With August upon us, summer is still heating up, and that means some of our favorite events are fast approaching. Read on for our preview of the fairs, conventions, and festivals coming up this month!
Northeast
New York Renaissance Faire Tuxedo Park, NY – August 4-September 30, 2018
Travel back in time to an age of adventure! At the 41st annual New York Renaissance Faire, you’ll experience all the romanticized merriment of the medieval era, including royalty, fully-armed jousting, and decadent food. Fight alongside Robin Hood and his Merry Men, meet amazing acrobats and magical fairies, and don’t forget to shop at the Marketplace, featuring over 100 human-powered artisans!
Steel City Con Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, PA – August 10-12, 2018
Steel City Con is the exclusive comic con of the Pittsburgh area’s Monroeville Convention Center. Don your capes and secure your masks, because with over 100,000 square feet of convention space, this con offers a jam-packed weekend filled with Q&A’s, panels, photo ops, contests, and, of course, Steel City Con’s premier cosplay. Plus, you’ll get to meet some absolutely legendary celebrities, like Ron Perlman, John Cusack, Kathleen Turner, and Robert Wagner!
Night Lights Music Festival The Heron, Sherman, NY – August 23-26, 2018
Get ready New York; Night Lights Music Festival is making its way to The Heron, transforming the venue into a three-day light and sound spectacular! Featuring over 30 musical acts, three nights of camping, art installations, and more, this festival is unlike any other. Rain or shine, attendees are in for an amazing event full of community, art, and nature. Get your tickets now to light up the night!
South
QuakeCon Gaylord Texan Convention Center, Grapevine, TX – August 9-12, 2018
Come celebrate your favorite video game fandom at QuakeCon 2018! Not only does QuakeCon host the largest Bring Your Own Computer LAN Party in North America, it also features exclusives from all of Bethesda’s games, including the debut of DOOM Eternal. Plus, you’ll be able to catch two live esports tournaments: the Quake Champions QuakeCon Open and The Elder Scrolls: Legends Master Series. There’s something for all types of gamers at this con!
LeakyCon Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas, TX – August 10-12, 2018
Texas, it’s time to Slytherin to LeakyCon, the largest-ever celebration of “The Boy Who Lived” and the magic found in his story. Join other Potterheads to meet special guests including Devon Murray (Seamus Finnigan), Christian Coulson (Tom Riddle), and Stanislav Yanevski (Viktor Krum). Enjoy panels, performances, and fan theories about both Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts. This year’s event is already sold out, but you can accio tickets for 2019 starting August 2!
Otakon Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington, DC – August 10-12, 2018
Otakon is taking over the Washington Convention Center for one of the world’s premier gatherings of otaku fandom! Otakon celebrates everything Asian pop culture, including anime, manga, music, movies, and video games. You’ll have the chance to visit the Maid Cafe, check out the Lolita lifestyle, dance the night away at the Otakurave, and so much more. Learn more about what this year’s Otakon has to offer, and complete your registration today!
Midwest
2018 Thunder and Fire North Iowa Events Center, Mason City, IA – August 5, 7, & 10, 2018
July may be over, but that doesn’t mean the fireworks are! At 2018 Thunder and Fire, ​North Iowa Events Center will host the 2018 Pyrotechnics Guild International convention and fireworks display. As one of the largest fireworks shows on the planet, these three incredible shows are sure to wow the entire family!
Brown County Fair Aberdeen, SD – August 13-19, 2018
As a time-honored and cherished tradition for families, the Brown County Fair strives to provide a welcoming environment for all attendees, support lifelong learning for the entire community, and promote agriculture through exhibits and demonstrations. There are tons of events for everyone, like the weekend-long carnival, PRCA Rodeo, and more. Plus, you’ll experience live performances from artists like Chase Rice, Skillet, and Brothers Osbourne. Don’t wait; get your tickets today!
Peoria Irish Fest Peoria Riverfront, Peoria, IL – August 24-26, 2018
Get ready for one of the best Irish festivals in the Midwest, because Peoria Irish Fest is only weeks away! With three full days of family-fun and Celtic culture, you don’t have to be Irish to find something you’ll love at this event. Enjoy Highland games, exhibits, and interactive sessions. Jam out with bands from Ireland, Scotland, Canada, and America. And take part in unique crafts, shopping, and delicious food and beverages!
West
BEYOND THE STREETS Los Angeles, CA – Now through August 26, 2018
Extending through the summer due to popular demand, BEYOND THE STREETS is the premier exhibition of graffiti, street art, and beyond. As a groundbreaking multimedia showcase of paintings, sculpture, photography, installations, and more, you’ll be amidst the celebration of the soaring heights the world’s most recognizable modern art movement has risen to. The evolution of graffiti and street art is waiting, so get your tickets now!
Wonderspaces B Street Pier, San Diego, CA – Now through August 12, 2018
Wonderspaces partners with artists from around the world to deliver extraordinary artwork to new audiences in every city they travel to. With exhibits like Dinner Party, the short virtual reality thriller that dramatizes the incredible story the first nationally known American UFO abduction case, and The Corridor, which immerses the audience in a square dark room filled with four endlessly looping films projected across the walls, you’ll surely leave amazed!
PAX West Washington State Convention Center, Seattle, WA – August 31-September 3, 2018
The biggest gaming convention of all time is back, and it’s going to be epic! PAX West brings together thousands of gamers for four days of sneak peaks, demos, panels, live concerts, and more. Plus, PAX is the only place where you can take part in their exclusive tournament, Omegathon, where a handful of lucky contestants battle to the (metaphorical) death. Currently, there are only Monday tickets left, so hurry and get yours before they’re gone!