The Gaylord resort was the go-to Valentine’s weekend destination for thousands of Katsucon attendees this year. It’s the kickoff to the East Coast convention season for most, and a celebration of anime and gaming culture. Katsucon will never be known for its world premieres or lineup of celebrities; rather, it’s the wall-to-wall cosplay talent on display and round-the-clock cosplay meetups, all in a venue that doesn’t sleep.

The Katsucon Venue is the Main Event

Since moving to the Gaylord in National Harbor, MD, in 2010, the con and the venue have become synonymous with each other. The Gaylord resort is a massive hotel and convention center housing a picturesque atrium, gardens, a fountain, a gazebo, marble balcony, and countless other locations seemingly made for cosplay meetups and photoshoots. 

Each location has a constant stream of cosplay meetups cycling through, with 19-story glass windows flooding the entire space with natural light. The gazebo has taken on a life of its own, with lines that get longer every year just for a turn to take pictures inside it. It even has its own Tumblr that dubs it “the true hero of cosplay.”

A Convention That Doesn’t Sleep

For most, Katsucon is not only the start of the convention year, but their first event after a long winter hibernation. The gazebo in particular will have a crowd around it all day and a party around it all night. The con itself also has plenty of programming and events that extend well into the morning hours. Katsucon is both how the east coast wakes up from a long winter and the standard the convention season has to live up to.