The Lamar County Library System will expand its annual fandom convention beyond a single community this year with the first Pine Belt Portal Con, a free event bringing cosplay, gaming, comics, anime and other activities to the Lamar County Fairgrounds in Purvis.
The convention will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 12 and is intended to attract participants from across the region.
Pine Belt Portal Con builds on last year’s LamarCon, a smaller event organized around a similar concept. Event organizer John Mark Taylor said the library system wanted to expand the convention this year and involve communities and organizations.
“Our goal is… to give an opportunity — for other parts of our area — an opportunity to experience something like this,” Taylor said.
Organizers drew inspiration from larger conventions such as Mississippi Anime Fest and Mississippi Comic Con while designing the local event to include a wider range of interests.
“The difference between them and us is that we’re trying to incorporate fandom and fan fiction from all realms,” Taylor said.
The convention will include cosplay, gaming, comics, anime, science fiction and other family-friendly activities. It will also feature an artist alley, food trucks, vendors and panel discussions.
Scheduled guests and programs include actor Kylee Brown and the Legacy Actors Theater Experience, which works with adults 55 and older who are interested in acting and the entertainment industry.
Taylor said organizers eventually hope Pine Belt Portal Con will travel and be hosted in different communities.
“As this continues to grow, our goal is to invite other county library systems or other institutions throughout the Pine Belt,” Taylor said. “That’s the point of the portal. We don’t know where it could pop up next.”
The event is sponsored by Friends of the Lumberton Library, a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that supports the Lumberton Public Library and its programs.
Admission is free. Vendors interested in participating can register through the event’s Ticket Tailor registration page. Additional information is available through the Lumberton Public Library’s Facebook page.
