Top Five Colorado Summer Conventions

(Photo courtesy of Fan Expo)

Written by Colleen Bement, Editor

The Colorado summer months are almost here and it is time to geek out with fan conventions. If you’re into sci-fi, horror, comics, gaming, cosplay, or anything in between, then Denver has some of the hottest events around. Whether they are large or on the smaller side, each has its charm. Some can boast over 100,000 attendees and big celebs, while others know that their appeal is the close-knit group of loyal friends who get together year after year. Either side of the spectrum, Pop culture definitely lives here in the Mile High City, and how great it is that we have so much to choose from! It actually wasn’t that difficult to narrow down our summer favorites to just five. We hope that you like our list, and get those calendars filled with  convention fun this season. Spend the summer with us as we hit up our top five favorite events.

 

Fan Expo Denver

DATES: July 3-6, 2025

LOCATION: Colorado Convention Center

Always one of Denver’s biggest events, Fan Expo Denver delivers a family-friendly atmosphere that makes it ideal to bring the kids while all the big kids at heart come to celebrate all of their fandoms. It brings its unique brand of excitement to an event that features top celebrities, hundreds of exhibitors, creators, and cosplayers year after year. The programming is amazing, meet and greets, special events, kid zones and more. This year, people have been talking about the guest line up. Especially the  Comic Creator line-up, along with special events that will make comic enthusiasts happy! Comic Creator headliners include Ryan Ottley (Invincible, Battle Beast), Scott Snyder (Absolute Batman, Nocterra), Greg Capullo (Wolverine Revenge), Joe Quesada (Marvel Knights: The World To Come), Christopher Priest (Marvel Knights: The World To Come), Richard Isanove (Marvel Knights: The World To Come), The Sentry co-creator Jae Lee, and Clay Mann (Batman: Nightfire, Batman/Catwoman).  they join an already impressive group of creators that includes superstar cover artists like Stanley “Artgerm” Lau and Derrick Chew, author Kami Garcia (Beautiful Creatures, Teen Titans), Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Incredible Hulk, Batman and Robin), and Larry Houston, producer/director of “X-Men: The Animated Series,” “X-Men ’97.” In addition, Grand Admiral Thrawn creator Timothy Zahn, Enid Balam (X-Men: Manhunt, NYX), Chris Burnham (Unstoppable Doom Patrol, Die! Die! Die!, and Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night, Wormwood) are slated to appear. 

Attendees are excited about the celebrity guests and higher-profile creators, along with expanded programming offerings and an incredible exhibitor floor that has something for everyone. Just announced today, Oscar Winner Brendan Fraser has been added to the list! NaN’s calendar is set to attend all four days of fun, and we hope to see you there! 

TICKETS:

Advanced pricing ends June 18, 2025.

4-Day: $99

Ultimate: $139

Thursday: $25

Friday: $40

Saturday: $61

Sunday: $46

Child Pass: $12 (ages 6-12)

 

Colorado Springs Comic Con

DATES: Aug. 15-17, 2025

LOCATION: Broadmoor World Arena

For those south of Denver, this annual 3-day event features celebrities from all genres of TV, movies, and cartoons, some of the best names in the comic art community, as well as some of the greatest vendors in the area with those hard-to-find toys, comics, and collectibles. The show is hosted by Altered Reality Entertainment who does a nice job of bringing celebrity guests and fans to the party. It’s a short drive from Denver and well worth it! The guest list this year is full of favs like Kevin Smith, Jason Lee, Ethan Suplee, Brian O’Halloran, Trevor Fehrman of “Clerks” fame. The SPN Family will be excited to meet Kathryn Newton and Timothy Omundson of “Supernatural.” “Starship Troopers” fans will love to see Dina Meyer, Jake Busey, Casper Van Dien, Michael Ironside. The popular Sarah Natochenny of Pokemon fame, Jamie Marchi (My Hero Academia, One Piece), Mena Suvari of “American Pie,” Lana Parrilla of “Once Upon a Time,” and so many more! NaN looks forward to seeing you there in your very best cosplay.

 TICKETS

Advanced pricing ends 7/14/25

VIP: $203.99 (prior to 7/14)

Adult General Admission: $113.99

Kids (6-12) $34.00

Friday only: $49.00

Kids: $14.00

Adult Saturday only: $59

Kids: $24

Adult Sunday only: $54

Kids: $19

 

TactiCon

DATES: Aug. 28-31, 2025

LOCATION: Hyatt Regency Aurora-Denver Conference Center

To be honest, we have yet to attend TactiCon. However, we can say with all confidence that Gamer Girl Games puts on fantastic events. They’re the creators behind Genghis Con which brings together tabletop and role playing enthusiasts for a great time. What is wonderful about TactiCon is that It brings gamers together and provides a space to make new friends and try new games. Attendees can explore new types of games without having to invest money. NaN can’t wait to get our gaming on this year at TactiCon.

TICKETS

Adult Weekend: $66.00

 

Nan Desu Kan

DATES: Aug. 29-31, 2025

LOCATION: Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center 

Nan Desu Kan (NDK), is the largest anime convention in the Rocky Mountain region (excluding Texas) with a total weekend attendance of more than 27,000. It provides a diverse mix of numerous cultural panels, musical guests, games, dances, workshops, an art academy, a gallery, and a charity auction, as well as screenings of new and classic anime. Here are just a few of the amazing guests coming our way to NDK. Lisette Monique Diaz (The Great Jay Will Not Be Defeated, One Piece), Amanda Gish (My Hero Academia, Witch in Goblin Slayer), Brian Mathis (Hellgirl, One Piece), Marcus M. Mauldin (The Good Guys, Dallas, Breaking Bad), Kiba Walker (Windbreaker, Lazarus), Kent Williams (over 200 video game and anime credits), and more. The NaN staff is always impressed not only by the cosplay, but also by the love and kindness shared by the attendees. It is always a joy to go to NDK.

TICKETS:

Adult Weekend: $70.00

Single Day: $40-$50

Colorado Festival of Horror

DATES: Friday, Sep. 12-14, 2025

LOCATION: Denver Marriott South at Park Meadows

If you’re a Colorado horror fan, you most likely know about the Colorado Festival of Horror, fondly referred to as COFOH. Like a zombie virus, the excitement has spread, and year after year, this show is getting more popular! This is it’s big five year anniversary, and we here at Nerd Alert News have a countdown to September. We know that the organizers of this event truly love what they do and their passion shows. It shows in the details. It shows the effort that they put into getting the coolest guests and kickass vendor room called the Death Dealer’s Room. The guest list is off the horror hook with “Alien” alumni Jenette Goldstein, Mark Rolston, Ricco Ross, Daniel Kash, and Michael Biehn. In addition to the Alien guests, Sybil Danning (Rob Zombie’s Halloween, Battle Beyond the Stars)  and Lynn Lowry (Shivers, I Drink Your Blood) are on the list with more to be announced! The programming for COFOH is always full of fun with highlights like the Reel Horrors Film Fest.Check out the complete list and stay in touch for updates, More information will be coming out soon including guest announcements. Stay tombed, as they always say.

TICKETS:

VIP 3-Day Weekend Pass $110.96

3-Day Weekend Pass $76.55

Friday $36.39

Saturday: $47.86

Sunday: $42.13

 

Do you agree with us? What are your favorite summer conventions? Which ones did we leave off of the list? 

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