By: Andrew Silverstein
It's a good time to be an anime fan in the Tampa Bay Area right now. Why?
One word: METROCON.
Touted as the biggest anime festival in Florida, METROCON goes down each year at the Tampa Convention Center where over 6,500 fans of anime, science fiction, and fantasy gather to pine and share over their beloved mediums.
Every June (in 2011, the 17th through 19th), the Tampa Convention Center turns into a veritable anime amusement park packed with attractions like the famous Anime Human Chess Match, live fire shows, the METRO Star Party, autograph signings from notable, famous, figures in anime and fantasy, costume contests, live music, and more.
Notable guests this year include Max Brooks, the author of the New York Times Best Seller, The Zombie Survival Guide, Scott McNeil, and Crispin Freeman.
METROCON's been growing steadily since its inception in 2003 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in North Tampa. In 2005 METROCON moved to Downtown Tampa at the Tampa Convention Center's West Hall boasting 75,000 square feet of space for this gigantic festival.
Pre-order weekend passes are sold out, but available at the door for $60. Single day tickets are $30 for Friday, $35 for Saturday, and $30 for Sunday.
If you're visiting and staying in a hotel in or around Downtown Tampa, the TECO Line Streetcar System is, by far, the best and cheapest way to get to and from METROCON with a stop right in front of the convention center. Avoid the often-hectic Tampa traffic and ride in one of these cool, old-school style streetcars to get there in style.
If you're a Tampa anime fan, you owe it to yourself to check out, at least, one day of this ginormous convention. Even if you're not, this thing's gotta be people watching central. Get out there and see what it's all about!
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