Fan Expo is back and celebrating its 20th anniversary this weekend at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. With attendance this year expected to top more than 125,000 people, it’s a little overwhelming. There’s so much to see and do, where do you even start? We’ve got five things you should definitely check out while you’re at the convention this weekend.

1. Gaming

Video game presence at conventions has blown up in recent years. Ten years ago, video game representation was fairly uncommon, but today, it would be hard to find a convention that doesn’t at least have small gaming events or activities.

Fan Expo has a huge gaming area… and we mean huge (you could totally get lost). There are a ton of great companies that will be there, including: PlayStation, Riot Games , Ubisoft, WB Games, and Xbox. In these gaming areas, you can check out cool merchandise, participate in giveaways, and play demos of unreleased games. Like an exclusive demo of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare at EB’s Gamer zone.

Fan Expo also offers a wide variety of gaming events, competitions, and panels. There are so many gaming events going on, it’s probably best to just look at the schedule yourself: http://fanexpocanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2014-Gaming-Schedule-v2.pdf. Once you look at the schedule, you’ll understand what we mean.

2. Advanced Screenings

Did you know that there are free advanced screenings of television shows happening all weekend? You can also appear in the audience for shows like InnerSpace Live.

Here are a few to check out:

– Star Wars Rebels: 2PM, Friday, Aug. 29 in the John Bassett Theatre.

– Scorpion: 5PM, Friday, Aug. 25 in the John Bassett Theatre.

– Adventure Time screening and Q&A: 2PM, Saturday, Aug. 26 in room 701.

– InnerSpace Live with the cast of Bitten: 11AM, Sunday, Aug. 27 in room 701A.

Get there early because there will be lines.



3. Artist Alley

Yeah there’s a ton of merchandise you can buy in the dealers area, but do you know what’s really special? The Artist Alley. You’ll find anything and everything there: buttons, bookmarks, sketches, comics, prints, posters, stuffed animals, etc. A lot of artists are even willing to do commissions during the weekend so it’s a great time to pick up some personalized gifts for your loved ones and friends.

Protip: Don’t forget to bring a poster tube so all of your prints stay safe.

4. The Cosplay



The cosplays at Fan Expo have always been top notch. Being one of the largest conventions in Canada, many cosplayers save their biggest and best cosplays for the weekend. The best place to check out more of the elaborate cosplays is in the areas that are less crowded because a lot of the time cosplayers will be wary about having their costumes ruined by people bumping into them. We’ll have a gallery with all of our favourite cosplays from the weekend up in the next few days so be sure to check it out.

5. The Parties

Fan Expo is over but you still have convention fever… what do you do? Check out the sweet parties! We’ve heard a lot about this party (it’s all over Facebook). It’s a League of Legends party with professional gamer Snoop from Evil Geniuses attending. Besides a ton of glow sticks there will be League of Legend related activities including giveaways and a cosplay contest with a $350 prize.

Find more information here: https://www.picatic.com/RIOTESNAFTERPARTY