85,000 Attend Dragon Con in Atlanta

Dragon Con is over once again, but for 85,000 people, the memories of the five-day convention in Atlanta, Georgia will remain. Breaking attendance records, the convention raised more than $110,000 for its official 2019 charity, American Heart Association’s Georgia affiliate. Dragon Con selected the charity in honor of Thom Trainor, who was the long-time director of the convention’s Comics and Pop Artist division and passed away last year.

For those who want to get a head start on purchasing memberships or planning a costume, Dragon Con next year is September 3 – 7, once again over Labor Day weekend.

“Dragon Con 2019 was another terrific success. For many of our fans and guests, Dragon Con gave them five days to escape the real world and embrace the things they love with friends from around the world,” convention co-chair Rachel Reeves said in a press release.

Fans came from around the world and all 50 states, with this year’s convention attracting people from Canada, Mexico, several European countries, and Australia.

Some of this year’s top guests included George Takei, Sulu from the Star Trek franchise, the always charming Carey Elwes (The Princess Bride and Stranger Things), my personal favorite Ralph Macchio and his Cobra Kai costars William Zabka and Martin Kove, Catherine Tate and Freema Agyeman from Doctor Who, along with their Doctor David Tennant, who was one of this year’s top draws. Also in attendance were pop duo Aly & AJ, Lou Ferrigno, the cast of Farscape, Gotham, among others.

In the Dragon Awards, A Star-Wheeled Sky by Brad R. Torgersen, was the fan’s choice in the Best Science Fiction Novel category. The Dragon Awards are the only fan’s choice award in fandom, with more than 10,000 people casting a ballot this year.

Every year since 2002, LifeSouth organizes the convention’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive. This year, some 3,600 donors contributed more than 10,000 units of blood and blood products. LifeSouth serves more than 40 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 110 hospitals in the Southeast.

Memberships for next year start at $85 and will increase over the course of the year. Visit https://www.dragoncon.org for more information and to keep an eye on guest announcements as next year’s convention gets closer.