Sakura-Con is back again in Seattle next week

April 3, 2023April 3, 2023 Cole Martin 2307 Views

Asia-Northwest Cultural Education Association’s local anime and art convention returns.

Photo by Sakura-Con | Multiple booths are set up on the convention floor during the event.

Hello artists and anime fans! Sakura-Con, a local art and anime convention, held at the Seattle Convention Center, is coming around again April 7 through April 9!

Sakura-Con is an annual convention put together by the non-profit Asia-Northwest Cultural Education Association and has been going on since 1998. Last year marked its triumphant return, as it was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.

The three-day convention is bigger than ever before now, hosting a plethora of prolific people from the animation industry and larger anime community. From voice actors and directors to content creators and independent artists, you’re guaranteed to find something that catches your eye.

One of the things Sakura-Con is best known for, and hands down the main reason I personally want to attend, is the wonderful artist alley which hosts over 300 tables full of independent artists, all with their unique and varied merchandise. A majority of the tabling artists are PNW locals, and buying anything from them is a great way to support them in their craft.

Another staple of Sakura-Con is its cosplay scene; a large portion of attendees jump on the opportunity to dress up as their favorite characters. There will also be a cosplay competition, with multiple categories to show off everyone’s fantastic outfits.

It’s good to know that it is a paid event, so if you’re free this next weekend and are interested in attending, you can pre-register online for $90 at sakuracon.org/registration, or pay at the door for $100. Most everything else aside from artist merchandise is completely paid for, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about tapping into your wallet.

They’ve got a wide schedule this year, with panels, premieres, and autographs from a variety of important folks. You can find the schedule at sakuracon.org/programming/schedule for more info on the guests and other events. I hope to see some of you there!