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Morning Edition
Gracie Stockton and Emily Bright

Founder: Twin Cities Con is a judgment-free zone for all ages

Cosplayers arrive at the Twin Cities Con
Cosplayers arrive at the Twin Cities Con at The Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 11, 2022.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

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Thousands will flock to the Minneapolis Convention Center starting Friday for the third-annual Twin Cities Con — Minnesota's Comic Con. Founder Ben Penrod says there's something for everyone.

The event features a “nerdy flea market”, dozens of celebrities, hundreds of artists and a bunch of like-minded people in a judgment-free zone.

“And if you're remotely curious, just come down and check it out. It's so much fun,” Penrod told MPR News. “It's a way to kind of, you know, kind of put the real world behind you for a few days.”

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A person wears a mask and sets up a stall of art.
A vendor displays their artwork at Twin Cities Con.
Courtesy of Twin Cities Con
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Fans are waiting in the line
Logan Barat (center) and Raith Parsa (left) dressed as demon slayers wait in the line to enter the Twin Cities Con at The Minneapolis Convention Center on Nov. 11, 2022.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News file
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A fan poses for a portrait
Katelynn Morgan dressed as Tank girl at the Twin Cities Con at The Minneapolis Convention Center in 2022.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Penrod moved to Minnesota from Florida about a year ago with the intent of making Twin Cities Con one of the best comic cons in the country. He founded the conference in 2021 and it’s garnered momentum since. Penrod is also the mastermind behind comic cons in Des Moines, a forthcoming Madison expo in central Florida and is a co-promoter of the Alaska con.

In 1999, Penrod started buying and selling comic books, which ultimately led to him setting up conventions and later running his own, founding events in Annapolis and southern Maryland, as well as Awesome Con in Washington, D.C.

In the Twin Cities this year, attendees can expect to see celebrities including actors Danny Trejo and Kevin Smith, the voice cast of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” Steve Burns of “Blues Clues,” and the actors who voice the mom and dad of the popular show “Bluey.” Penrod said the “Bluey” cast members were the most difficult guests to book in his entire career.

You don’t have to come in a costume or cosplay. But Penrod estimates about a third of the 25-30,000 attendees will be.

“The thing I like to get across is that this is a family-friendly event,” Penrod said. “We've got something for everyone.”

Find more information and ticket prices for Twin Cities Con at their website.