Taking place at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Comic Con is the biggest and best pop culture convention in the area.
This 3-day event is the place to be for comic book fans, featuring amazing vendors selling must-have comics and collectibles.
Plus, you have the chance to meet celebrities spanning across genres such as movies, TV, and cartoons, not to mention the always exciting cosplay contest!
If this is your first time visiting the con, you’re in for a great experience you’ll never forget! But going to a con not knowing what to expect can be a little overwhelming.
Never fear though, this article will tell you everything you need to know – from nearby hotels and parking in the venue, to cosplay ideas and how to get the best deal from comic book vendors.
Tickets for Colorado Springs Comic Con are available for purchase online, as well as at the Pikes Peak Center Box Office.
If you would like to purchase tickets in person, you can visit their box office Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday from 10am to 2pm. They are closed on Sundays.
Children under 6 are admitted into the con for free, and tickets are non-refundable.
There are different packages available, from VIP admission to single day admission.
VIP Admission: One 3 day pass to areas and events unless otherwise noted. With VIP admission, you’re granted early entry to all 3 days.
You will also receive an exclusive lanyard, a limited edition VIP badge, two exclusive show prints, and 20% off branded CSCC show items at the show store. You will also get access to the convention after party, and access to a fast pass line to meet headline celebrities.
Weekend adult admission: Gives you access to all areas of the show and events for 3 days unless otherwise noted.
Single day admission: You can buy single day admission for a day of your choosing, and this will give you access to all areas of the show and events for your chosen day.
After party admission: This admits one person to a Saturday after party. These tickets cannot be exchanged after admission. You must be 18+ to attend the after party and have a valid ID.
After party upgrade admission: Upgraded admission includes a complimentary drink ticket for attendees over the age of 21, and access to the themed lounge (themes change annually!).
While VIP admission will grant you access to the after party, it does not grant you access to the lounge and so an upgrade admission must be purchased separately.
What to bring to Colorado Springs Comic Con
Make no mistake, the convention center will be packed for Comic Con. Besides the big crowds, there are also booths and events to navigate through. Therefore, it’s crucial to have the right gear.
Refillable water bottle: It’s important to stay hydrated while walking from booth to booth, and while standing in line. Bring a refillable water bottle and take advantage of any fountains you can see in the convention center.
Snacks: Not only will bringing your own snacks save you money on overpriced food in the convention center, but it cuts down on the lines you have to wait in too. Bring some healthy, energy boosting snacks to keep your stamina up while waiting in line and walking around the show floor.
Hat and sunscreen: While you will be spending most of your time indoors, you may have to wait in line outside on rare occasions too. It’s better to be safe than sorry though, and bring a hat and sunscreen to protect against sunburn or – worse yet – sun stroke.
Charger or battery pack: The last thing you want is a dead phone at a convention, but with how many videos and photos you’ll be taking, it’s inevitable your phone will run out of juice. Make sure to bring a charger, or even a battery pack for easy charging without having to search for an outlet.
A pen and a notebook: This is essential when meeting celebrities at cons. A photo and an autograph is a brilliant way to commemorate meeting your idols. If you would like your comic books signed, don’t forget to bring those too!
Cash: Though some vendors may accept electronic payment, all of them will accept cash to avoid credit card fees, and some vendors will only accept cash. Make sure you have this so you’re not caught out, and also have a lot of small bills handy as many vendors will run out of change.
Two bags: While your backpack will carry your essentials, it may not be able to hold all the merch and freebies you’ve purchased. Tuck a canvas bag inside your backpack so you have an extra place to store everything you’ve bought.
What to wear to Colorado Springs Comic Con
One of the most anticipated aspects of any convention is seeing all the amazing cosplay – as well as participating in it yourself! Cosplay contests make this even more of an event, and below we’ll go through the rules of the Colorado Springs Comic Con Cosplay Contest.
Colorado Springs Comic Con holds a cosplay contest for both adults and children. Each entrant in the adults tier must register to guarantee a place in the competition, and registration takes place near the panel room on Saturday and Sunday.
50 adults aged 13 and up will compete in the Adult Division, while 25 children aged 12 and under will compete in the Kids Division.
Contestants will be judged on workmanship, overall appearance and originality, and stage presence.
All costumes in the adult tier must be at least 50% handmade or altered, and if you need assistance with your outfit, one person can help you. They should be present during the final line up, after the last instructions are given.
As this is a family-friendly con, no nudity or profanity is admitted. This includes messages on signs, bad language, or clothes. Offensive or overly revealing clothing is prohibited.
If staff or security ask you to cover up, you must comply immediately or risk being removed from the convention.
For safety reasons, projectiles of any kind (darts, pellets, even water), aerosol spray, and pyrotechnics are prohibited. There must be no mess left on the stage after your presentation, and no specific audio will be played for each contestant.
While you want to surprise the judges and the audience, there must be no surprises for the contest organizer. Everything you do must be given the okay by them.
However, the most important rule is to have fun!
Easy Colorado Springs Comic Con costume ideas
There’s nothing like cosplaying to show off your devotion to a fandom, and really push your creativity! However, not all great cosplays have to push your budget. Let’s take a look at some quick, budget-friendly cosplays!
Ash Ketchum: Because Ash’s wardrobe is comfortable, casual wear, a cosplay of him is easy to put together! All you need is a red and white flat cap, dark green t-shirt, pale blue wash denim jeans, sneakers, a blue varsity style jacket, and a few pokeballs you can pick up at a toy store!
Link: The iconic Legend of Zelda character not only has an easy outfit to throw together, but a comfy one too! All you need is an oversized green button down shirt, white tights, brown belt, brown boots, and a small, plastic sword.
To create his signature green nightcap, just sew or hot-glue two large triangle pieces together.
Clark Kent: To become the Daily Planet journalist you just need an open, white button-down shirt with a Superman t-shirt underneath, dark pants, an undone black tie, and thick-framed black glasses. A suit jacket is optional.
Kim Possible: Since Kim is just your typical high school student who saves the world in her spare time, it makes sense that her outfit is functional and easy to throw together. All you need is a long sleeve black crop top, khaki cargo pants, black sneakers, and black gloves.
Powerpuff Girls: For a quick and easy group cosplay, who better than the Powerpuff Girls? All it takes to pull this look together is block color dresses in blue, pink, and green, white tights, black flats, and black ribbons or sashes.
Can you go to Colorado Springs Comic Con without a costume?
A simple t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers combo is perfect for Comic Con attendees who are forgoing cosplay. T-shirts are ideal as they are cool in the packed convention centers.
You can work up a sweat in those crowds! A t-shirt emblazoned with your favorite fandom is even better.
What to do when nobody gets your cosplay
It can be a bit disheartening to pour time and money into a cosplay and have nobody get it, or pay no attention to it because it’s so obscure. However, there are positives when nobody gets your cosplay.
If you cosplay as a character no one knows, it indicates you are a hardcore fan.
People may not be coming up to you asking for photographs (which can get tedious for those who cosplay as well-known, beloved characters), but they may still ask questions about who you are cosplaying and how you crafted the costume.
You may have given that person a new piece of media for them to check out and fall in love with!
Also, while it may be rare, wouldn’t it be great if someone came up to you, freaking out with delight that you have cosplayed their favorite character from an obscure comic, movie, TV show, or video game?
But whether you cosplay as an instantly recognizable character or an obscure one, the most important thing is to have fun, and own your cosplay. As long as you’re enjoying yourself, who cares what anyone else thinks?
Guide to Colorado Springs Comic Con Lines and Crowds
Knowing when to get in line – and what lines are worth waiting in – is tough, and is usually learned from bitter experience. People are always wondering if there are any ‘tricks’ to waiting in line, and we get why.
Waiting in line can be tedious, and it’s devastating when you’ve waited in line only to get to the front and be told the panel room is at capacity.
But lines are weirdly just as part of the con experience as cosplay, merch, and panels, and there is no way to outsmart the lines other than getting there early.
However, to make waiting in line a better experience, make sure you have snacks and water to hand, and some apps to occupy your time while you wait.
Getting your comics signed
You can buy autographs and photo ops at the Colorado Springs Comic Con, giving you a great opportunity to have your comic books signed.
If you’re having your comic book signed both as a memento from meeting an idol, and with the hope of selling it one day, it’s important that the comic book is signed by somebody associated with the comic, especially if you plan on selling it.
A comic book with a signature that’s not related to that issue or series will hurt the overall value.
How much money do you need?
$200 is a good amount of money to bring to a convention, but remember to have cash on you! We’ve already mentioned that most vendors deal in cash only. Keep your money safe, and only bring cash on days you plan on visiting a lot of vendors.
Don’t forget to bargain
A common occurrence at cons is haggling with comic book dealers. When bargaining for comic books, the most important things are to do your research so you can feel confident that you’re getting the best deal, be polite to the seller, and know when to walk away.
If you’re not used to bargaining, here are some other tips:
Observe others: The key to haggling is to be prepared, and as well as doing research on what comic books are worth, it’s also a good idea to observe how the seller interacts with other buyers, and what other buyers are offering. It gives you a good idea of what your first offer could be, and how flexible the dealer is.
Shop around: While perusing different vendors is a good strategy to getting the best deal, there is one hitch. By the time you decide on what vendor you’re going to buy from, the item you wanted may have already gone. Be smart, but don’t delay!
Be realistic: It’s important to remember that dealers will most often mark up their prices for cons, but not by a massive amount. Being realistic means knowing the market price and making a reasonable offer to the seller that’s fair and they’re not going to laugh off.
Other tip for Colorado Spring Comic Con-goers
Photos with celebrities are not guaranteed: Photos at a table with celebrities are not guaranteed at Colorado Springs Comic Con. Some celebrities may only want to do professional photo ops. This will be clearly signposted though, and there is a charge by the celebrity.
Panel room admission: Most panels at Colorado Springs Comic Con will be included with admission, but certain seating options are only valid with VIP tickets. Panel rooms will also be emptied after every large panel in the main panel room and the panels are first come, first serve. Camping is not allowed.
Bringing items to be signed: While you can bring your own items to the con to be signed, there will still be a charge for the autograph. Additional charges may be assessed for items other than a 8 x 10 photo. This will depend on the guest.
VIP tickets: If you have a VIP ticket and are bringing your child, they do not need a VIP ticket if they have a kids’ badge or are 5 or under. They can piggyback on your VIP pass for all of the perks.
Hotels nearby
Colorado Springs Marriott: With stunning views of the Rocky Mountains, this laid-back hotel is 5 miles from the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center, a 10 minute walk from the Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame museum, and 1 mile from Interstate 25.
The Antlers, a Wyndham Hotel: This modern hotel off Interstate 25 is 6 miles from hiking and equestrian trails at the Garden of the Gods park and 8 miles from The Broadmoor Pikes Peak Cog Railway.
Hotel Elegante: This hotel is not only elegant, but pet-friendly with an indoor and outdoor pool, and a kids zone jungle gym – a perfect choice for families!
Car rentals nearby
Trusted car rentals such as Enterprise Rent-A-Car and Hertz are nearby the Broadmoor World Arena, but for a fancier ride, you can also rent a car from the nearby Exotic Car Rental Colorado Springs!
Parking at the event
For event parking there is a $10 charge per vehicle at the venue. VIP Parking is available in Premium Lot A and is $15 per event. This can be pre-purchased at the Box Office, or by calling 520-SHOW.
Public transport to the event
The Broadmoor World Arena is accessible by bus, with plenty of routes available. You can check alternative routes or times by visiting the Moovit app or website.
