You know what the greatest thing about the summertime is? That it is the best time of the year to go to all sorts of events and attractions. Some of the most common sort of events include pop culture conventions, especially in California where things like San Diego Comic-Con and Anime Expo are always huge hits. Luckily, here in my hometown of Stockton, California, there is a relatively new yet successful convention that local fans like myself always look forward to attending.

StocktonCon is one of those popular summer events in the located in the Central Valley. Ever since its grand opening back in 2012 at the University of the Pacific’s Spanos Center, the convention has grown to such a considerable size that it had to move to the city's Stockton Arena to accommodate its growing number of fans. StocktonCon, like many other conventions, brings in thousands of people that share the same kind of love and passion for pop culture.

While eager fans anxiously wait for the doors to open, the crowd is treated to a wrestling show outside the arena to get their hearts pumping. Throughout the day, you can see various fans dressed in their costumes and cosplay. StocktonCon is a great event for characters from all sorts of different fandoms can come together.

Though StocktonCon does have more emphasis on comic books and cartoons, there’s a fair amount of anime-related goods as well. Cosplays ranged from Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Naruto, Haikyuu!!, and even characters from popular Disney movies such as Moana. While I was going down the halls of the arena with some friends, we were all surprised to see Christmas come early this year with the Grinch walking past, snapping at people left and right. That’s the kind of variety that is one of the best aspects that StocktonCon has to offer.

At the heart of the arena are the convention’s vendors, where the floor is filled with people shuffling around to shop for merchandise and art prints. If you’re in the comic book business, then coming to the convention is the best place to find a fantastic value. If you’re edging on the more adventurous side, then there are many other vendors promoting their own published comics and art pieces.

For those desperately searching for rare retro games, there’s a chance that you can find them in one of the vendor booths. You can also buy little trinkets like acrylic keychains, accessories, some steampunk gear, cute plushies, and figures. It’s definitely the type of place that makes it easy to splurge if you’re really invested in anything pop culture.

StocktonCon is on the smaller scale in terms of conventions but that doesn’t stop it from being a fantastic local event. It’s a fun, family-friendly event that anyone from young to old can enjoy. StocktonCon also plays a big role in supporting and raising awareness for the city’s St. Mary’s Dining Hall, a nonprofit organization that helps provide meals, clothes, and health services for the community.

Events like this are a great way to experience everything that pop culture has to offer and I know that StocktonCon will continue to be nifty, unique pop culture celebration.