Colossalcon East 2025
What was it about Colossalcon East that had me so excited to be attending this year? Was it the nostalgia from having attended in past years? Was it the end-of-summer feeling, like I was saying goodbye to this year's warm weather? September often comes with its own set of emotions. Perhaps it's the remote location, making the journey feel like I'm trekking to a secluded resort. Whatever it was, it was a strong feeling and one that wasn't disappointed by the event. Colossalcon East was everything I had hoped it would be.
Colossalcon East is one of four Colossalcon events, all of which are held at Kalahari water park resorts. It's an anime convention which offers the standard fare of enticements. Beyond the usual programming of panels, guest appearances, concerts, and the vendor hall and artist alley, there are a few standout attractions. The fact that it's held at a waterpark resort is the most obvious. That alone is enough to draw people to this somewhat remote Pocono Mountains Kalahari resort. With one of the largest indoor waterparks in the US, there are lots of water slides and pools and hot tubs to enjoy. Even the outdoor pool is open at times, usually its last weekend for the season.
There's also a large arcade with immersive attractions and escape rooms. Some of the Kalahari resorts offer bowling, mini golf, roller coasters for the kiddies, and ropes courses and ziplines. It's designed for family fun but also works okay for entertaining the mostly child-less twenty-somethings who attend anime conventions.
I must admit I'm a bit of a hypocrite spouting off about the features of the resort and anime convention, making it sound as though I actually participate in these activities. The panels, concerts, water slides, all of it - I don't participate in them much at all. My attendance very much revolves around the creation of a cosplay music video. Every bit of effort I bring to this event is spent lugging around unnecessarily heavy video and lighting equipment to film yet another cosplayer. And that's okay. In fact, it's what I love about events like this. There are no rules about how you should enjoy the convention. No one is going to make you feel bad for indulging in your niche interests. If you want to party the whole weekend, go for it. This is definitely a party con. If gaming is your thing, don't feel bad for never leaving the gaming hall or table top room. Feel like spending all your hard earned money in the vendor hall or artist alley? Go right ahead. It's your choice and no one is going to stop you.
Conventions offer a wide array of attractions because they know everyone enjoys different things. We don't all fit into neat boxes. My interests are different from your interests and there are enough offerings at Colossalcon East to entertain us both. I'm often surprised to hear about the different things people enjoy at anime conventions. Some people are really into a specific anime or game and get excited meeting others who share their interest. Some attendees will spend hours and hours on a cosplay or skit in anticipation of participating in a cosplay or skit contest. I have a friend who attends nearly as many events as I do who doesn't have any particular interest in any of the aforementioned activities. He's content to walk around the event, chatting with people, and enjoying the general atmosphere. Whatever it is you enjoy, as long as it doesn't interfere with someone else's enjoyment, you should enjoy it wholeheartedly.
For me, this year's Colossalcon offered lots of opportunities to meet and record videos with so many great cosplayers. I was even able to collaborate with a number of cosplayers in connection with a sponsorship from a clothing brand. From my perspective, there were as many great cosplayers there as there are at much larger events like Anime NYC. For whatever reason, Colossalcon East has that kind of pull. Actually, I know that its proximity to Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York certainly plays a role in that. This is something I've written about before - that Colossalcon East stands to become the most successful Colossalcon event. At least until the new Virginia location opens in 2027. Can the world support a fifth Colossalcon? We'll find out.
That's actually an interesting question. How many Colossalcons, or anime cons in general, can the US market support? If you've been around the anime convention industry for 10 years or more you can get a sense for it. Anime conventions have been growing consistently since the 2010's, peaking just before the pandemic shut them down, and perhaps again in 2024. This year, while some events grew and peaked, others retracted. Otakon reported a 7% drop in attendance. I have friends who reported weak turnouts at other Colossalcons. Colossalcon Prime in Ohio hasn't recovered to pre-pandemic levels yet and perhaps never will.
Some of this is the natural ebb and flow of attendance. People come and go from the anime convention scene. Some of it is supply and demand, with too many conventions vying for too few attendees. Some of it is related to the economy. Unsurprisingly, people find it hard to attend an anime convention when they're struggling to pay rent.
I'd wager that Colossalcon East had one of its best years in 2025. According to my uncalibrated eye, there seemed to be more cosplayers. Perhaps it was just a matter of how they were dispersed. The arcade seemed less busy to me. I didn't set one foot in the convention center, so I can't say how busy it was there. Whatever the attendance count might be, it was enough to satisfy this veteran attendee.
The Cosplayers
Please take a moment to watch my cosplay music video and go follow some of these great cosplayers. Cheers to everyone who recorded with me this year!
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