Spring Conventions in 2026 That Prove Smaller Shows Still Shine

A look at smaller pop culture events across the Pacific Northwest and beyond, highlighting community-driven events worth checking out if the bigger spring conventions are out of reach.

Pacific Northwest Spring Conventions and BigfootBetween big events like Sakuracon taking place this weekend and Calgary Fan Expo across the regional divide, these are the big two spring conventions in the Pacific Northwest, or close by, that define April. They are both great shows, but for locals, staying closer to home is sometimes the better option. Smaller conventions tend to focus on community support, a specific genre, or cosplay culture rather than acting as large-scale marketplaces. Although their special guests are not always A-listers, they are still worth noting. No matter their level of fame, they remain a draw.

Here’s a quick list of events happening soon, especially if the big Seattle event is not in the budget.

Squatchcon
(Port Angeles, WA | April 9–12)
This show leans a bit into folklore and more into what AnimeKat offers, as they are most likely one of the best hangout spots to give locals what they love, a place to geek out with a more traditional “science-fiction convention” experience, complete with a dance and regional support.

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Crypticon Seattle
(SeaTac, WA | May 1–3)
The Pacific Northwest’s dedicated horror convention, drawing genre fans with an emphasis on film, dark art, and guests that mainstream cons rarely book.

Northern FanCon
(Prince George, BC | May 1–3)
This convention is the one that started it all for the Langford sister show, and it’s one of the few that offers to fans living in the boonies a chance to experience a full pop culture event without travelling far south.

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It’s Electric! Hatsune Miku Concerts. Coming Soon: Pacific Northwest Shows and Pokémon feat. VOLTAGE Live!

PokéMiku is truly a natural fusion of two hot Japanese properties which the Pokémon feat. Hatsune Miku VOLTAGE Live! spotlighted last weekend, and as for what’s next? Read on to find out:

Pokémon and Hatsune Miku VOLTAGE Live!There’s something quietly electric about two cultural titans brushing against each other, and this one hums with neon life. With Pokémon feat. Hatsune Miku VOLTAGE Live!, two worlds collide in a way that feels oddly natural. In hindsight, Pokémon and Hatsune Miku were always bound to meet somewhere in the circuitry. One is a franchise built on collecting, evolution, and imagination. The other began as singing voice software before evolving into a global virtual pop icon. Now, she’s getting Poké-tized, yes, I’m claiming that word, and honestly, it fits.

In Japan, the party has already begun. From March 20 to March 22, 2026, VOLTAGE Live! played at LaLa arena TOKYO-BAY, marking the first large-scale live concert built around the collaboration. The show brought Hatsune Miku together with other Virtual Singers, as well as Pokémon such as Pikachu and Meloetta, to perform the growing catalogue of PokéMiku songs. For anyone with a soft spot for bright electronic pop, this was the kind of event that practically demanded attention.

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Astounding! Another Eden Returns as Another Eden Begins.

Another Eden Begins reimagines the mobile RPG as a nostalgic, story-driven remake shaped by Chrono Trigger’s Masato Kato. With multiple endings, curated companions, and time-spanning drama, this Summer 2026 release modernizes a classic without losing its melancholy heart.

Another Eden Begins Switch VersionAnother Eden isn’t just another mobile RPG. It’s a deliberate love letter to 90s-era Japanese role-playing games and it’s getting modernized for fans. Simply titled Another Eden Begins, what’s offered is a remake that cares more about mood, music, and melancholy than daily log-ins. What really gives it weight is Masato Kato, the writer behind Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross, shaping its narrative DNA. You can feel it in how time fractures, how memory lingers, and how the story trusts players to slow down.

And honestly, with Armed Fantasia still drifting somewhere in development limbo, this might be the closest thing to scratching that classic Chrono itch. Another Eden Begins is set for a Summer 2026 release, revisiting the First Arc of the original game, “The Cat Beyond Time and Space.” Redesigning the game that started it all helps newcomers get acquainted with the world. What’s different is mostly cosmetic, reworked for a 128-bit processing environment. This game will be available on PC (Steam), Switch, and Switch 2.

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Little Lucha and The Big Deal is Finally Streaming for that Front Row Experience!

An underdog wrestling tale steps into the spotlight as Little Lucha and The Big Deal begins streaming online. Blending 80s ring theatrics with heartfelt indie storytelling, the short celebrates creative struggle, partnership, and the fight to keep a dream alive.

Little Lucha and the Big Deal FacesFilmmakers Scarlet Moreno and Josh Stifter are stepping back into the ring as their short film, Little Lucha and the Big Deal, is finally available online. My review can be read here, and it’s a fun nostalgic romp to acknowledge the years when wrestling was more than an escape. It’s a way to recognize what goes on behind the ring. This short film that has lots of hear is now streaming exclusively on GeekTyrant.com (and Vimeo). We also have it linked to watch from the comfort of this post too.

Co-directed by and starring this duo, the short is a larger-than-life love letter to 80s era professional wrestling. The story follows aspiring superstar Little Lucha and his partner The Big Deal, two underdog performers chasing glory inside the ring while wrestling with the realities of life beyond the ropes. It’s a tale built on body slams, big dreams, and the emotional toll that comes with refusing to quit.

“Little Lucha and The Big Deal is one of the most heartfelt films I’ve been a part of creating,” said Moreno. “It’s got an ‘art mirrors life’ aspect for me as it’s a story of two people, nearly at the end of their ropes, doing everything in their power to make a dream come true. And what artist or creative doesn’t know that feeling?”

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A 2026 Fan Expo Brand Focus: From Portland to Vancouver…

In 2026, Fan Expo’s branding around the world show how guest lineups, venue scale, and programming choices is not very varied, but where it matters is in where they are and who’s on board. Updates on the upcoming Portland and Vancouver show.

2026 Fan Expo General LogoThis weekend will be the 2026 Fan Expo Portland show, and for the Canadian-side cousin, Vancouver, the tour is certainly focussed on Lord of the Rings and the Turtles. From An Evening with the Hobbits to original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with a splash of Goonies, both are slightly different from one another for good reason, availability. The State-side show is said to be roomier with room to navigate around, but that needs to be verified. Also, Gates McFadden and Walter Koenig will be appearing.

As with other Fan Expo events, some programming is placed behind additional ticketed access, a practical decision given how limited certain convention spaces can be. Even in Seattle, expansion required the construction of an entirely new building to accommodate demand. For attendees on the fence about premium panels, such as discussions with the Lord of the Rings cast reflecting on Peter Jackson’s epic productions, there is no waitlist alternative once those sessions sell out.

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Winter Cinema Survival Guide (Part Two): What the Cold Leaves Behind

There’s much more to worry about in part two of this Winter Cinema Survival Guide. The films that matter explore the human condition than just deal with Jack Frost having a bad sneeze.

Map to nowhere - Winter Cinema Survival Guide Not every recent film will hit the mark in what winter frost means when it comes to survival horror. It’s merely decoration with Ghostbuster: Frozen Empire, but with Frankenstein, as revealed in part one, it’s about the heart and how to deal. In part two of our Winter Cinema Survival Guide, just how people deal comes to the fore with the most well known marking the end. No ghosts will be found here, only other terrors!

Read on to find what it is.

Interstellar (2014)

Interstellar (2014)The frozen planet in Nolan’s cosmic odyssey is anything but serene. Its calm surface hides betrayal beneath the ice. Dust coats not just the land, but the truth itself. Sometimes the coldest places provide perfect cover for the warmest lies, and in the silence of space, that absence of warmth becomes deafening. Just how anyone can survive depends on matters of the heart, and surviving entering a black hole!

👉 Easter Egg: If the cold doesn’t get you, the tenet of time dilation might, mercifully without the lectures.

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