Attendance

AnniCon Attendance Policy - Zinn Park

AnniCon is a free, one day celebration of Asian Cultures. We strive to provide a fun, safe environment for people of all ages. To help us continue this tradition, please take note of the following guidelines:

AnniCon does not discriminate based on age, race, class, gender, sexuality, religion, or disability. No hate speech, symbols, images, etc that may be used to spread hate, encourage discrimination or incite violence will be allowed. You will be asked to leave the convention.
Cosplay is not consent. Please do not hug, touch, or photograph cosplayers without asking them first. We have a zero tolerance policy for harassment - depending on the issue, you will be asked to leave or police will be called, at AnniCon staff discretion.
This is a family friendly convention. As such, appropriate attire is required (shirt, shoes, pants/shorts/skirts). Judgement calls on attire is at AnniCon staff discretion, and you may either be asked to cover up or leave.
Masks must be appropriately worn at all times, and everyone entering the convention space must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of the event. For more information, see our COVID-19 policy on our website.
Lost and found is located at the weapons check table, but AnniCon is not responsible for any lost, stolen or damaged property.
Shoes must be worn at all times.
We have a large number of people in a relatively small space. If your personal hygiene (i.e., body odor) is offensive enough that staff or attendees complain, you may be asked to leave. Please be considerate and shower and/or wear deodorant!
Children under the age of 15 must have an adult present at the venue. Children under the age of 12 must have an adult by their side at the venue.
AnniCon strives to be inclusive to everyone. To further that goal, these measures are in place:
- Handicap parking is available on 13th Street between the entrance to Zinn Park and the police station.
- We also want to provide equal access to our deaf and hard of hearing attendees; however due to limited resources, we do ask that you request accommodations at least two weeks prior to the convention. You can do so by emailing accessibility@annicon.com.

Costumes, Weapons and Props
Costuming and cosplay is a huge part of Japanese culture and is highly encouraged, as long as safety and common courtesy is considered. The following guidelines are meant to ensure that everyone has a great, safe time:

Costumes must align with general convention policies (i.e., no swastikas [hate speech])

All weapons, props and/or costumes are subject to inspection for safety purposes. Any weapons must be inspected (peace bonded) upon entering the convention space.
Only replica weapon props allowed. No firearms. Anything that can fire a projectile at an appreciable speed is not allowed. Knives, swords, etc. may be steel or other metal, but must be blunt. No sharp objects of any kind allowed.
Projectile weapons:
- Bows, crossbows, etc must be de-strung or otherwise disabled.
- Airsoft guns, BB guns, Nerf guns, etc must have an orange tip (in compliance with U.S. Law) and be proven unable to fire. There are no exceptions to this. No ammo is allowed. This includes arrows, nerf darts and BBs.
No kind of projectile may leave your person.
No items designed for personal defense, such as expandable batons, pepper spray, flail/mace, brass knuckles, etc are allowed.
No flashpots, explosive devices, or similar special effects are to be used.
No nudity. No costume is no costume.
A dance belt or other undergarment designed to cover genitalia is required under form fitting clothing (i.e., morph suits).
Shoes must be worn regardless of costume.
This is a family event; Costumes that are overly revealing or profane may not be allowed, at staff discretion. Adjustments must be made or you will be asked to leave Convention grounds.
Props, weapons, and/or costumes may not be a danger to others in any way.
Attendees wearing costumes with limited visibility or oversized parts must have a handler with them at all times. This especially applies to inflatable costumes. Also, because of the size of these costumes and our limited space, you may be asked to keep them out of the vendor area, at staff discretion.
Sword fighting is limited to foam swords only. No kendo sticks, wooden sword replicas, etc. Please contain sword fighting to the splash pad area.
Props and weapons must not exceed 7’ in length. Due to limited space, oversized weapons may not be allowed, at AnniCon staff discretion. Limited exceptions may be made for photo ops and cosplay contests, on a case-by-case basis. If you have any questions or want to let us know ahead of time that you’ll have a large weapon, please email safety@annicon.com.

Peace Bonding and Inspection:
A peace bonded weapon is a weapon or prop that has been inspected and secured so that said weapon or prop can be easily identified as non-lethal by AnniCon staff.

All weapons, realistic or not, must be peace bonded upon entering the convention space. Anything that could conceivably be used as a weapon, realistic or not, must be peace bonded. Any prop that looks like it could be used as a weapon must be peace bonded.
Removal of a peace bond or addition of one by anyone other than AnniCon staff will not be tolerated. You will be asked to leave the convention space. If for some reason your peace bond falls off/is missing, return to weapons check as soon as possible for another one.
All props and weapons must be presented for inspection upon request of AnniCon staff or other public safety personnel.
Any weapons purchased at the convention must be peace bonded. Any weapons that can't be peace bonded must be secure in your vehicle or away from the convention premises.
Violation of these guidelines may result in removal from the convention grounds.
If you have concerns regarding costuming or props, please email safety@annicon.com with a photo of the costume or prop in question, along with your written concern.

While these rules are meant as a guide, AnniCon acknowledges that every circumstance cannot be addressed within this simple guide. The AnniCon Staff Safety Officer has the final say in the “appropriateness” of a costume. If a costume is deemed inappropriate or dangerous, the individual may be asked to make suitable adjustments or leave convention grounds.

While attending AnniCon, you agree not to hold AnniCon or any AnniCon staff responsible for any harm to yourself or your props, weapons, or costumes. You are responsible both for the safety of your props/etc and your actions towards others.