From a superhero story time and a dance party with Barbie to a Mario Kart tournament and learning how to become a Dungeons & Dragons game master, the Barrie Public Library had something for everyone at its annual BPL Comic Fest this weekend.
The event, which took place at the downtown branch on Saturday, boasted a variety of free, family-friendly fun showcasing pop culture in Barrie with local vendors, cosplayers and artists.
Audrey Kennington, a library employee who helped plan this year’s Comic Fest, said the event — the second in-person Comic Fest post-pandemic — has grown significantly in the past year alone. Last year, the event had 17 vendors. This year, there were nearly 40, she said, adding the superhero story time saw more than 100 people attend — the largest audience since the event’s inception.
While she has attended Comic Fest in the past, this was the first year Kennington was involved in the planning of the popular event, and she said it was great to see so many people from the community attend.
“I knew it was going to be big, but seeing it in person is amazing,” she said emotionally. “I have been wandering around all day … and just so happy to see so many people out. It’s nice to see people coming back into the library. We are more than just books. We are here for fun as well and we have so much going on.”
Seeing people dressed up for the day — Kennington was dressed in Star Trek gear, pointy ears and all — was a lot of fun, she said.
“I am a nerd, obviously, so seeing nerds being celebrated and embracing the culture ... is so exciting,” she said.
Kristyn Madrick — a.k.a. Wing Nut Cosplay — dressed as Aetharia on Saturday. She told BarrieToday she has been attending the event since it started.
“I really love being able to meet the people I have met in the years before and catch up. (At) a lot of the big conventions, you don’t get that close community feel,” she said.
Collingwood’s Michelle Ward was one of the vendors who participated in the event, and said she loved the comic con idea.
“I have been to a bunch of them and I am just so happy to be part of something that is so inclusive,” she said.
Holly Tompkin came to the library to grab a comic but realized the event didn’t have what she was looking for. However, she decided to stick around and try out a few new board games with her friends.
“I love seeing the community available here in Barrie. It’s something enjoyable. I see so many kids here and so many people enjoying themselves. It’s great,” she said.
