Awesome Con is only a few years old (it turns 7 this year), but it has quickly become one of the Washington, DC, region’s must-do events. And it’s probably fair to say it’s the city’s premiere nerd event.

This year’s show takes place this weekend, April 26-28, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Downtown DC.

For the longest time, DC was completely without a comic con to call its own. The Baltimore Comic-Con up the road is a solid con, and we go every year, but come on – Baltimore and DC are two very different cities.

Awesome Con opened its doors for the first time in 2013. It was just a small, one-room show that year, but it quickly – very quickly – expanded. And this year looks like it’s shaping up to be the biggest (and one of the best) yet.

The guest list is kind of unbelievable and has something (or someone) for every fan.

Star Trek fan? Great! Brent Spiner, Gates McFadden, Jason Isaacs, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, and Wil Wheaton will all be in attendance.

Can’t get enough of The Princess Bride? First of all, I don’t blame you, but Cary Elwes, Chris Sarandon, and Wallace Shawn will all be there! Inconceivable!

Are you a Marvel nut? Come say hi to Jon Bernthal, Mike Colter, and Lou Ferrigno!

Plus, there are oodles of other guests to satisfy your geeky cravings. Anthony Michael Hall, Greg Grunberg, John Barrowman, Kelly LeBrock, Mary McDonnell, Michael Biehn, Ralph Macchio, Tara Strong, Val Kilmer, Weird Al Yankovic, and more!

And that’s not even covering the comics pros and authors who will be there. You might want to make a list and a plan of attack for the weekend. Information about and prices for autographs, photo ops, and group photo ops (if that’s your thing) are here. But most guests also have panels and other events where you can have a more… ahem, meaningful interaction with them. So check out the programming schedule.

Shameless plug: Six of this year’s guests have also been on The Great Big Beautiful Podcast, so please do check out my conversations with Charles Soule, Greg Grunberg, Jonathan Frakes, Wil Wheaton, Kyle Higgins, and Max Brooks!

But Awesome Con is so much more than just celebrity guests…

There’s full slate of three days’ worth of programming.

There’s Awesome Con Jr, which includes a full schedule of kid-friendly programming, specialized kid-friendly exhibitors, hands-on workshops, and character meet-and-greets.

There’s Future Con, which is cosponsored by Smithsonian magazine and features content “where science meets science fiction.” Future Con includes tech demos, meet-and-greet opportunities with prolific thought leaders (including NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine), and the opportunity to explore the overlap between real-world science and the science of the future.

This year also sees the introduction of Pride Alley, which is a separate track of events, guests, and exhibitors that highlights queer creators and fans. Pride Alley is sponsored by Geeks OUT, the group behind the awesome LGBTQ convention Flame Con.

Add in the exhibit hall, exclusives, costume contest, gaming space, and a makers market, and Awesome Con is THE place to be in DC this weekend.

See you there!