Dragon Con 2025 Draws 75,000 Fans for a Weekend of Cosplay, Celebrities, and Community

By Jaimz Dillman

Once again, the trek to downtown Atlanta brought masses of pop culture fans from all over. Dragon Con 2025 attracted over 75,000 fans during Labor Day weekend for days not of dragons, as many have asked, but of costumes, celebrities, panels, parties, parades, film, television, art, and more.

Standouts over the four days celebrating all fandoms were definitely the four featured guests from The Muppets, cosplay groups of Frenchmen from the video game Expedition 33 complete with berets and baguettes, and the usual gathering of Star Wars and Star Trek enthusiasts.

The parade Saturday morning seemed a little lighter than in past years, with the highlight being a Jawa circus complete with a little guy spinning on an aerial hoop from their rolling “big top.”

Mashup cosplays are always a big part of the weekend. Muppet Stormtroopers, anyone? Lines for celebrity Q&As and panels covering topics ranging from costuming techniques to historical fiction allowed everyone to choose their own adventure depending on what piqued their interest.

We were honored to attend three costuming panels. One of our party was an expert speaker among others in the field, including craftsmen from Star Wars and The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was impressive to see the passion members of the audience brought to creating new and unique costumes and looks.

Really, the only limits across four host hotels covering multiple city blocks would be your imagination. Want to wear hours of work in 3D-printing a screen-accurate costume? Do it. Want to slap together some cardboard with masking tape and marker? Cool. More of a T-shirt and shorts kind of person? You’re welcome, too.

Any and all are welcome to Atlanta’s all-inclusive favorite holiday. The same goes for the artwork and vendors displaying goodies across four floors of the America’s Mart: custom-built lightsabers, loads of renaissance and leather wear, independent authors with their newest titles, candy, toys, bags, and more. You name it. This year, we were looking for something we hadn’t seen in the previous two years we’ve attended but weren’t sure what that “thing” would be. Plenty of money was spent with our favorite artists, but long lines wrapping around city blocks for shopping gave us limited time for treasure hunting. That, coupled with what seemed like an increase in parking prices, I swear we paid $20 a day last year, made us more selective about souvenirs.

Photo ops were as popular as ever, with my own experience meeting Henson Legends truly iconic. A well-oiled machine, ticket holders were lined up, scanned through, ushered in, ready, smile, click, done. I was a little spoiled, as my outfit and tattoos garnered a bit of attention and conversation with Kevin Clash, Dave Goelz, Bonnie Erickson, and Bill Barretta. Note for the future: wear things that stand out. They even took a picture of me with their cell phones. As fast as it began, it was done, and I was sent on my way with an ear-to-ear grin and glossy 8x10 clutched in my hand. Many thanks to my SO for treating me to the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The lobbies and hallways were best for people-watching and snapping photos. We found a great trading spot on the bottom floor of the Marriott, which started to resemble a con flea market. There’s a huge contingent of swag makers who bless attendees with little handmade gifts or trinkets. You can find them all over on counters and hallways, or set up a table and lay your offerings out for trade or taking. Our girls had the best time of the weekend seeing what others would offer and pick up. Some people gave us several small bags of treats, and some, mostly kids, walked away with a small treasure of stickers. It’s all in good faith and fun, and definitely a feel-good part of con-going. As we don’t stay for the later parties stretching into the early morning hours, this was the kids’ favorite part of the weekend.

The Walk of Fame featured celebs from movies like John Boyega and Vincent D’Onofrio, TV shows and series like David Boreanaz and John Barrowman, and comics like Sam de la Rosa and Becky Cloonan, among countless others.

Autographs and table selfies ranged from $50 to $250 according to the signs posted, with each guest setting their own costs.

The influx of this temporary population benefits the local economy with full restaurants, hotels, car rentals, and more. Dragon Con also raised more than $320,000 for mental health advocate NAMI Georgia.

Money wasn’t the only thing raised either. According to an official email from Dragon Con, blood donations showed “more than 3,950 donors, resulting in about 10,600 blood components. The annual drive, consistently ranked as the largest convention-based blood drive, benefits LifeSouth, which serves more than 25 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 125 hospitals in the Southeast.”

Now that we’re all back home, the bags are unpacked, and props and souvenirs put away, our plans are already being made to go bigger and better at Dragon Con next year.

Tickets and info can be found at DragonCon.org.