Second annual Timmins MiniCon underway this weekend
The Northern Ontario Expo is holding its second annual Timmins MiniCon this weekend, to celebrate geek culture and give local vendors more exposure in the community.
Nerd culture enthusiasts love an opportunity to celebrate their fandom.
That's why organizers of the Timmins MiniCon wanted to bring what was initially an impromptu pandemic event, as restrictions lessened last year, back for a second round.
"When we did our first one, we were very restricted in what we could do and we had a lot of things that we had to follow, procedures that were in place. So, we wanted to give the MiniCon it's full– you know it's full aspect and it's full–what it could be worth," Jason Denis, the event's organizer, told CTV News.
There are about 17 vendors at this weekend’s event. These vendors are able to connect with the local geek community in a more personal and relaxed way than would be possible at the full-scale Northern Ontario Expo.One of 17 vendors showcased at the Timmins MiniCon hosted by Northern Ontario Expo on Sept. 24/22. (Photo from video)Vendors said there are a variety of items in high demand at the convention.
Fans told CTV News there is a lot to love about the MiniCon.
"Out of everything, I'd have to say it's all of this merchandise… And the stuffies, those are always a really popular seller,” said one of the attendees.Some of the stuffies up for sale at Timmins MiniCon on Sept. 24/22. (Photo from video)Some vendors said Stranger Things and anything horror were pretty popular so far; maybe Halloween coming up is having an impact.
"It's so much fun, it's so nice to connect with other people who are interested in similar things, and show off our work," said another attendee.
Many vendors carry handmade creations or other one-of-a-kind collectibles. Many retro games were also up for grabs.
Cosplayers are also showing up in large numbers to show off their costumes and creativity.
Organizers said they hope the MiniCon will become an annual event; this could become another annual geek culture staple in the community, depending on how it performs this weekend. They are hoping it can beat last year's turnout of around fifteen hundred people.
The convention continues at the McIntyre Community Centre on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission to the event is $5 for everyone three and up.
More information on the event can be found on their website and follow Northern Ontario Expo on Facebook for updates and other events.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.
Canada's favourite sport to watch is hockey, survey shows
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have already delivered a fever level of fan excitement in Canada.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.