Every year the University of Calgary is hit by a deluge of complete and utter nerdom – Otafest. For anime and pop culture fans, it’s a great time to strut their stuff and mix with the rest of the community. This year Alberta nerds can break the long wait between conventions at Otafest Aurora, happening at SAIT on November 29th.
Once called "Otafest Lite" the event was re-branded and, yes, reworked into a completely different convention. The winter theme is heavily played up, giving people a chance to get into a rather Christmassy spirit before the actual crush of December, and its ceaseless marketing ploys, hit full force. The organizers hold events, bring in special guests – from voice actors to professional cosplayers – and showcase an array of fan-run presentations and activities, often with a winter theme. Then there’s the gala – a banquet and dance where the attendees are encouraged to dress in cosplay, formal wear or both.
As good as it is, it took hard work to get it there, and the organizers are always trying to make it the best convention yet. This year is Otafest Aurora’s third anniversary, and the theme is the coronation of their mascot Aurora. The Otafest mascots are characters that aim to interact with the attendees and bring them into the spirit of the convention itself, which is especially seen on the convention’s official Facebook page. At the convention, members of the Otafest committee will cosplay the characters and greet people.
"Aurora is our mascot for our winter event and she has a tsundere personality," says Gareth Lypka, one of the PR representatives for Otafest Aurora. "Meaning she puts on a grumpy act but actually really likes talking to everyone. Our attendees really enjoy the interactions they have with her on social media and in person. It’s something that makes our convention special and something we are very proud of."
Gareth was able to tell us a bit more about what we can expect. With the change in venues this year – they moved from the University of Calgary’s downtown campus to SAIT – the attendees will be dealing with a different setup. "We have a larger area for vendors and artists to sell their wares. We have expanded our gala space to allow us to avoid moving tables. I think our attendees will really appreciate the indoor and outdoor architecture on the campus which is great for cosplay photoshoots."
Attendees need not worry too much about the cold if they don’t want to – the majority of programming will be in the Stan Grad/Heritage Hall building. Gala attendees will have to face the cold journey to the Campus Centre, but the slog will only take half a minute. The gala, which has sold out every year, has been expanded to accommodate more entertainment and festivities. Last year professional ballerinas performed to fit with the ballet theme, but Gareth is keeping mum about what we can expect to see this year.
"We have some surprise entertainment coming this year so I won't spoil that!"
While you probably won’t have any luck in attending the gala unless you have already bought tickets (the waiting list started taking names a few weeks ago) the convention itself should not be missed. The beautiful architecture of SAIT, which inspired the coronation theme, is sure to attract many a photo shoot, and there are many things to do, from building gingerbread robots to enjoying a Christmas themed cafe. Whether you're new to the convention scene or it is all old hat, come and check it out. You won’t be disappointed. General admission is $25.
