The first Fort Wayne PopCon takes place Dec. 29-30 at the Grand Wayne Center in Fort Wayne. What is a PopCon, you say? PopCon is an event not dissimilar to the ComicCon events most people are familiar with, except it has a twist: It’s more inclusive.

The event was founded to celebrate all aspects of pop culture, not just comics and movies, and caters to patrons who have an open mind and a variety of interests. Organizers stress that the event is for anyone and everyone from young to young-at-heart, families, geeks and nerds, cosplayers and plain ol’ ordinary people who just want to have fun.

Take a moment to talk to a podcaster and learn about their work. Engage a gamer or pick up a science fiction book and find out why people enjoy those activities. Take part in workshops, games, virtual reality simulators, and even a retro arcade. And while you’re there, don’t forget to take in the whole scene as one of the most enjoyable things to do at PopCon is watching others have fun.

In addition, there will be multiple opportunities throughout the weekend to meet celebrities including Star Wars Rebels actor Taylor Gray, actor Barry Bostwick from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, voice actors Monica Rial, Jamie Marchi, and David Sabalov, Star Wars illustrator Joe Corroney, and authors Jody Nye and Eric Flint. Undoubtedly, there will be plenty to do at PopCon, the biggest problem will be finding time to do everything you want. — Chris Hupe