The Oregon Convention Center served as home to the fan favorite Wizard World, Portland edition, February 22-24. This was my first time at a Wizard World event and I was not disappointed! A standard question for any frequent con-goer when checking out a new con for the first time is how smoothly will this be ran? The staff was knowledgeable and helpful, the panels were run smoothly, and luckily there was never a feeling of chaos or disorganization.
There seemed to be a good variety of con-goers, from young people with friends, families, cosplayers, and people like me – flying solo! Though attendance seemed to be at a respectable number, it was not so high that you ever had to wait in line long for food or a bathroom – which was very nice compared to most other conventions I’ve attended. If you haven’t attended Wizard World Portland (or Wizard World in general) – I recommend adding it to your list!
Below are highlights of some of my favorite moments from the weekend:
- The Supergirl panel with Melissa Benoist and Tyler Hoechlin. These two have great chemistry and you can understand why the CW chose them to play cousins! There were lots of laughs throughout the panel, and the Wizard World system of having a moderator, but allowing fan questions to dictate the panel worked well.
2. The Buffy the Vampire Slayer + Amy Acker Reunion Panel! This was about as star-studded a panel that any diehard Buffy fan could ask for. The cast spoke at length about what an impact the show had on them and how much the fans, old and new, mean to them.
3. Jason Momoa – need I say more? It’s rare to attend a convention with A list celebrities that you can interact with and get pictures and autographs, so this was a great addition. Despite clearly being sick, Jason stuck it out and made it through the long lines of adoring fans looking forward to meeting him. Well done, Aquaman.
4. Our favorite Charmed duo! As someone who was obsessed with Charmed growing up, I was thrilled to see Holly Marie Combs & Brian Krause added to the guest list. There was even an option to purchase a ticket to go bowling with them, which was something very unique. Wizard World Portland had a few of these extra celebrity add-ons like bowling, ax-throwing, etc. which was a fantastic opportunity for a once in a life time experience.
Definitely worth a trip to Portland! Comment below if you went and what your favorite moments were!
