Dragon Con descends on Atlanta

ATLANTA — Dragon Con, the annual pop culture convention, has returned to downtown Atlanta, drawing an impressive crowd of 75,000 heroes, villains and other pop culture characters.

The event, now in its 39th year, contributes $80 million to the local economy this year. All the cool kids are back in town for it - just one big, happy, costume-wearing family.

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“As pop culture goes, so do we!” said Jo Garland, the spokesperson for Dragon Con, highlighting the event’s influence and popularity.

The Hyatt Regency is one of the host hotels, with its lobby bustling with activity for 72 straight hours.

“This is more like a family for us. We’re used to this. They’re here to have a good time,” said Derrick Morrow, the general manager of the Hyatt.

Dragon Con features a wide array of costumed participants. It also contributes a few hundred thousands of dollars to local charities and has set records for blood donations.

The cast of thousands includes “Star Wars” characters like the Mandalorian and a couple of Count Dookus, and Gotham City’s own Batman and Robin.

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And all the way from Hogwarts, a student from Slytherin House on the lookout for Harry Potter.

“I’d try to do the ‘forgive and forget’ thing. But there would definitely be some aggressive ‘eye contact’ at the very least,” said conventioneer Amy.

The Dragon Con parade, a highlight of the event, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, starting at Peachtree and Linden.

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