Denver’s Nerd-Event Calendar for 2024 Come one, come all, to some of the greatest shows on Earth — or at least here in Colorado (and yes, we’re mainly talking to the proud nerd population here). If you think FAN EXPO is the only con in town, you’re oh so very wrong. Our state is lucky enough to boast more than its share of nerd-loving
This is by no means a complete list of all the events that Colorado’s pop-culture faithful will be able to indulge in in 2024; more shows are still in development. But this is a good start to a great calendar of events for anyone who knows the difference between X-Men and Uncanny X-Men; between the blue and red Snaggletooth; between a ranger and a paladin. It’s a big club, the nerds. Come out and join us — we’re a pretty welcoming group.
Hexacon January 12-15Omni Interlocken Hotel, 500 Interlocken Boulevard, BroomfieldStart the nerdalicious year off right with a January gaming event happening over MLK weekend. Hexacon is a gaming-focused con brought for years now by the folks who used to bring Myths and Legends Con to Denver during the 2010s. All gamers are welcome: role-players, board gamers, miniatures battlers, Live Action Role-Players (LARP fans) and more. In short: If you have a favorite set of dice, this is where you belong. GenghisCon February 15-18Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, 13200 East 14th Place, AuroraSpeaking of gamers, early 2024 is a two-fer! GenghisCon bills itself as “the place where tabletop gaming transcends entertainment and transforms into an unforgettable journey.” That’s some sweet, sweet flavor text right there, but GhengisCon lives up to every syllable. “We’re not just offering games,” says the website. “We’re offering experiences.” And it does: This year includes the opportunity to meet Luke Gygax, whose famous father helped invent Dungeons & Dragons back in the day. For RPG fans — that’s a nat-20 kind of moment.Colorado Anime Fest March 15-17Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 South Syracuse StreetFounded in 2014 in Denver by a group of friends who loved anime but didn’t see a local opportunity to express that fandom, Colorado Anime Fest remains a labor of love by its dedicated staff. It’s also an impressive charitable organization, having donated over $30K to Colorado causes since its inception. This year welcomes special guests actor/director Joel McDonald, voice-talent extraordinaire Faye Mata and much more awesomeness.Toy and Doll Supershow March 24Crowne Plaza DIA Convention Center, 15500 East 40th AvenueWe covered one of the previous iterations of this long-running show by local organizer Dana Cain back in 2022, and the event has only grown since then. So much so that it’s put down roots in some new digs, moving from its previous Northglenn location to a much larger space at Crowne Plaza. This year, it’s partnering with two other niche-collector shows (the Vintage Voltage Expo and the Colorado Guitar Show), and also inviting special guest Tim Clarke. Clarke is a master toy designer affectionately called the “King of Gross” for his work with Sectaurs and Boglins. It’s toys, dolls, comics and pop-culture galore — and well worth the one-day commitment of a Sunday in March. Costume-ConMarch 28-April 1Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, 13200 East 14th Place, AuroraNow in its 42nd year, the international show Costume-Con returns to Denver with a gathering of dedicated costume fans from all over the world, coming together for the sake of “creativity, camaraderie, and friendly competition.” The four-day event offers a welcome to costumers and cosplayers of any realm, fandom, era or skill level. Many of Denver’s cons are local or regional; this is the opportunity to experience something that will draw fellow fans from across the globe.Rocky Mountain Nightmares May 10-12Grand Hyatt Denver, 1750 Welton StreetThe first horror-themed event on the Denver con calendar is Rocky Mountain Nightmares. RMN is planning to post its list of special guests very soon, breaking the news first on its Facebook page. Aside from the to-be-announced guest list, the three-day event in downtown Denver offers vendors, artists, a costume contest, a Miss Nightmare contest, and parties all weekend. Stock up on your fake blood. FAN EXPO Denver July 4-7Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th StreetThe biggest event by a good margin on this list, FAN EXPO is also one of the newer ones — at least if you don’t include its previous incarnations as first the Denver Comic Con and then the Denver Pop Culture Con, which began its impressive but shaky run back in 2012. Canadian-based fan-con company FAN EXPO bought it at the end of the pandemic and has been working to raise the event to the level of other national conventions ever since. For celebrity signings and meet-and-greets, comic art and artists, writers and their books and vendors of all nerdy types, these are the three days of the year to save your pennies for — and your best patriotic costumes, too. As always, the event is over a long weekend — Independence Day this year — so plan accordingly, all you aspiring Captain Americas. Colorado Festival of Horror Sept 13-15Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows, 10345 Park Meadows Drive, Lone TreeThe Colorado Festival of Horror delights in bringing the delicious darkness to Denver, presenting all things horror-fying: celebrity guests, artist and writers of many different media, panels, vendors, films, an art show, cosplay and tattoo contests, and more, more, more. Keep an eye on the COFOH website for announcements as to guests and plans for 2024 — promised before the end of January.
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Fans of all types come together for the mind-meld that is MileHiCon.
Danielle Lirette
MileHiCon October 25-27Denver’s venerable and still-going-strong sci-fi convention turns 56 this year; it hasn’t released much information about its plans for 2024 other than to schedule the date, but if fans recall what the event has been like in years past, it deserves a spot on their 2024 to-do lists.Daku-Con November 1-3Crowne Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center, 15500 East 40th AvenueDenver’s only age-limited fan experience is Daku-Con, where all attendees must be eighteen and up. It’s a “refreshing local con reminiscent of cons long gone,” according to organizers, when events like it were “designed for an adult crowd, and didn’t specifically cater to families and children.” Still, there’s a dress code: If you can’t wear it to the pool, Daku-Con policies suggest, you can’t wear it there, either. Still, there will be some adult-only panels and the like that push that PG-13 rating. Rocky Mountain Con November 8-9Embassy Suites by Hilton Denver Central Park, 4444 Havana StreetIt’s a fan gathering that began as a response to tragedy and has since become a fan-favorite event for over a decade. RMC started as a comic, gaming, anime, toy and sci-fi/fantasy convention to help the victims of the 2012 Aurora theater shooting, and has retained its charitable position in the fan community ever since. Last year, it partnered with Cap for Kids, a local organization that supports kids fighting cancer. RMC is an event where your geek interests cross over with doing the right thing. click to enlarge
Colorado Horror & Pop Culture Con wish you a frighteningly good new year.
Colorado Horror & Pop Culture Con December 13-15Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center, 13200 East 14th Place, AuroraWinding up the nerd calendar for Denver is the brand-slashing-new Colorado Horror & Pop Culture Con, coming in just under the holiday wire in mid-December. If Halloween is your Christmas, then make Christmas your Halloween. It just makes sense, right? Krampus would most definitely approve.
