GalaxyCon is not Dragon Con. It's a smaller convention with a lot less organized activities. That doesn't mean it isn't fun, but it's just a different vibe. Basically, for me, Galaxy Con is celebrity photo ops and a vendor hall. I go attend a few panels, but that's definitely less. Unfortunately, in both Raleigh & Richmond, while being MUCH smaller than Dragon Con, the conventions are still bursting at the seams because they don't really "fit" their convention centers. For example, the photo op area is crammed in the back of the vendor hall & it really doesn't have the space to fit the number of people that show up. They need to be able to spread out more for comfort, but it's just not an option. I do think they have some decent "After Dark" panels that have talented burlesque acts which also gives it a bit of identity (not that Dragon Con doesn't have similar events, but they are distinct). I basically treat going to Richmond as a short solo vacation and relax as much as possible. In 2024, I met:
- Ian McDiarmid - Dragonslayer and Emperor Palpatine from the various Star Wars properties
- Paul Sun-Hyung Lee - Captain Carson Teva from The Mandalorian, Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka
- Garrett Hedlund - Sam Flynn from Tron: Legacy
