The Lee County Library System’s annual Fandom Fest, a free, all-ages celebration of geek and pop culture, returns noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 11, at the Fort Myers Regional Library outdoor plaza, 2450 First St., in downtown Fort Myers.
Festivalgoers are encouraged to attend in costume.
The festival will be divided into fandom-themed areas offering a mixture of activities, games and DIY maker spaces for a variety of ages and interests, including:
- Space
- Sword & Sorcery
- Superheroes & Villains
- Asian Culture.
Festivalgoers can spend the afternoon making crafts, winning prizes, climbing the rock wall and creating cosplay accessories among many other free activities.
There will be live entertainment at the outdoor Cornog Plaza Amphitheater featuring electronic music and remixes by DJ Jo. Tampa Taiko will kick off the festival with Japanese drumming. New this year, the festival will offer K-Pop dance tutorials with Residance.
A virtual reality tech hub and gaming will be provided by Rolling Games Fort Myers. Fans of Star Wars, Disney, Minions and Marvel will have a chance to meet and take photos with their favorite characters. There will be a designated preschool area with games and activities just for that age group.
Food will be available for purchase and local gaming and comic book shops will sell merchandise and offer role-playing game tutorials and card trading.
A cosplay costume contest will be held at 3 p.m. to cap off the event. Participants can register for free at the Judges Booth from noon to 2 p.m. Winners will be selected in the following categories: Birth to Preschool, Children (5-11 years old), Teens (12-17 years old) and Adults (18 years old and up). Winners will be awarded family four-pack theme park tickets to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay (pre-k and kids) or Universal Studios (teens and adults).
In addition to the on-site festivities, there will be opportunities to win prizes through virtual activities and reading challenges using the READsquared app platform. Participants can log reading and enjoy Fandom Bingo and other fun, educational activities during the two weeks leading up to the big event. Participants can earn chances to win Grand Prizes including season passes to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay.
To ensure everyone’s safety and enjoyment of Fandom Fest, attendees must observe the following rules on festival day:
- No real or realistic-looking weapons are allowed
- Lack of clothing is not a costume; shirt, shoes and bottoms must be worn at all times
- Attendees will abide by the Lee County Library System’s Patron Code of Conduct
- Fandom Fest representatives, library staff members or security personnel reserve the right to inspect costumes and/or accessories
Attendees who do not comply with the rules and regulations will be asked to leave the premises.
The library recognizes the importance of providing relevant and engaging programming for teens and young adults. Attendees of the festival can learn more about library services that support their academic and personal goals while interacting in a creative and fun environment. Volunteer opportunities at the festival are available. Interested teens can apply at www.leelibrary.net/fandomfest.
To sign up for our Fandom Fest e-newsletter and get all the latest news, please visit: www.leelibrary.net/fandomfest.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Lee County will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities in its services, programs or activities. To request an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication or a reasonable modification to participate, contact Joan LaGuardia, 239-533-2314, Florida Relay Service 711, or jlaguardia@leegov.com. Accommodation will be provided at no cost to the requester. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance.
