This weekend, thousands of dedicated fans flocked to the Minneapolis Convention Center for the third edition of Twin Cities Con.

Organized by convention production company Nerd Street, Twin Cities Con is one of the largest fandom events in the Midwest. This year’s convention attracted over forty thousand attendees and cost over a million dollars to produce, according to Nerd Street owner Ben Penrod.

Among the attractions at the three-day convention were celebrity guest appearances, including wrestler Sting and actress Stephanie Beatriz in her first-ever convention appearance. Beatriz was joined by her co-stars from the film “Encanto” and the animated series “Hazbin Hotel.”

Nerd Street Event Coordinator Katelyn Keeley said fans enjoy interacting with celebrities because they feel their love reflected back to them.

Celebrities often appear at conventions because they also enjoy the experience, which creates a positive environment for stars and fans alike, Penrod said.

Although the most popular attractions were the celebrity guests, the convention’s events and exhibit halls were also incredibly popular.

Throughout the weekend, the convention hosted a variety of panels and discussions ranging from Q&As with celebrities to seminars on cosplay financing.

Cosplay-related events are especially popular with convention guests, Penrod said.

Dedicated fans showed up to the convention dressed as characters from almost every media franchise imaginable. Costumes ranged from low-budget interpretations of characters to incredibly realistic and expensive recreations of famous figures.

Local artists designed promotional materials and tickets for the convention, which are incredibly popular with guests, Keeley said. She said the Minnesota-shaped VIP badges were especially popular this year.

Penrod said he wanted this year’s convention to be a full weekend experience and sought to add programming throughout the day and after closing through off-site interest parties. He added that he hoped there would be something for everyone to enjoy at the convention.

In the exhibit halls, artists and vendors sold guests everything from original art, body pillows with faces of heartthrobs like Pedro Pascal, fake weapons and tons of other toys and collectibles.

Artists and exhibitors paid anywhere from $300 to $750 to have a space at the convention, Penrod said.

Despite the sale of convention booth real estate, Penrod said the convention raised money primarily from ticket sales and corporate sponsorships. Twin Cities Con has become Nerd Street’s largest event, and this year’s edition was the largest yet, he added.

Keeley said many of the convention’s attendees were first-timers eager to discover what a fandom convention is like. Both Penrod and Keeley said they wanted to give first-time visitors a good experience so they come back for future conventions.

“I love that they are giving us a chance,” Penrod said.

Penrod and Keeley hope to build a strong local community of superfans as Twin Cities Con continues to grow. They said it is incredibly fulfilling to see so many people enjoy themselves at their conventions.