Six occasions when geeks ruled WNC

Posted on by Timothy Burkhardt
ALL DRESSED UP: The Asheville Anime Regional Convention is a gathering of all things illustrated and rendered. Photos by Anthony Harden/Alt Media Pros

Costumes and comic books, Batman: 2018 was a big year for geek culture in Asheville. Here are six nerdy events that brought out all the fans of sorcerers, superheroes and spandex:

• On Mother’s Day weekend, Well Played Board Game Café stayed open all night to host the Playing for Change Gameathon. Gamers gathered to compete and eat, and proceeds went to Helpmate Domestic Violence Services.

• The Asheville Comic Con took place at the WNC Agricultural Center on May 17. The event featured comic books for purchase, local artists and a costume contest.

• On July 28, the Asheville Anime Regional Convention held its fourth annual gathering at the U.S. Cellular Center, featuring local artists, celebrity voice actors and a massive cosplay contest.

• Asheville Scarefest presented its fourth game convention at the Montreat Conference Center, Oct. 19-21. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder and more gathered for a weekend of horror-themed role-playing games.

• After a two-year hiatus, the Asheville Comic Expo returned with a vengeance. On Nov. 7, the convention took over both levels of the U.S. Cellular Center with comic books, video games, board games and a costume contest.

• The Wyvern’s Tale hosted its fifth annual Dungeons & Donations charity fundraising marathon, Dungeons & Donations 5: Encounter at Barrier Peaks, Dec. 7-8. Gamers donated money to slay mythical monsters during a live feed on Twitch.com. Spectators across the internet could choose to aid or oppose the adventurers by making donations through the website. All proceeds benefited Extra Life and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.