In my history of Con Vending and attendance, I can count one one hand the amount of times I’ve actually referred to an event as a Dumpster Fire.
There was Anime Expo 1998, which was the first year where they hosted the event in several hotels, some nearly a 1/2 mile away.
There was Katsu-Con 2003, aka ‘The Can that Doesn’t End’, where attendees were held hostage in DC by a blizzard.
There was one of the last years of Spoutwood… where the rain was so heavy cars literally slid down the parking hill into each other.
And now… There’s Once Upon a Con, 2025. The Con of a Con.
Oddly enough, I had a great time, in the mental frame of ‘I have a front row seat to a Dumpster Fire’. And truly, it was that. It was also a reminder… That when you come seeking your scene, when you decide to find your Con, going for something that revolves ENTIRELY around one persons fantasy is a terrible idea.
Fae Cons, or ELDER Fae Cons, have been around for a good 30+ years. Spoutwood, in Glen Rock, PA, probably holds the title of being the first and longest, right up until they transitioned from a family run event to being handed over to Maryland Parks about four years ago.
Elder Fae Cons are incredible events. Usually hosted and run by people who just GENUINELY want you to share in an ethereal experience they create, they tend to be non-profit, focused on the arts, and a bastion of creativity and freedom. Events like Spoutwood, the Bad Faeries Festival, May Day Faerie Fest, the New York Faerie Festival… are about creating an ambiance. They are interactive art experiences where you can be introduced to artisans and performers you won’t meet in your local big box store.
The new wave of Fae Cons, Romantasy Book events, are not that.
After a slew of just economic disasters this past year, Fae events are starting to look like Cons… but it’s not that. It’s that Con artists have found a new demographic — introverts and bibliophiles, so excited at the idea of an immersive world, that have no idea how to take note of red flags.
My OUAC review is for another day, but more than anything, I want to let those who attended know that the magical world they’re looking for does exist. You do need to search for it, and it won’t be found by those trying to sell you VIP experiences.