Are you a bit nerdy, dorky, or eccentric? Do you use the word “Pwned” or ritualistically obsess over a show, actor/actress, or video game? If so, chances are you were at Megacon this weekend.

The event powered-on Friday, April 10 at the Orange County Convention Center. There was a free arcade, entire rooms devoted to board games, celebrity Q&A panels, lavish costumes, unplanned spur of the moment musicals, people getting tattoos, fully propped movie sets for photo-opportunities, and even a marriage proposal. It had it all.

Opening day heralded a wonderful experience catered to the guilty pleasures of fandom. Friday was nice, calm, and rich with happenings. There was a soothing presence of community – and the community was large, thriving, but not too overcrowded. During the day, voice actors from the shows “Adventure Time” and “Boondock Saints” were giving autographs and providing pointers to aspiring thespians/film makers. At night the Pleasure Pixels, a “nerdlesque” burlesque group performed. It was riveting, fanciful, and raised more than just the viewers moral.

On Saturday, the event was crowded – packed tight like sardines in a can. Traversing the throngs of sweaty characters was all a part of the quest. Like the pimples on a geeky teenagers face people would pop-out and find themselves in a strange place. One such place was the Legend of Zelda trivia room where members of the audience would pose outrageously niched questions about the series to other audience members – instead of a question curator. It was chaotic yet fascinating.

Sunday was a fun-day to be at the convention. The crowds were not as strenuous as Saturday and the events were easier to get to. A parade of R2-D2s, from the Star Wars franchise, utilized this added breathing room to their advantage and one by one the band of “R2’s” rolled through the halls of the convention in a dazzling display. After the “beeps” and “boops,” the convention neared its end. Last minute trips to the merchandise areas and picture taking was a common sight to see.

Overall, Megacon is a convention all Orlando geeks, dorks, gamers, or anyone interested in the nerd sub-culture should attend. It’s an annual rite of passage and if you couldn’t make it (or didn’t find out about it in time) – there’s always next year!