OMG!con – an anime, gaming, and pop culture convention – returns to the Owensboro from today through Sunday.
The event began in Paducah in 2006, thriving for 8 years before moving to Owensboro in 2014.
The convention saw steady growth from 2014-19 before taking a 2-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. After returning to action with a big turnout, organizer Amanda Deecke expects even more attendees this year.
“This year will be bigger and better,” she said. “It’s a great place to hang out and meet new people, who eventually become family, and you start looking for them at future events.”
The event has grown to consume all three of the Owensboro Convention Center ballrooms, with one acting solely as a video game room.
“After paying for your badge at the door, you get free access to the game room with over 25 arcade units and 70-plus consoles,” Deecke said.
Deecke said attendees could play anything from an Atari and Nintendo to the latest PlayStation and Xbox series. They’re even having a Mario Kart tournament on Friday and a Smash Bros competition on Saturday.
The other two rooms boast countless vendors, from commissioned artwork and video games to anime and plush products and apparel. They will also have Japanese candy and additional “nerd culture” favorites.
Deecke said the many volunteers are responsible for the convention’s long-standing success over the years.
“We’re completely volunteer-run,” she said. “We’re just people who share the same ‘weird’ interests that came together. The culture is so accepting; everyone understands what you’re going through and wants to be a part of it.”
