As the doors burst open, you enter a scene that seems to resemble a Disney park ride. Characters that look as if they had jumped out of a fairy tale book mill-about, buying plush toys and collecting pins and hats and t-shirts galore. Art and banners in countless different styles color the walls of the building. Yes, you have just arrived at DragonCon.

With more than 75,000 attendees, DragonCon celebrated its 30th anniversary in downtown Atlanta on Sept. 2 through 5 by hosting the largest cartoon and gaming con yet. North Atlanta students were among those in attendance. “I went to a bunch of panels about science related things, and also TV shows like ‘Stranger Things’ and ‘X-files,’” said sophomore Patrick Van Huan. “Although I spent most of my time waiting for panels to start and walking between hotels I managed to have fun enjoying the people there.”

DragonCon is a four-day fantasy, cosplay and science fiction convention featuring a collection of different movies, TV shows, and popular gaming. It is tradition to dress up as the fantasy or superhero character of your choice and walk around spending time viewing art work, costumes, foods, even a grand parade on Peachtree Street that includes a variety of all our favorite pop culture characters. There is also a competition for the best costume, in which the number of willing participants is always high. “An interesting thing I saw was a panel on ‘How to Get Away With Murder.’ There was quite the crowd,” Van Huan said.

Whether you are a die-hard fan of a particular cartoon, a dedicated cosplayer, an aspiring film creator, or simply someone who just enjoys being surrounded by different entertainment cultures, DragonCon is definitely the annual event you don’t want to miss.