Our Grand Cosplay Competition will be the best opportunity to show off your costumes and see some awesome, talented people. We have experienced costuming judges, and excellent competitors. We do everything we can to make your costumes look excellent on stage.
Our exhibit hall will be a wonderland of anime treasures, with a wide variety of vendors selling everything from cosplay costumes and accessories to rare collectibles and DVDs. Looking for the latest in anime, manga, and art? We've got you covered. Need to stock up on plushies and costume accessories? We've got that too! And for those looking for something truly unique, we'll have vendors selling handmade crafts and art inspired by your favorite anime and manga. With so much to explore, our dealers room is not to be missed!
We have several distinguished and electrifying talents in our guest list, including the likes of Greg Ayres and YTCracker. These virtuosos will set the stage on fire with an adrenaline-infused selection of EDM. Expect a non-stop, pulse-pounding journey through Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, Techno, Trance, House, and Drum and Bass. The quality of our DJs is uncompromising.
Discover the creativity and talent of our incredible artists in the Artist Alley. From stunning prints and handmade crafts to unique commissions and one-of-a-kind creations, the Artist Alley is the perfect place to find something special to take home. Support these amazing creators and celebrate the artistry that brings fandoms to life.
Our annual fantasy ball is free for convention attendees with a badge. Enjoy professional formal dance lessons before the event taught by an experienced instructor. For those without dates, we have a Date Auction on Friday afternoon. You're welcome to join us in your cosplay, don a semi-formal or formal outfit, or use your creativity to show up in something cool and have fun with us.
Our artist alley and exhibit hall is filled with some cool handcrafted merchandise, anime memorabilia, artwork, prints, plushies, and more! Many incredibly talented artists come to our event to showcase their awesome work.
Unrivaled by any other convention, our Fabulous Date Auction is your chance to win a date to the formal ball or several if you're greedy. Proceeds go towards improving the con, and 10% of winning bids is donated to charity.
Join tons of cosplay events, including photoshoots, meetups, panels, and more. Celebrate your favorite characters in costume. Competition Rules
Meet people who share your interests. Whether it's Ball Jointed Dolls, Lolita Fashion, Kingdom Hearts, or J-Pop, you'll make friends here.
Come to meet some of our awesome guests who star in anime, video games, movies, and more! Some of our guests charge a small fee for autographs, while some guests will sign items for free during our free autograph sessions! Few other conventions still offer any free autograph signings, so we are very happy that some of our frequent guests like Greg Ayres or Gareth West will sign autographs for free. Bring your favorite manga or DVD to get signed! (no bootlegs).
Prepare for an incredible lineup of stage events that will entertain, excite, and inspire! Our stage shows include:
Check the schedule for times and join us for these unforgettable stage moments! The schedule is typically released about 3-4 weeks before the convention starts.
We are excited to feature tons of cosplay events, in addition to the mainstage grand cosplay competition, including photoshoots, meetups, panels, and much more. We schedule 'unofficial' meetup/photoshoot times for different fandoms to gather in their outfits: bring your cameras and your friends. If you are looking for the grand cosplay competition, check out the cosplay info page.
Step into our tabletop gaming room for a weekend full of fun and creativity! Try out new board games in our demo area, relax in the coloring room, or participate in casual gaming sessions with fellow attendees. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or new to tabletop adventures, there's something here for everyone to enjoy.
Dive into the intricate world of miniatures! Whether you're into tabletop wargaming, painting figurines, or just admiring finely detailed craftsmanship, our Miniatures Room has something for you. Join workshops, participate in gaming sessions, or showcase your painted models!
Our event has tons of panels, submitted and created by attendees like you. Talk about favorite shows, compete in homemade game shows, learn stuff, and more! Everything you love, from Lolita and Dolls, to Homestuck, Hetalia, and Pokemon, we'll have it. Panels can be run by fans about their favorite subjects, they could be organized by our staff, or they could be hosted by our very own guests of honor. Want to run a panel? Go to the event submission page.
Unleash your inner pop star in the Karaoke Krypt! Sing your favorite anime themes, J-Pop hits, or classic tunes with a lively audience of fellow fans. With an extensive music library and a welcoming atmosphere, karaoke is the perfect way to show off your talent, bond with friends, or just have a blast.
Anime-ZAP! features over fifty different events every year, with hundreds of attendees joining us in our celebration of fandom. Anime-ZAP! is proud to feature more events than most other conventions in the area.
Our grand cosplay contest, aka the Masquerade, will be a fun chance to show off your costumes and hilarious or creative skits. Join in giving the audience an awesome show, or come be that audience. Participants sign up near our registration desk at the con.
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Our exhibit hall includes a ton of awesome anime, video game, and manga dealers, in addition to several awesome artists who are selling their original artworks, buttons, and other creations. Dealers will be selling everything that a fan could want including costumes, pocky, DVDs, plushies, and beyond.
Our guest DJ lineup features a collection of distinguished and electrifying talents, including the likes of Greg Ayres and YTCracker, among others. These virtuosos are poised to set the stage on fire with an adrenaline-infused selection of EDM. Forget about bad transitions and little bass, we're talking about a non-stop, pulse-pounding journey through the best of Jumpstyle, Hardstyle, Techno, Trance, House, Drum and Bass -- whatever the audience can groove to. Rest assured, there won't be a moment's lapse, and the quality of our DJs is uncompromising.
Our video gaming area features 32" LCDs screens and more, with video gaming tournaments happening all weekend. We also have table top board games, card games, Magic, etc.
As a special treat, our convention holds an annual formal fantasy ball every year. Admission is free to all convention attendees with their badge/wristband. In addition, we will have professional formal dance lessons before the event begins, taught by an experienced dance instructor. For those without dates, we will even have our very own Date Auction on Friday afternoon, before the ball. Semi-formal outfits and above required for this exciting featured event.
Unlike any other convention (except our own conventions), this Fabulous Date Auction is your chance to win a date to the formal ball.... or several, if you're greedy. Join our sexy 25-con veteran host emcees as they auction off fellow cosplayers to the highest bidder. Money goes towards improving the con, and 10% of all winning bids is donated to charity.
Anime-ZAP! features epic concerts every year including fantastic guests playing everything from anime theme song covers to unique shows filled with noir, rock, and tremendous energy. Everything about Anime-ZAP!'s concerts is awesome.
Anime-ZAP! has tons of panels, submitted and created by attendees like you. Talk about favorite shows, compete in homemade game shows, learn stuff, and more! Everything you love, from Lolita and Dolls, to Homestuck and Pokemon, we'll have it. Want to run a panel? Go to the event submission form.
We are excited to feature tons of cosplay events, in addition to the mainstage masquerade cosplay competition, including photoshoots, meetups, panels, and much more. There are usually panels covering things like Cosplay 101, wigs, lolita fashion, and beyond.
Meetup with people who like the same stuff as you. Whether it's Ball Jointed Dolls, Lolita Fashion, Kingdom Hearts, J-Pop, or whatever, you'll make friends here.
There are also numerous panels and events not listed here happening at the convention, ranging from panels to demos to workshops. Please check out our website regularly so that you can find a more complete list when we post our program guide closer to the convention.
These are just some of the panels we have had at past Anime-ZAP! events. More are added as attendees and special guests submit their own panels and events. Scroll to the top for information about the full schedule!
