If there鈥檚 one thing that can said for sure about Penticton鈥檚 annual celebration of pop culture, it鈥檚 that 鈥渆mbracing your weirdness鈥� 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鈥檛 hurt, either.
鈥淧eople immediately become best friends here, just based on the outfits they wear and the connections that get made,鈥� said Lily Knelsen, the Penti-Con鈥檚 chairperson, at the event Saturday. 鈥淭o be able to unite people and then see them get excited, makes me excited.鈥�
鈥淓mbrace your weird鈥� is among the slogans used to promote the event. But what does that even mean?
鈥淣ot being afraid to do something that makes you do a happy dance, essentially,鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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.
鈥淲hat I love is that the fans are so passionate,鈥� Hill said. 鈥淎lso, I love Penticton. People are so friendly and welcoming鈥ou can tell the organizers of this event really care about their participants.鈥�
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.
鈥淗e is the voice of my childhood,鈥� Knelsen said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just so fun to watch (the event) grow.鈥�
Pop-culture-themed fun at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre wraps up Sunday at 6 p.m.
