So…how do ya’ll wanna do this?
Last year, I stepped away from going to a lot of anime conventions due to personal reasons; the biggest one being disposable income. Being an anime fan is expensive. From Crunchyroll subscriptions to budgeting for anime conventions, we nerds kick out at LEAST $10k-$20k in disposable income a year. I’m surprised we can’t even write that off on our taxes, unless you’re claiming your hobby as a business expense. I guess that’s why many fans decided to become professional cosplayers, anime content creators, and even voice actors; cuz’ at least you get paid to be a guest at the con! (At least the voice actors and professional cosplayers do.)
So yeah, I did step away from the scene for a bit, but now I’m back with a brand new bag! As much as I like going to big name conventions; like Otakon and Zenkaikon, I’ve decided to stay local, and go to smaller anime conventions. This past weekend I pulled up to a small anime convention in Bethesda, Maryland (about an hour from my house). It was held at the Silver Spring Civic Center, and it was called…HanaCon.
When Aaron and I stepped into the place, it did kind of remind me of Khromakon only because of the venue space. Last time I talked about the difference between Classic and Modern anime conventions, so if I were to grade HanaCon based off of that, I’d say this convention has a classic feel with a modern twist. With both Aaron and I being ‘Certified Uncs’ in the anime community, larger conventions are rather overwhelming and crowded as hell! So we decided to shop local, and came to this convention.
Despite the size, there was actually a good amount of programming for its debut year. One new thing that I saw at this convention, that I didn’t really see at other small local conventions, is The Maid Cafe. They’re a staple in the mid-size and large conventions, and have grown in popularity within convention culture. While we didn’t get the chance to go to any panels, most of our time was spent in the Dealer’s Room. A lot of the vendors were local to the DMV, and even some of our Baltimore friends were there! (Shout-out to Crystal Soul Cosplay!) We even stopped by a few of the cosplay guest tables to get a couple pictures, and chop it up about anime and nerd stuff, cuz’ why not?
Of course an anime con can’t be an anime con without a rave party, and DJ Taylor Senpai did just that! Once all the panels were over, many of the attendees headed over to the Moonlight Overdrive Dance Party. The area kind of reminded me of a high school dance with an EDM theme, as the song selection had a little bit of everything (including EDM). I danced a little bit to some of the tracks (including Cupid and Boots on the Ground), and by doing so, I was gassed after 3 minutes…but still had fun. If my brother and his dance crew were there, they would’ve shut the party down!
So in conclusion; HanaCon is a really cool anime convention, and now that it’s making its way to Towson, MD next year as a 2-day convention, it’ll be twice as good! Will Club BASSMODE be there and throw an official afterparty for them? Only time will tell. With Stellar Con and Miryokucon now back in Baltimore, plus a brand new Anime/Horror themed convention called KurayamiCon (is pullin’ up Halloween 2026), the Baltimore Anime Con Scene is BACK and better than ever!
OG Founder
Out!
