Best Gaming Conventions Coming to Pennsylvania 2024
The gaming industry in Pennsylvania and the USA, in general, is constantly on the rise. Online gaming is taking a huge swing and the top PA casino sites are at the center of this expansion. As profitable and as popular as they are, they are just a small fragment of the sector.
There’s much more to gaming than online gambling. People still want to enjoy casual and/or retro events within this sector. The numerous gaming conventions that take place each year in The Keystone State are proof of how popular gaming here really is.
Gaming conventions are the best events if you are looking to meet new like-minded people, have a bit of fun in the process and expand your network. That is why we wanted to give you a list of some of the biggest upcoming gaming conventions coming to Pennsylvania.
Zenkaikon
If you are into anime, then Zenkaikon is arguably the year’s biggest gaming convention. The next edition of Zenkaikon will take place between March 22 and March 24, 2024, in The Lancaster County Convention Center.
Thanks to the fact that the convention center is located within the heart of Lancaster, guests will also be able to enjoy all the town’s festivities. As for Zenkaikon itself, this gaming convention includes tons of games, workshops, panels, screenings, cosplay, artists, dances, and much more. The convention hours are the following:
- 8 pm – 12 am (March 21)
- 9 am – 2 am (March 22)
- 9 am – 2 am (March 23)
- 9 am – 5:30 pm (March 24)
The 2024 edition of the Zenkaikon allows guests to pre-register and in doing so, receive discounts and faster check-in at the convention itself. Since Engineering Games is the home to the latest news in the industry, you can rely on us to inform you of any changes or updates.
Fan Expo Philadelphia
Fan Expo Philadelphia is the biggest event for anime, gaming, sci-fi and horror in the state. This is when people celebrate not just the gaming industry, but the pop culture in general. To make things even better, many of the special guests are high-end celebrities and visitors always have a chance to talk with them and take a few pictures.
To give you a bit of history regarding Fan Expo, it all started as Wizard World Philadelphia in 2001. Throughout the years, numerous celebrities such as Chris Evans, Stan Lee, Michael J. Fox and Chris Hemsworth have been a part of it and had the time of their lives.
The next Fan Expo Philadelphia will be held between May 3-5 in the Philadelphia Convention Center. Meetups are usually around 7:30 or 8 am every morning and after they finish, guests can enjoy the games, cosplay and much more. To help you be more organized during the event, Fan Expo releases a special mobile app which is free to download. The app is available shortly before the convention begins.
Thy Geekdom Con
Speaking of pop culture, Thy Geekdom Con is yet another convention of this type. It celebrates TV, video gaming programming, comics, anime and gaming in general. One of the best parts about it is that it has a special hall reserved for video gaming only. Visitors can enjoy all types of variants and arcades.
The 2024 edition of Thy Geekdom Con will take place on May 24 and will last until May 26. Early bird tickets for the 3-days event come at $40. Single-day tickets cost $20 (Friday), $30 (Saturday) and $25 (Sunday).
The presale will start on February 2 and will last until May 23. During this period, the price for the full 3-days experience is $45 and the single-day tickets will cost $25, $35 and $30 for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Tickets at the door will cost $50 for the three days. If you’re looking to purchase single-day tickets at the door, you will have to pay $30, $40 and $35 for each day, respectively. Children under 11 can enter for free if they have their parents or custodians with them.
World Board gaming Championships
Our final listing is an event that is the perfect option for people who like to bring out their competitiveness. Each year, the World Boardgaming Championship hosts over 150 games and over 2,000 players participate with a single goal – to become world champions in their respective fields.
The 2024 edition of this event will take place on July 20-28 at the Seven Springs Resort in Pennsylvania.
