Inaugural Carleton County Cosplay convention draws a crowd of more than 125
Stormtroopers, furry characters and a towering Transformer mingled at the Woodstock Legion on Aug. 8, as participants showed off costumes on stage and explored gaming tables and vendor booths.
“I knew there was excitement in the area for cosplaying, but I never realized how much,” said organizer Harmony Fine. “The enthusiasm was overwhelming.”
Some arrived with friends, while others met for the first time at the convention. Throughout the day, groups laughed, hugged and crowded together for photographs.
Cosplay, short for costume play, means dressing as a character from games, anime, comics or film, or creating an original character.
The Saturday gathering brought together gamers, artists, costume-makers, furry fans and members of the LGBTQ+ community. Outfits ranged from full fursuits and handmade armour to light makeup.
“Conventions can be hard to get to in New Brunswick, and I always said it would be awesome to have one here, so I decided that I should see if I could bring it myself,” Fine said.
The five-hour event opened at noon. Cosplayers took the stage one at a time at 1 p.m. The 2:30 p.m. panel, One Mic, Two Voices, featured Inkwell, a New Brunswick furry artist and fursuiter, and Never Too Old to Cosplay, presented by Miramichi cosplayer Stephanie Steeves. Fine joined them on stage for a short discussion. Gaming tables remained busy throughout the afternoon.
Fine said she loves both the work of making costumes and the confidence cosplay gives her, particularly as an introvert.
“It’s such an amazing experience, and you’re surrounded by such a terrific, inclusive community of people that are just like you,” she said. “It’s wonderful, and there aren’t enough places like that
around.”
The vendor market offered just as much variety. Mallory Hayden of Florenceville-Bristol provided tarot readings, while East Blue Games represented its Woodstock shop with retro games, collectibles and trading cards. The Rainbow Crosswalk, a grassroots non-profit organization, provided support and resources for the Western Valley’s
2SLGBTQIA+ community. Ride 4 Suicide Awareness also shared information about its work with those attending.
Other tables offered handmade leather and canvas goods, jewellery made from repurposed silverware, alpaca-fleece products, woodwork, ornaments, food, thrift finds and more.
Members of the 501st Legion’s Atlantic Garrison travelled from Fredericton with screen-accurate Star Wars costumes. Chris Craig described the 501st as a “worldwide Star Wars costuming organization.”
“It’s great,” said Craig. “We love coming down to help them and bringing cosplay to Woodstock.”
The crowd decided the cosplay contest. Each visitor received two voting cards at the door, one for the 12-and-under category and one for ages 13 and over, then handed each card to a favourite cosplayer. The votes were tallied before the winners were announced at 4:30 p.m.
Ricky Whyte of Napan won the 13-and-over division as Prowl, the police-themed Autobot from Transformers.
“I really like to support the smaller events,” Whyte said. “It’s all about meeting people, talking to people, and I just love that people are so friendly.”
Rhaya Diosa won the 12-and-under division in a handmade and hand-painted pink-and-blue furry costume. Her handcrafted masks are currently featured in the Young Artist Spotlight at Creek Village Gallery & Café in Woodstock.
When her furry headpiece made it difficult to hear her, Rhaya pulled it off, revealing long, curly red hair and a wide, enthusiastic smile.
“I don’t really have a lot of friends. I have, like, two friends, and then I came here, and I’ve already made some friends here,” Rhaya said. “It’s nice to meet others with the same interests as you.”
Fine added that planning for another convention next year has already begun.
“A lot of people were attending their first cosplay convention, and the excitement was amazing.”
