If there’s one thing that can be said for sure about Penticton’s annual celebration of pop culture, it’s that “embracing your weirdness” will score you points with just about everyone there.
Penti-Con 2023 is well underway at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre, with around 1,000 people expected to take in the 67 participating vendors and pop-culture-themed talent, among other planned events, through Sunday, Oct. 22.
The name of the game is simple: be yourself, embrace your weird and unite with others who share common interests.
Showing up with a unique costume doesn’t hurt, either.
“People immediately become best friends here, just based on the outfits they wear and the connections that get made,” said Lily Knelsen, the Penti-Con’s chairperson, at the event Saturday. “To be able to unite people and then see them get excited, makes me excited.”
“Embrace your weird” is among the slogans used to promote the event. But what does that even mean?
“Not being afraid to do something that makes you do a happy dance, essentially,” Knelsen replied.
Vendors at the event featured video games, comic books and interactive games, to name a few.
Knelsen said the Penti-Con talent show on Sunday serves as the weekend’s main event.
But it was a special guest appearance on Saturday from Vancouver voice actor Matt Hill that triggered some of the most fanfare of the day.
Hill’s 35-year career includes roles in Ninja Turtles, My Little Pony, Street Fighter and Dragon Tales. Along with also playing as Ed from the cartoon Ed, Edd and Eddy, the Vancouver actor has appeared in roles on an animated version of Mr. Bean and in several video games like NBA Street.
Rest assured, there was no shortage of people on Saturday asking Hill to act out some of his most well-known voices.
“What I love is that the fans are so passionate,” Hill said. “Also, I love Penticton. People are so friendly and welcoming…you can tell the organizers of this event really care about their participants.”
That love appeared to go both ways, with Knelsen later explaining how special it is to have Hill at the fifth annual edition of the event.
“He is the voice of my childhood,” Knelsen said. “It’s just so fun to watch (the event) grow.”
Pop-culture-themed fun at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre wraps up Sunday at 6 p.m.
READ MORE: Here’s what’s happening this weekend in Penticton