Dragon Con 2016: Scenes From The Convention

ATLANTA, GA — Dragon Con, the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day in Atlanta, continues to celebrate its 30th annual convention in downtown Atlanta.

Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,300 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music and gaming over four days. Dragon Con is the largest multi-media convention focused on fantasy, science fiction, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film.

The event runs through Monday over several downtown Atlanta hotels -- the Hyatt Regency, Marriott Marquis, Atlanta Hilton, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and AmericasMart buildings 1 and 2.

Here are some highlights from the event so far:

More than 70,000 fans, dealers, artists, guests, and volunteers attended Dragon Con in 2015. Dragon Con 2016 is expected to draw more than 75,000 unique visitors.

This year’s official charity is the Atlanta Center for Self Sufficiency. In its fundraising efforts in 2015, Dragon Con raised about $100,000 for the Lymphoma Research Foundation Georgia Market through convention-based auctions, special merchandise sales, special events and a dollar for dollar match, up to $50,000, of any money raised for its official charity.

Since 2005, Dragon Con has raised more $526,000 for its official charities, which change each year. Dragon Con’s annual Robert A. Heinlein “Pay It Forward” blood drive regularly attracts record turnout, with some 3,000 people donating more than 6,000 units of blood and blood products each year. The annual drive – consistently ranked as the largest convention-based blood drive – benefits LifeSouth, which serves more than 40 hospitals in the Atlanta area and 110 hospitals in the Southeast.