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AWESOME CON JR. PRESENTED BY THINKFUN AND RAVENSBURGER

Families! Awesome Con is proud to offer Awesome Con Jr. presented by ThinkFun and Ravensburger, designed to delight our littlest fans. Awesome Con Jr. presented by ThinkFun and Ravensburger brings the whole family together for an interactive and fun-filled weekend full of kid-friendly activities spanning a variety of interests. Families can see incredible performances and get moving in the Awesome Con Jr. Movement Zone, experience tons of hand-on activations at our vendor booths, and get creative in the Awesome Con Jr. Workshops area – being taught my professional artists! Fun for the whole family awaits!

PRESENTED BY
IMPORTANT PLACES

AWESOME CON JR. PRESENTED BY THINKFUN AND RAVENSBURGER HIGHLIGHTS

Hall C | All weekend long

Featured Areas

Movement Zone

2024 is set to be the most epic year in the Awesome Con Jr. Movement Zone yet! Favorite programs return, along with some amazing new events for your kids to move and groove to, including:

  • Kids Costume Parade hosted by Shady Haze & friends (Open to first 30 kids)
  • Saber Guild Kids Lightsaber Training hosted by Saber Guild Dathomir Temple (Open to first 30 kids)
  • Disney Princess (and other beloved characters) Dance Party and Singalong
  • Kids Cheesy Line Reading Show
  • Multiverse Got Talent, Jr! …and more!

Workshops

Let’s get drawing! Join the Mariano Brothers and their very special guests as your whole family puts on your artist (and your silly) hats. Don’t miss programs such as:

  • I Got Your Back Drawing Game with Chris Mariano and Jamar Nicholas
  • Awesome Bot Art Creative Contest with Chris Mariano and John Gallagher
  • My Comic Story with Kata Kane
  • Art Celebration: Alien Invasion with Dawn Griffin
  • Create Your Own Out-of-this-World Graphic Novel!
  • Art Way Alliance Comic Book Cover Competition (Limited to first 20 kids)
  • How Comics are Created with Greg Burnham and Marcus Williams …and more!

Featured Programs

Jr. Artist Alley

New this year! Introducing our brand new Jr. Artist Alley at Awesome Con, a haven for young comic enthusiasts and families alike! This special section is dedicated to kid-friendly comics and showcases talented creators who specialize in family-friendly content. From whimsical illustrations to captivating stories, the Jr. Artist Alley offers a diverse range of artistic expressions that cater to all ages.  Join The Mariano Brothers and all of your favorite comic guests and get ready for a delightful experience where imagination knows no bounds!

  • Mariano Brothers – Jr01

  • Jamar Nicholas  – Jr02

  • Brian Clevinger – Jr04

  • Curls Studio – Jr05

  • Dawn Griffin – Jr06

  • Greg Burnham & Marcus Williams – Jr07

  • Alt World Studios – Jr08

  • Jonathan Roth – Jr09

  • Kata Kane – Jr11

  • John Gallagher – Jr12

Free Play Area

Sometimes groups of little kids can only be described as a wild herd of puppies, going crazy and being free. We’ve created an area designed for our younger fans who might just want to roll around on the ground and play with other littles ones. Our Free Play area is penned in and surrounded by chairs for our grown ups to sit in, as their little ones play with the tents, tunnels, and inflatables in the center. Take a load off and let the little ones crawl, climb, and commune.

Featured Partners/Vendors

ThinkFun and Ravensburger

New this year! Don’t miss the puzzles, games, and demos at the ThinkFun and Ravensburger Play Area! Ravensburger is a well-known home to beloved puzzles, games, arts & crafts, and science kits. ThinkFun’s logic puzzles and fun games help parents make learning fun for their kids and teach 21st century thinking skills. And both of these family friendly game companies will have a home in Awesome Con Jr. this year! Get ready for fun moments for kids of all ages as you explore the world of ThinkFun and Ravensburger.

LEGO Discovery Center Washington DC

Discover the the ultimate indoor LEGO® playground where imaginations run wild! Located in Springfield VA, the LEGO Discovery Center is bringing the brick building magic and fun of LEGO to Awesome Con! At their booth, you can meet and work with Master Model Builder Andrew to create a LEGO spaceship – there will be an assortment of LEGO bricks there for guests to build with. There will also be a giveaway of space-themed LEGO sets and hand out LEGO pop badges. Don’t miss it!

The Fantastical Character Company

New this year! Want to meet Bluey, Elsa and Olaf? How about get a photo with Spider-Man, or Barbie! Your chance to meet and greet with Disney Princesses and beloved children’s characters awaits at the Fantastical Character Company booth!

Nintendo

It’s-a me! Mario! Do we have any gamers in the family? Families can enjoy a weekend of free Nintendo swag and gaming fun by visiting the official Nintendo booth. Kids and their parents can immerse themselves in the world of Nintendo, playing their favorite games and scoring complimentary swag items. Game on!

Ghostbusters Virginia and Chesapeake Ghostbusters

Is there something strange in your neighborhood or convention?  Then come join Ghostbusters, Virginia and The Chesapeake Ghostbusters as we demonstrate the latest is ghost catching technology, show you the basics of slime making, and provide you with a place to test your skills at our ghost shooting gallery!  You can also strap on a pack and get your photos taken with the Ghostbusters and pick up some coloring activities! Ghostbusters, Virginia (GBVA) is the premier Ghostbusters Franchise in the Commonwealth of Virginia and servicing the 501c3 Non-Profit needs of the Commonwealth; Bustin’ Means Doing Good!  The Chesapeake Ghostbusters, servicing Southern Maryland, are also here to help save the day by offering their passion for Ghostbusters and love of community and volunteerism. Both groups will be raising money to support Make-A-Wish of Greater Virginia as well as The Arc of Southern Maryland which is a private 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that advocates for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) living and working in Southern Maryland. The Arc of Southern Maryland takes pride in their wide range of programs and services which honor personal choices and goals, and provide children and adults with IDD by providing them with the support needed to lead self-directed and fulfilling lives. Come join us for an awesome time at Awesome Con!

Art Way Alliance

Art Way Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is: 1) to educate students in various subjects by merging education with popular media art techniques and tropes. 2) to provide everyone with the tools and techniques needed to produce their own creative work. 3) to support artists in the advertisement and marketing of their own work. Join them as they invite artists, writers, a professor from Montgomery Community College, school/student clubs, and many more talented creators into their space to engage with aspiring artists. Their space will include graded comic books, digital drawing, art supplies, and endless inspiration to young artists to encourage them to get out and create. Plus join them for the Art Way Alliance Contests in our Workshops Area.

Philadelphia Avengers

The Philadelphia Avengers is a cosplay group who came together for our love of cosplay, charity work and promoting the importance of cospositivity and anti-bullying. Assemble with the Philadelphia Avengers, including such characters as Captain America, Iron Man, Red Guardian,  Sabretooth,  Jubilee, Gambit, Spider-Man, and Spider-Gwen (Ghost Spider)! Ask yourself, “Are you Worthy?” at their Thor’s Hammer Station as you test your might… can you pull Thor’s hammer from the stone? Plus, join them in the Movement Zone for “Tales of Heroes” and “Avengers Hero Training” at scheduled times (Full programming schedule coming soon). Awesome Con Jr… ASSEMBLE!

DC Public Library

Explore the world of books! We’re excited to welcome back the DC Public Library to Awesome Con Jr. Join the DC Public Library for activities and giveaways such as their Book Bike, button making, coloring table, and zine making. Interested in manga, sit for a while in their mini manga library! Plus join them for story times in our Movement Zone.

National Children’s Museum

Join the National Children’s Museum at their booth for their incredible Climate Action Heroes experience! Developed by National Children’s Museum, Climate Action Heroes is an interactive experience that empowers children to affect positive change for the planet. After answering a maze of playful questions, children are matched with one of five personas that represents their interests and passions: Are they a Community Captain, Pollinator Patrol, Arbor Avenger, Water Warrior, or Mighty Meteorologist? Then, they learn about their unique superpowers and how they can use them to start making an impact at home, at school, and in their community. Visit National Children’s Museum to experience the full Climate Action Heroes experience or check out the digital version at www.climate-heroes.org.

PAST AWESOME CON JR. HIGHLIGHTS

PAST CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS

  • June 17, 2017 Hosted our “Kids Costume Parade presented by The Emoji Movie”
  • June 16-18, 2017 Meet and greets with favorite characters from Nickelodeon’s Paw Patrol and Shimmer and Shine
  • March 30-April 1, 2018 Meet and greets with favorite characters like Paddington Bear, Goku, Ranger Rick, and BB-8
  • August 20, 2021 Launched our brand new Movement Zone
  • June 3, 2022 DC Public Library presented several storytimes
  • June 3, 2022 Hosted a Drag Queen Storytime to bring Pride Ally to our Jr. section
  • June 4, 2022 Candlewick Press provided epic free giveaways to fans in the form of Where’s Waldo books

PAST SPONSOR/PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS

  • Candlewick Press
  • National Wildlife Federation
  • DC Public Library
  • Nickelodeon
  • DreamWorks