VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Comic fans from all over gathered to celebrate their favorite fandoms in Virginia Beach today! This weekend is 'Tidewater Comicon.' It's Coastal Virginia's largest comic convention.
Everywhere you looked, you'd see superheroes, anime characters, book characters and more inside the Virginia Beach Convention Center for the event.
Some of the celebrity guests this year included Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum and Adrianne Palicki, as well as dozens of other artists, actors, cosplayers and influencers.
Some of the characters we encountered included: Ariel from The Little Mermaid, Peacemaker, Scott Baby from Five Nights at Freddy's, and Jace Loran - Rebel Pilot from Star Wars.
Besides the celebrity appearances, there were contests, panel discussions, gaming opportunities and special activities for kids.
Hanna Genberg, who portrayed Ariel told us: "Ariel's been my favorite character my entire life. Like, she was always so cool and she was, like, a redhead and she was a mermaid."
Other participants, such as Noel Natividad, who portrayed Jace Loran, and Aaron Etheridge who came as Peacemaker also proudly showed off their costumes.
According to their website, Tidewater Comicon's first show was a one day event in a hotel with an over capacity crowd. Financing the event's growth with yard sales and a successful Kickstarter campaign, Tidewater Comicon moved to the Virginia Beach Convention Center where it continued to grow each year in space and attendance. By 2016, the show had reached it’s highest attendance so far with 23,000 fans.
With dozens of exhibitors and thousands of visitors, this Comicon obviously remains a fan favorite.