The first-ever VillaCon will take place on Saturday, April 23 from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. at Villa Maria College. The one-day convention brings gaming, cosplay, animation, film, vendors, artists, and more to the College, which is located at 240 Pine Ridge Road in Buffalo.
Proceeds from the event will be used to support the Felician Sisters’ Ukrainian relief efforts in Poland. Feliciansistersna.org reports that, since the Ukraine Crisis began, the Sisters in Eastern Europe have been working tirelessly alongside many others to provide shelter, food, and spiritual encouragement to the millions of Ukrainian people who have been forced to abandon the comfort and safety of their lives to escape the brutal attack on their country. Villa Maria College is a Felician-sponsored ministry.
In celebration of VillaCon’s inaugural year, the general public is invited to attend VillaCon for just $5. Villa students will be admitted free of charge. Doors open for entry at 9 a.m., and the first round of events is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. From 10 a.m. on, the schedule is full. Pre-registration is encouraged but not required.
VillaCon 2022 Panels include:
- Don’t Break Anything, presented by Jake Steinbroner
- Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, presented by Eddie Mas
- Evolution of an Idea: Will Power the Movie, presented by Colin Clayton
- Furtastic Fursuits, presented by Alex Berry
- The Come Up, presented by David Stanfield
VillaCon 2022 Games include:
- Dungeons and Dragons
- My Hero Academia CCG
- Ring of Blood
- RWBY: Combat Ready
- A cosplay dating game
- Cards Against Humanity
- And more
Gayle Petri, the current Miss Upstate New York, will make an appearance at VillaCon. Petri, who took classes at Villa Maria during the Fall 2020 semester, will also participate as a gamemaster, running two rounds of Banshee of the Tide Treasure Hunt. Petri has been gaming for years and has experience as a PC and a DM over 6 different campaigns.
Attendees are invited to participate in a cosplay contest that will be judged by William Waterrose of Iron Buffalo, Christina Aviles of Cosplay with Christina, and Susan Hubbard of Steampunk Harley Cosplay. Attendees can pre-register to participate online at villa.edu/villacon, or they can register in-person when they check in at VillaCon.
Con-goes can also expect esports games like Smash Brothers Ultimate, Brawlhala, and Jackbox. The Game Heads United the gaming trailer is scheduled to arrive on campus at 5:30 p.m. for a tournament that follows 90-minutes of open play. Eighteen local vendors and 21 local artists will set up shop in the College’s dining hall for the duration of the event. Villa Maria’s animation club will host a pop-up shop and animation and filmmaking students will showcase their work throughout the day.
Food will be available for purchase from Metz Dining Service, Sun Roll Food Truck, and Dirty Bird Chicken N’ Waffles.
For of the details about VillaCon, including a complete schedule of the day’s events, please visit www.villa.edu/villacon.
