ColossalCon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids ColossalCon |
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|---|---|
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Anime, Gaming, Japanese Culture |
| Venue | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center |
| Location(s) | Sandusky, Ohio |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2002 |
| Attendance | 17,374 in 2015 |
| Organized by | Nostalgiaconventions.com LLC |
| Website | http://www.colossalcon.com/ |
ColossalCon, also known as Cleveland Colossal Convention in the past, is a super fun yearly event. It lasts for four days, usually in May or June. This big convention is all about anime, gaming, and Japanese culture. It takes place at the amazing Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.
Contents
What Happens at ColossalCon?
This convention is packed with exciting activities for everyone! You can find:
- An artist's alley where talented artists sell their work.
- Cool art galleries to explore.
- Live concerts with awesome music.
- Cosplay contests where people dress up as their favorite characters.
- Fun dances and a fancy formal ball.
- A flea market to find unique items.
- A huge game room with lots of games.
- Entertaining game shows.
- Special guest speakers like voice actors and artists.
- Karaoke to sing your heart out.
- Merchandise vendors selling all sorts of cool stuff.
- Interesting panels where you can learn new things.
- Video rooms to watch anime and more.
The History of ColossalCon
ColossalCon started way back in 2002. It was a smaller, one-day event held in Strongsville, Ohio.
Growing Bigger and Moving Around
In 2003, the convention grew to three days. It moved to the Holiday Inn in Independence, Ohio. It stayed there for many years, except for 2005 when it was at the Embassy Suites. In 2008, ColossalCon moved again to the Hilton in Beachwood, Ohio.
Finding a Home at Kalahari
Since 2009, ColossalCon has been held at its current home: the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio. This place is perfect because it has lots of space and even a water park!
In 2010, something exciting and a little scary happened. A tornado hit the area around the convention. Everyone at the hotel and convention had to go to the basement for safety. Luckily, the venue was not damaged, and everyone was safe!
The convention has become so popular that it might need to limit how many people can come. This is because there aren't enough hotel rooms in Sandusky for everyone who wants to attend! In 2017, the water park at Kalahari even stayed open extra hours just for the convention guests, which was a special treat.
Past ColossalCon Events
Here's a look at some of the past ColossalCon events:
| Dates | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| August 4, 2002 | Holiday Inn Strongsville, Ohio |
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| March 14–16, 2003 | Holiday Inn Cleveland South Independence Independence, Ohio |
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| March 26–28, 2004 | Holiday Inn Cleveland South Independence Independence, Ohio |
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| June 10–12, 2005 | Embassy Suites Independence, Ohio |
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| June 2–4, 2006 | Holiday Inn Cleveland South Independence Independence, Ohio |
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| June 15–17, 2007 | Holiday Inn Cleveland South Independence Independence, Ohio |
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| June 26–29, 2008 | Hilton Cleveland East / Beachwood Beachwood, Ohio |
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| June 4–7, 2009 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 3–6, 2010 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 2–5, 2011 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
5,000 (est.) |
| June 7–10, 2012 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 6–9, 2013 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 5–8, 2014 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 4–7, 2015 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
17,374 |
| June 2–5, 2016 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| June 1–4, 2017 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| May 31 – June 3, 2018 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
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| May 30 - June 2, 2019 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
ColossalCon During the Pandemic
ColossalCon 2020 was first moved to September because of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it was later completely cancelled to keep everyone safe.
Fan Appreciation Party Weekend
There was also a special two-day event called Fan Appreciation Party Weekend. It was held in September at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Sandusky, Ohio.
Past Fan Appreciation Events
| Dates | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| September 11–12, 2015 | Kalahari Resort and Convention Center Sandusky, Ohio |
Colossalcon East
Colossalcon East is another version of the convention. It's a three-day event that happens in September. This one is held at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania.
Colossalcon East 2020 was also cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Past Colossalcon East Events
| Dates | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| September 8–10, 2017 | Kalahari Resorts Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania |
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| September 7–9, 2018 | Kalahari Resorts Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania |
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| September 13–15, 2019 | Kalahari Resorts Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania |
Colossalcon Texas
Get ready, Texas! A new Colossalcon event is planned for November 19–21, 2021. It will be at the Kalahari Resort and Convention Center in Round Rock, Texas.
