Lee County Library System to host virtual Fandom Fest in October

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Library books (WINK News)

The Lee County Library System will host its second annual Fandom Fest as a free virtual celebration of fandoms and geek culture throughout the month of October.

The virtual event will offer participants of all ages the opportunity to participate in cosplay, crafts, escape rooms, storytimes, reading challenges and trivia, along with numerous chances to win prizes. Other highlights include an online costume contest for all ages and pets and a virtual fandom art exhibition featuring local artists’ work in anime, manga and comic book styles.

This event marks the fifth year Lee County Library System has celebrated comics and fandoms, from the original Comic Fest event held at the Fort Myers Regional Library to last year’s live Fandom Fest.

“We felt that it was really important to keep the tradition going this year,” states Melissa Baker, manager of Programming and Community Outreach. “Once we started reimagining the event going virtual, we realized we had so much to offer fans that we expanded the one-day event to a month-long celebration.”

The festival includes four themed weeks that offer a mixture of activities for all ages. Fandom themes include:

  • Sword & Sorcery (Oct. 4-10),
  • Asian & Pop Culture (Oct. 11-17)
  • Space (Oct. 18-24)
  • Superheroes & Villains (Oct. 25-31)

Fans of Harry Potter, Disney, Star Wars, Marvel and more can enjoy cosplay DIY workshops, virtual princess parties, special Stay at Home Storytimes, Kahoot trivia, virtual escape rooms and video craft demos for kids, teens and adults.

Fandom Fest participants can earn chances to win prizes by completing reading challenges and fandom-themed activities all month long. Prizes include a multi-purpose activity table, various fandom-themed LEGO sets, play tents, puzzles, books and more.

Grab and Go Craft Kits

Starting Oct. 1, Fandom Fest Grab and Go Craft Kits are available upon request for pick up at all branches of the Lee County Library System through curbside and in-branch service. Each kit includes a free comic book and supplies for all of the weekly craft programs. Limit one kit per person while supplies last.

Online Costume Contest

The online costume contest is a free, local competition that highlights the creativity and skills of the local cosplay community. Entries will be accepted Oct. 1-24 with public online voting taking place Oct. 25-31. Costume contest participants who receive the highest total scores during the voting period will win the prize for their category.

Virtual Art Exhibit

As part of this year’s Fandom Fest celebration, participants are invited to submit work throughout October for an all-ages virtual art exhibition featuring anime, manga and comic book style art. All artists participating in the online art exhibition will be automatically entered into a random prize drawing for an art supplies gift set.

For more information about Fandom Fest, including the schedule of events and contest rules, please visit: www.leelibrary.net/fandomfest.

Persons who require accommodations and need assistance with the various online platforms used in the event, contact Joan LaGuardia, (239)533-2314, Florida Relay Service 711, or jlaguardia@leegov.com. Accommodation will be provided at no cost to the requestor. Requests should be made at least five business days in advance.

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