# All-Ages Pop Culture & Fandom Event
Dust off those capes, grab your favorite set of dice, and get ready to start your next adventure at the Main Library on Saturday, March 22, from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. It's a celebration of all the books, comics, games, TV shows, and movies you love... all in the heart of downtown Jacksonville! Make memories, make friends and show off your best cosplay or fandom-inspired art this Spring Break! This is a FREE event, open to the public. You'll definitely want to bring your library card (or sign up for one), though, so you can take full advantage of everything we have to offer!
Never Visited the Main Library?
For information about parking, tours and more, visit our location page! During special events (like Jax Pop Con), the Duval Street parking garage charges a special event rate of $5 for the day (and there is no validation for library visitors). Fee is due upon entry and cash is preferred. However, street parking in downtown Jacksonville is free on the weekends.
Note: All attendees must enter the library through the entrance at 303 N. Laura Street. The Conference Center doors on Main Street will be closed for this event.
# Fandoms, Assemble!
Make sure your fandom is represented! Dress up as your favorite hero, space wizard, movie monster or original D&D character! There will be a Kids Costume Parade at 1 p.m. in the Children's Room (2nd Floor) for kids (ages 11 and under) and their families. If you're 12 or older, compete against other cosplayers for a chance to win a fun prize (and bragging rights)! Assemble on the Main Stage (Zimmerman Overlook, 1st Floor) for a Cosplay Contest for Teens (ages 12-17) at 3 p.m. and a Cosplay Contest for Adults at 3:30 p.m.
You'll also have the chance to interact with special guest cosplayers, including Folio Weekly's "Best of Jax 2023" cosplayer Countess Alyx as well as Costumers with a Cause, Quest Master and the Mimic Misadventurers, ConCrawler Cosplays, Small Fry Cosplay and more.
# Schedule of Events
Little Readers (Storytime)
We start with a story your kid(s) will love, add music, get everyone moving, and sprinkle in other fun activities to make it all stick! Choose from one of two library storytimes, at 10:15 a.m. or 11 a.m. in the Children's Department (2nd Floor). Note: This program is intended for youth (ages birth to five). Attendance is limited and is first-come first-served. Please arrive early.
Check in starts 30 minutes prior to the start of the program. Late entry will not be permitted after 15 minutes past the program’s start time.
Forward Thinking: The Evolution of Fandom (Panel Discussion)
Pop culture and the ways we engage with it have changed a lot over the years and it's evolving even more rapidly in the age of social media, influencers, review sites, BookTok, Instagram and AI. Discuss the past, present and future of fandom in this 40-minute conversation between a moderator and four panelists, followed by 20 minutes of audience Q&A.
Join the discussion on the third floor from 12 - 1 p.m.
Moderator: Antonio (Tony) Allegretti (founding director of Riverside Arts Market). Panelists: Kati Johnston and Casey Truglio (co-founders of Rebel Readers), Badr Milligan (host and producer of The Short Box: A Comic Book Talk Show), and Ryan Paul Thompson (founder of GAAM).
Teen Advisory Board: Gotta Catch 'Em All!
Calling all Pokémon trainers (ages 12-17)! It doesn’t matter if you’re a champ or just starting out, meet up with other enthusiasts at Jax Pop Con to weigh in on Poké-powers and make some fandom merch! Featured book: Pokémon: Legendary and Mythical Guidebook by Simcha Whitehill.
Meeting in the Teen Room from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Note: Attendance is limited and is first-come first-served. Please arrive early.
Lit Chat Interview with Django Wexler
Django Wexler is the author of many fantasy novels, including How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, Ashes of the Sun, and The Thousand Names. In his former life as a software engineer, he worked on AI research and programming languages. He currently lives near Seattle with his wife, daughter, many cats, and a teetering mountain of books. When not writing, he paints tiny soldiers and plays games of all sorts.
Interview takes place on the third floor from 4 - 5 p.m. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow the interview and limited number of books will be available for sale on-site from a local bookstore partner, Happy Medium Books Café. Optional: You can pre-order your copy here.
Note: Seating for the Lit Chat program will begin at 3:30 pm. The maximum capacity of this area is 75. Registered attendees will be seated first come, first serve. Bring your library card (physical or on the JaxLibrary app) for faster check-in.
Attention Writers!
Join us a day early on Friday, March 21, from 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. when Django Wexler presents a FREE, hour-long Writer's Lab workshop on fantasy world-building! Space is limited!
Concurrent Offerings (from 11 am. - 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted)
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Video Game Tournaments with Extra Life in the Multipurpose Room (Conference Center)
- Please show up at least 15 minutes before the scheduled start time
- Games and tournament schedule will be announced soon
- Free play options will also be available
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Dungeons & Dragons One Shots in the Center for Adult Learning (Conference Level)
- Did you know you can check out D&D manuals from the Library?
- Play Blood on the Clocktower in Room G4 (Conference Center)
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Watch Anime in the Lounge at 303 North (just inside the Laura St. entrance)
- We'll also have a selection of tabletop and board games available
- FREE Face Painting for Kids in the Courtyard on the 2nd Floor (11 a.m. - 3 p.m. only)
- Make Your Own Button and Fandom Crafts in the Learning Space (Conference Level)
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Get Recommendations from our Fandom Book Cart next to the staircase on 1st Floor
- You can also browse several themed book displays at the event
- You can also request a Personalized Booklist sent to your email
- Take a Break in the Sensory/Quiet Room in Room G3 (Conference Center)
# Knowledge is Power
Jax Pop Con is the perfect time to find out all of the ways you can borrow graphic novels, manga, D&D manuals and more! Main Library boasts one of the largest physical collections of these items out of our 21 locations. Main Library also houses the Zine Collection with self-published zines and comics, mostly from creators right here in Northeast Florida! If this isn't your preferred location, you can always place a hold online and have the items sent to your local library for pickup.
P.S.: If you're not already using hoopla Digital to get FREE comics and manga, here's a sign from the universe (and your Library) that you should start now! Don't have a card yet? For access to Digital Library apps like hoopla, faster checkout of your big book haul on the day of the event, and easier check-in at all the awesome programs you're going to want to attend, make sure you sign up for a library card online or at your favorite Jacksonville Public Library location!
#Showcasing Cosplayers and Fandom Artists
Around 40 local artists, writers, cosplayers, and makers will have the chance to showcase or sell their original and fandom-inspired creations at the event! Throughout the day, you can grab a selfie with a cosplayer who inspires you, talk shop with fellow makers, network with future collaborators or just grab an original print, sticker or charm inspired by your favorite fandom!
This year, Quest Master and the Mimic Misadventurers will be giving out quests and providing entertainment for all ages! With their misadventures, they seek bounties to be completed, search for beloved items hidden within the many booths, and form friendships with fellow attendees!
Emberworks by (V)Ashe will be coming to Jax Pop Con Vol. 2 with a wide selection of gaming and anime-inspired soy wax candles for sale.
Tyler and Astrid (a.k.a. ConCrawler Cosplays, a.k.a. your "weird cosplay parents") will be coming to Jax Pop Con Vol. 2 to show off some of their incredible cosplays!
Saki, the sole proprietor of SuperlunaryxShoppe and founder of CelestialxDragon Productions, will be bringing a selection of mugs, charms, crocheted items, prints, stickers, pins and buttons.
Jax local artist Aiboneda will be selling original prints, stickers, totes, charms and more!
Confirmed Vendors and Guests
Aiboneida, Angiepuff Art, Bailey Lopata, Blueberry tArt, Borf Studios, Bubble Bee, CelestialxDragon Productions, ConCrawler Cosplay, Costumers with a Cause, Countess Alyx, CozyFurbCafe, Cranberryspring, Crochet by Jay, Dice Garden, DA (Douglas Anderson) Creative Writing, DreamOnLoser, Electricfrank3n, Emberworks by Ashe, Everperplexing, Feathered Forest, TheFlyingTacoz, The foxes den, Full Connections Counseling, The Gray Lair, TheHeroLife, Janishacolors, Kaze Illustrations, Lalaineartgeek, Massiveus, Melaninks, Melonteabythesea, Polka_Soup, Quaint and Crochet, Quest Master and the Mimic Misadventurers, RottingRobin, Small Fry Cosplay, Strikixit Studios, TuesdaysAnyways, XF Comix, YOW 4 U, and Zorina Art.
A Note About Guest/Vendor Applications
Applications to table at Jax Pop Con Vol. 2 closed on January 25, 2025. This year, there were more applications than available spaces, so unfortunately we were not be able to extend an invitation to everyone. Accepted cosplayers and tablers have been notified and are listed above. Stay tuned for more vendor spotlights here and on the Library's social media.
Code of Conduct
Please be aware of Library policy, specifically the Code of Conduct, while attending the event. This is an all-ages event. Costumes, cosplays, and general attire must provide the same level of body coverage expected under the Code of Conduct. Library staff or security personnel may inspect any item or costume at any time. Failure to comply with these instructions may result in immediate removal from the event. If you have questions, please visit the Security Desk inside the Library during operating hours before the day of the event.
#Check Back for Updates
We plan to make Jax Pop Con Vol. 2 even bigger and better than the first. So, please tell your friends and bring the whole family! There will be plenty of games and activities in the Conference Center as well as vendors, special guests, programs and other events on the first three floors of the Main Library. We're truly geeking out about all the possibilities!
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