Cons You Should Know – RavenCon!

RavenCon 17 will be held on April 26-28, 2024. RavenCon is a fan-run science fiction and fantasy convention that was conceived by a dedicated group of fans in 2005. The goal of the con is to create a forum in which fans and professionals can interact and share their interests in literature, art, gaming, podcasting, costuming, science, and music. More importantly, they want to create an event that is packed with exciting activities all weekend long! RavenCon is held at Virginia Crossings by Hilton in Glen Allen, VA. Attendance averages around 1300 attendees.

The 2024 Guests of Honor will be : Editor Guest of Honor: Ellen Datlow, Author Guest of Honor: Ursula Vernon, aka T. Kingfisher, and Special Guest: Count Gore De Vol.

Events will include concerts, cosplay, gaming, workshops, author readings and signings, unique vendors, kid’s programming, escape rooms, the Gothic Wonderland Tea Party, and The RavenCon Masquerade. The convention runs over 300 hours of programming and activities featuring over 100 authors and panelists across genres, including horror, sci-fi, fantasy, military fiction, and other areas of fan cultures.

Why “RavenCon” you might ask? Many cities lay claim to Edgar Allan Poe—Baltimore, Providence, Boston, Philadelphia—but Richmond is the city that he grew up in. Poe called himself a Virginian. Orphaned shortly before the age of three, Edgar was brought to Richmond to be raised by the Allan family. He grew up in Richmond, loved and lost in Richmond, wrote his only novel in Richmond, and married in Richmond. Some say that he gave his final reading of “The Raven” in Richmond. If not for his untimely death, he likely would have moved back to Richmond to rekindle a romance with his teenage love. Richmond was important to Poe. And Poe has always been important to RavenCon. One of the con founder’s earliest childhood memories is hearing readings of Poe’s “The Black Cat,” “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Gold Bug” on public radio at the age of four. He was hooked immediately. When searching for a name for a Richmond-based convention, RavenCon was the obvious choice.

For our Charlotte Geeks, you’ll find that many of your favorite authors, musicians, and friends attend and are guests at RavenCon. The Merry Mayhem (AKA Joey Starnes, Carol Cowles, and Wanda Harward) will also be there as guests! This year, as usual, we’ll be part of a number of panels on a wide variety of topics. We are also introducing a new event this year called “Caftans and Coffee” on Sunday morning at 10AM. Join us to dress in caftans or other comfy clothes, drink coffee or tea, and discuss our favorite geeky games, books, how to work together to organize events, and support each other’s geeky efforts. Ms. Roper cosplays are encouraged, but not required. Camp songs may be involved. Tea samples created by The Rooted Dandelion will be available. We hope to see you there!