It’s Labor Day Weekend, which means it’s time for Dragon Con here in Atlanta, Georgia! Located in 5 downtown hotels at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand, plus AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.
There is a fantastic lineup at this year’s Dragon Con hosting some 300 authors, artists, game designers, puppeteers, scientists, engineers, and other experts to lead panels and talk with fans across 38 tracks of programming, from high fantasy to hard science.
Dragon Con this year will celebrate The Muppet Show and Sesame Street with a slew of Muppeteers including Bill Barretta (Pepe the King Prawn), Kevin Clash (Elmo), Bonnie Erickson (Miss Piggy), and Dave Goelz (Gonzo) will be on hand to lead fans in sing-alongs, panel discussions, and puppetry demonstrations.
The stars will be out at Dragon Con with a lineup that includes the legendary William Shatner, Mission Impossible’s Simon Pegg, and John Boyega from the Star Wars sequels are set to light up the stage. Dr. Emmett Brown himself, Christopher Lloyd will be on hand to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future. They will be joined by Bones stars David Boreanaz and Emily Deschanel, Superman Returns star Brandon Routh, Marvel’s Kingpin Vincent D’Onofrio, Arrowverse’s Emily Bett Rickards, and Katee Sackhoff from The Mandalorian.
While you need a pass to get into Dragon Con, you can watch the famous Dragon Con parade on Saturday morning for free. You will see just about every cartoon, anime, and superhero character, along with a variety of other delightful cosplayers in the procession. The parade’s highlight is the legion of “Star Wars” Stormtroopers that finish the parade. The Parade is a fan favorite, with the festivities starting at 10 am. Check the Dragon Con website for details of the parade route. Be sure to get to the parade site early, as the sidewalks along the parade route fill up quickly, and taking Marta to the parade is highly suggested. If you can’t make it to the parade, stay home and watch it on CBS Atlanta (formerly Atlanta 69). Live coverage will begin at 10 am and will remain on air through the entire parade. You will beat the crowds and still have all the fun of watching the fantastic costumes and floats in a uniquely Atlanta parade.
The cool thing about Dragon Con is that no matter what your interest is in, there is probably a panel or even a track (panels and events that fall under one subject like Star Wars, Star Trek, or even just Space) that will peak your knowledge of your favorite Sci-Fi subjects.
The Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.
Cosplay is an integral part of Dragon Con, and costumes will always be out and about. There are many Costume Contests during Dragon Con, including the Bunny Hutch Costume Contest, the Cults of Dragon Con Contest, the Animation/Anime Costume Contest, and the ever-popular Masquerade Costume Contest.
There are a ton of panels throughout the weekend. Some are located in enormous halls, while others occupy smaller conference rooms. You can find panels on almost everything you can imagine covering the gambit of fandom, from your favorite current and past Sci-Fi shows. Gate III.
Gaming runs throughout the con, with some gaming contests going on 24 hours a day. No matter what kind of gaming you are into, Dragon Con has it, including Board Games, Collectible Card Games, LAN Gaming, Live Action Role Playing, Table Top Gaming, and of course, all types of Video Gaming.
Dragon Con Dealers Hall, located in AmericasMart, is where you can buy just about anything your geeky heart desires–from Steampunk clothing to comic books and rare collectible artwork.
If art is your thing, you will want to go to the Comic and Pop Art Alley. You can talk to and buy work from comic book writers, artists, and publishers. Panels and how-to-workshops on comics are held throughout the con. There are also a bunch of live performances by bands of just about every genre, including jazz, punk, rock, and folk.
This year Mental health advocacy and education organization NAMI Georgia is Dragon Con’s official 2025 charity. NAMI Georgia works to raise awareness across the state and provide support to its 18 local affiliates serving individuals and families affected by mental illness.
In the spirit of the Dragon and with infinite admiration, Dragon Con has created The Dragon Award as a vessel to recognize excellence in Science Fiction and Fantasy. These awards will be by the fans, for the fans, and are a chance to reward those who have made real contributions to SF, books, games, comics, and movies.
And, of course, the Walk of Fame will be ongoing throughout Dragon Con, where you can get an autograph of your favorite personality.
Dragon Con is in downtown Atlanta, GA, from Thursday, 28th, through Monday, Sept. 1st.
For more information, go to dragoncon.org
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