stopped by the tail end of an Evangelion Meet before the Glitch Productions meet began. The meet took place in the Holiday Inn.  I’m a fan of the Amazing Digital Circus, an adult indie animation and wanted to meet other fans. There were meetups which were discussion based – these seemed to be more so in the Holiday Inn– and cosplay and photography meetups. The Glitch meet felt much like a meetup from the old con days with a combination of conversations and cosplay photos. We repeated quotes from the show, talked about cosplays, and made references from several episodes. Memories of the latest Amazing Digital Circus episode were fresh in our minds. Many of us were still reeling about the episode, and we had a blast! The fandom is one of the quirkiest and kindest I’ve been in for quite some time. 

Zenkaikon still ran strong far into Sunday. Although attendees did gather up their suitcases and belongings, many attendees stayed in cosplays far into the afternoon. Our group packed and put away most of our gear the evening before. But we did have more luggage to haul back into the car.  We  bantered and commiserated with other attendees while we crammed into the chaos of  Sunday elevators. ‘Going upstairs’ to ‘go down’ to the lobby is common in East Coast cons, yet it’s…oddly fun passing the time with other attendees by chit-chatting as the elevator makes its slow stops.   I got some more rounds in at the arcade and made one last stop at the Exhibitor Hall. Food I had bought from the local farmer’s market on Friday and Saturday kept me well fed into Sunday. As with many cons I attend, the excitement from the weekend does result in some fatigue as the con comes to a close. I still sat down in the hotel lobby, other attendees  passing by, and thought back on how quickly the fun  weekend ended!

I did discuss the Priority Pass issue as a point of feedback and my challenges at the idol show… People without passes also went into elevators designated as priority despite signage. This made getting to these elevators, even with my pass, especially challenging during peak times. 

I was concerned with notifications on deadlines for the convention, especially press. Posts regarding press were only on Instagram and Discord. More cons are using Discord for con updates and deadlines.and this worries me a little, as Discord may not reach everyone. The average user may be part of dozens, if not more servers. News exclusive to Discord could get lost in the shuffle of servers. Social media cross posting helps reach people, and the con could consider using services such as Hoot Suite or Buffer.

Even though there were some hurdles along the way,  I had a great time at Zenkaikon. As mentioned earlier, the signage had a big upgrade. Signage did help traffic flow better throughout the weekend.  The upgrade to the con center, smooth shuttle service, a solid Idol Festival, and the amazing photo opps also made this weekend even better! I’d love to attend Zenkaikon 2027. How long have I been going to this con again? Five years or more? Man, does time fly by!

Cinna Knight

CinnaKnight has been in the convention-scene for over a decade! C.K. runs on candy, coffee, and sometimes ...chaos! She's an avid writer, foodie, and a big fan of the Kirby franchise. She will also remind you to hydrate and almost always has safety pins and Advil handy.

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