Blerdcon

Blerdcon
StatusActive
GenreMulti-genre
VenueHyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Hilton Arlington National Landing
LocationArlington, Virginia
CountryUnited States
Inaugurated2017
Attendance9,447 in total
Websitehttps://blerdcon.org/

Blerdcon is an annual three-day multi-genre convention held during March at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport and Hilton Arlington National Landing in Arlington, Virginia. The convention's name comes from the word "blerds", a term for black nerds. It was co-founded by Hassan Parrish and Hilton George. Blerdcon aims to be diverse and inclusive.

Programming

Blerdcon typically features cosplay contests, concerts, food trucks, gaming tournaments, maid café, panels, vendors, and workshops. The gaming room is open 24-hours during the event.

History

Blerdcon's idea came out of the experience of attending another convention, MomoCon. First year attendance was higher than expected, with 1,800 people. Blerdcon 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Blerdcon 2021 required attendees to wear masks and provide their COVID-19 vaccination card. The cosplay contest caused controversy in 2021 due to it being won by a Caucasian woman. Blerdcon in 2022 continued to have mask and vaccination requirements. The convention had programming on Thursday in 2023. For safety during the 2025 event, S. Clark Street was closed.

Event history

DatesLocationAtten.Guests
June 30 – July 2, 2017 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		1,800 (est.)Bec's Cosplay Wonderland and Eric "The Smoke" Moran.
July 27–29, 2018 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		Karan Ashley, Mega Ran, Michael "Knightmage" Wilson, Douriean Fletcher, Kevin Grevioux, and Keisha Tucker.
July 12–14, 2019 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		Beau Billingslea, Estelle, Shaina "Samuraider" West, and Rachel True.
July 16–18, 2021 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		Karan Ashley, Dax ExclamationPoint, Barr Foxx, Roxxy Haze, Wreck it Ronnie, Scotty Swan, Violette Verse, and Yeliz.
July 8–10, 2022 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		J'adore Cosplay and Orlando Jones.
July 7–9, 2023 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		Karan Ashley, Ade M'Cormack, Cree Summer, and Rachel True.
July 12–14, 2024 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		Ahmed Best, Atandwa Kani, Walter Jones, and Phil LaMarr.
March 7–9, 2025 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia		9,447 in totalReed Shannon, Chuck Lightning, Janelle Monae, and Chad Weatherford.
March 6–8, 2026 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Hilton Arlington National Landing
Arlington, Virginia		Samantha Inoue-Harte Zazie Beetz, Godfrey, Carl Jones, Redman, and Dulcé Sloan.
March 5–7, 2027 Hyatt Regency Crystal City at Reagan National Airport
Hilton Arlington National Landing
Arlington, Virginia

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rozen, Courtney (Jun 30, 2017). "Blerdcon Blends Diversity and Geek Culture". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  2. ↑ Allen, Troy-Jeffrey (August 7, 2018). "Adventures at BLERDCON DC". Black Public Media. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Barnes, Jenae (11 March 2026). ""Like a Family Reunion": We Went to DC's Annual Black Nerd Convention - Washingtonian". Washingtonian Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 "Blerdcon 2025 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2025-05-11.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Page-Kirby, Kristen (July 26, 2018). "Now bigger and brighter, the 2nd annual Blerdcon has space for everyone". Washington Post. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  6. 1 2 "Showcasing amazing cosplay looks for Blerdcon 2018". WUSA. July 25, 2018. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  7. ↑ Laws, Khalid (12 July 2022). "Blerdcon returns to Virginia to celebrate Black nerd culture". The National Desk. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  8. 1 2 "At Blerdcon, Black nerds see themselves and find their tribe". TheGrio. 7 July 2022. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  9. ↑ Berko, Katherine (30 June 2017). "'Minority Nerd' Convention Coming to Crystal City". ARLnow. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  10. 1 2 Lefrak, Mikaela (July 26, 2018). "Blerdcon Is Back: What To Expect From The Convention That Celebrates Black-Nerd Culture". WAMU. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  11. 1 2 3 DeVoe, Jo (16 July 2021). "Inclusive 'Blerdcon' Convention Kicks Off in Crystal City". ARLnow. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  12. 1 2 3 Padua, Pat (27 February 2026). "Blerdcon Returns to Arlington In All Its Nerdy Glory". Arlington Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Orobana, Michelle (July 1, 2018). "Blerdcon". Whurk Magazine. Archived from the original on 23 August 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  14. ↑ "BLERDCON ANNOUNCEMENT". Facebook. Retrieved 30 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Blerdcon 2020 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2020-05-29.
  16. ↑ Cardin, Kathryn (22 July 2021). "White woman wins cosplay contest at convention celebrating Black nerds, sparking outrage". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  17. ↑ Banim, Julia (July 22, 2021). "White Woman Wins Cosplay Contest At Convention Celebrating Black Nerds". UNILAD. Archived from the original on 12 August 2021. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  18. ↑ Chan, Mavis (8 July 2022). "Blerdcon, celebrating Black nerd culture, returns to Arlington today". ARLnow. Retrieved 20 July 2022.
  19. 1 2 Wicker, Kay (4 July 2023). "'Fae'd to Black': Blerdcon returns for its 7th year with a star-studded lineup". TheGrio. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  20. ↑ Taranto, Katie (4 March 2025). "BlerDCon returns to Crystal City this weekend with 'Thrilla' theme | ARLnow.com". ARLnow. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  21. ↑ "TRAFFIC ALERT: Blerdcon 2025". Arlington County Virginia. February 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Blerdcon 2017 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  23. ↑ "Blerdcon 2018 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2018-08-17.
  24. ↑ Pincus, Melanie (20 July 2018). "Blerdcon, 'Fully Inclusive' Convention for Nerds, Returns to Crystal City". ARLnow. Retrieved 22 August 2018.
  25. ↑ "Blerdcon 2019 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2019-09-10.
  26. ↑ "3rd Annual Blerdcon Celebrates Diversity in Nerd Culture". The Zebra. 7 August 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  27. ↑ "Blerdcon 2021 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2021-08-11.
  28. ↑ Cremen, Alanea (July 16, 2021). "BlerdCon: Why you may see Spider-Man, Batman and more walking around this weekend". WUSA. Retrieved 12 August 2021.
  29. ↑ "Blerdcon 2022 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2022-07-19.
  30. ↑ Wicker, Kay (8 July 2023). "Blerdcon 2023 opens with a high-energy first day". TheGrio. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  31. ↑ LeTendre, Hallie (7 July 2023). "BlerDCon, celebrating Black nerd culture, kicks off today in Crystal City". ARLnow. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  32. 1 2 Smith, Brandon (13 June 2024). "BlerDCon 2024: Black nerd convention brings cosplay, food trucks, and star guests to Arlington". FOX 5 DC. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  33. ↑ Goldchain, Michelle (11 July 2024). "Things to do in the DC area: Blerdcon, Bastille Day … and more!". WTOP. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  34. ↑ Robinson, Ashley (7 March 2025). "BlerDCon 2025 kicks off in Crystal City, featuring Janelle Monáe and more". WJLA. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
  35. ↑ "Blerdcon 2026 Information". FanCons.com. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  36. ↑ Dixon, Delaina (March 12, 2026). "Inside BlerDCon, where Black nerd culture thrives". Ebony. Retrieved 16 March 2026.

38°50′55″N 77°3′6″W / 38.84861°N 77.05167°W / 38.84861; -77.05167