MAGfest 2017 Was Max Fun, Maybe Too Much For Some

With the horrid year that is known as 2016 now closed, we start 2017 off with a bang! MAGfest 2017 was the latest version of an annual festival celebrating both music and videogames, held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. It is consistently one of my favorite con experiences to date.

My first time going to MAGfest was back in 2014. I remember hanging out with friends, partying, going to concerts, and playing arcade games until 5 a.m. It was a smallish con experience that was easily one of my favorites of the year, next to my first time going to DragonCon. However since then the con has grown exponentially. From the 16,000 attendees of 2014 to hitting the cap of 20K attendees in 2016. MAGfest is definitely on a lot of people’s radars now. While the number may sound astonishing, I really didn’t feel overwhelmed. It wasn’t noticeable to me at least.

MAGfest takes over the whole convention center and every inch of the Gaylord seems to be filled with things to do. Whether it is random dance parties in the halls, the tabletop area, card game halls, or the 24-hour arcade halls which are filled with gaming cabinets, consoles, and DDR machines, there is so much to do at MAGfest eventwise. However one noticeable difference I’ve seen this year groom previous is the amount of cosplay that I saw at the con. My first time going there were a few cosplays sprinkled here or there. But this year the amount of cosplay I saw was incredible, from simple costumes to big armor. Especially plenty of grunts from Team Skull who seem to takeover wherever they went.

Overall MAGfest is by far one of my favorite convention experiences due to the amount of events and activities available at the con. The Gaylord is such a perfect location for the con. But with that said, sadly some attendees do not know how to contain their fun. I heard stories of attendees messing up the Gaylord, whether it was defacing the walls or putting soap bubbles in the fountains.

This isn’t the first time these things happen or the only con. The outdoor fountain area located in Baltimore had the same issue at Otakon a few years ago. Don’t ruin the fun for everyone. The Gaylord is an incredible location for cons. Whether it is MAGfest or Katsucon, it’s absolutely beautiful. Moving either of these locations would hurt everyone, so whether you are attending either con or both, respect the location.

All in all I highly recommend going to MAGfest. It is worth a trip if you are coming from a local area or not. If you love video games and/or music you are doing yourself a great disservice by not being in attendance. This con has revitalized my love of con going and has made me very excited for 2017 conventions.