Video game connoisseurs, cosplay enthusiasts, Pokémon fanatics, and all other sects of attendees came together for a weekend of fun at Sonoma Con, the newest premier convention hosted at the Sonoma County fairgrounds on Oct. 4 and 5. The convention debuted in 2024, with Outer Planes Comics & Games hosting the event to boost the gaming scene in Santa Rosa. The company offered a variety of ways to engage and experience this gaming paradise.
Joseph Sapp, the event producer and coordinator, returned to the scene after putting on the event last year as well. “I’m a lifelong nerd, an experienced event manager and this is home for me, so being able to produce something at this scale for my local community, it’s the honor of a lifetime,” Sapp said.
Sonoma Con welcomed all attendees, from those who are brand new to the convention/gaming scene, to the experienced gamer entering into many different competitions. A large part of the community gravitated towards Magic: The Gathering, a strategic trading card game in which players attempt to outplay their opponents with complicated card pairings. While there were other card games featured, such as Pokèmon or the brand new Flesh and Blood, most of the event was centered around Magic…