Pop-culture, comic, and anime fans, get ready because this year, the annual Elmont Comic Con, or El-Con, is back for the second time. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Elmont Memorial Library, 700 Hempstead Turnpike, Elmont, NY.
Elcon is a free, one-day community event celebrating fandoms, pop culture, and library resources. This event aims to bring the Elmont community together and help residents discover what the library offers.
This year, the event will feature a larger vintage car show, retro gaming, Dance Dance Revolution, possible Pac-Man, Lego displays and competitions, crafts, cosplay, character photo opportunities, and an outdoor inflatable arcade. The event may include a film discussion and a concert by Sawanika Central High School featuring music from movies, games, and pop culture.
“It really was inspired by trying to drive the community together or bring the community together. We have the opportunity and the benefit, as the library, to showcase what's really special about Elmont and our community,” Adam Bowman, head of social media, said. “And when we do something like El-con, it really brings everyone together in one central space in Elmont. I feel like Long Island doesn't have many events like that. Elmont specifically is lacking that kind of feature.”
Bowman told the Herald that through this annual event, they’re trying to expand the El-Con brand and hope to make it a recurring event people look forward to every year.
Jean Simpson, director of Elmont Memorial Library, said the library services will be closed during the event; however, residents may renew or obtain library cards.
“This one really highlights the library the way that, you know, it really kind of pulls everything together. Like I said, what we do and what we're here for is to get the community excited and to see that,” Simpson said. “You know, this is the place to come, and you don't have to, like, like Adam said, pay all that money, but you get an experience in your, you know, in your library of something fun and different.”
This year, organizers expect approximately 3,000 to 3,500 attendees; last year, the event drew about 2,500 people. For more information, visit https://elmontlibrary.org/.
