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Sixth annual Bellingham Anime Convention May 16 is bigger than ever!

Celebrate your love for anime and cosplay at the sixth annual BA~CON — Bellingham Anime Convention — Bellingham’s all-day, all-ages fandom extravaganza, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, May 16 at Whatcom Community College.

BA~CON 2015 events include cosplay creation and game industry panels, Reset Games’ game room and Wii U Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament, a cosplay pageant, a timed art contest, meet-ups, Artist Alley, karaoke, special guests and more! A dance party ends the evening.

“If you’re a fan of any popular culture phenomenon, this is the place for you!” said Jennifer Lovchik, BA~CON Convention Director and Bellingham Public Library Teen Services Librarian.  “The enthusiasm and happiness experienced when you get a group of fans together is amazing, even if they are celebrating different fandoms.”

Lovchik, who established BA~CON and has nurtured its growth locally, said this annual event and smaller programs throughout the year serve a growing and dedicated group of people who are interested in anime and cosplay. She said cosplay is creative self-expression through costuming, with cosplayers often dressing as characters from fandoms they enjoy. Popular fandoms include anime titles, Dr. Who, video game characters, Disney movies and many others.

“I’m so psyched for BA~CON to continue growing and offering a place to celebrate anime and cosplay in our community!” she said.

The annual convention has drawn a capacity crowd of 250 people each year for the last three years, outgrowing its space at the Bellingham Public Library, Lovchik said. This year BA~CON is being held at a larger venue: the Syre Center at Whatcom Community College.

Doors open at 11 a.m. with opening ceremonies starting at 11:30 a.m.  After a day full of activities, BA~CON 2015 culminates with a dance party from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. All ages are welcome; attendees under age 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Costumes (cosplay) are encouraged, but not required, and should be appropriate for all ages.

For more information, detailed schedule and pre-registration for events, please visit www.bellinghamanimecon.com.  Event sponsors include Bellingham Public Library, Whatcom County Library System, Whatcom Community College’s Animation & Anime Club, Reset Games, Funimation, Dakota Arts and many others.

Learn more:

BA~CON 2015

Media contacts:

Jennifer Lovchik, Teen Services Librarian and 2015 BA~CON Convention Director, Bellingham Public Library, jlovchik@cob.org or 360-778-7231.

Jarrett Martin, President of Whatcom Community College’s ANIMEtion Club and 2015 BA~CON Director of Programming, jarrettmartinart@gmail.com or 479-366-8269.