Vendors set up their tables and attendees donned their elaborate, multi-layered and sometimes handcrafted cosplay to prepare for Anime-Fest this past weekend in Bowling Green. 

The Bowling Green Anime-Fest was held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday at the National Corvette Museum, featuring a large number of vendors catering to a wide variety of interests. Attendees come to discuss, wear and buy all things anime. 

Greg Dulcie, a notable voice actor known for his work in shows like “One Piece” and “Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood,” held a panel at the event for fans to get signatures and pictures. 

Dulcie said he looks forward to attending these events to meet fans and be part of the community. 

“It’s the interaction with the people that really is the best part of it,” Dulcie said. 

Many attendees felt that Anime-Fest creates a space for them to enjoy their favorite shows and meet like-minded people, including Dylan Vincent, an avid collector of One Piece Card Game cards. Vincent, through playing card games at conventions and events like Anime-Fest, said he has been able to “meet a lot of friends that way.” 

Attendees Alissa Jones and Clay Jones have attended an anime or comic convention every year for the past three years solely for the enjoyment of finding a “new cosplay every year.” 

Cosplay is the act of dressing as a fictional character, a hobby that has become very common amongst convention attendees.  

“We love dressing up and seeing all the costumes,” Alissa Jones said 

The Anime-Fest attracts many local vendors, such as Rebel Sabers, a Bowling Green business that has been selling custom lightsabers since 2019.

“What I love most is when we fire up the saber and people’s eyes get wide, their jaw drops to the ground, and they gasp. I love that,” Niki Figgins, co-owner of Rebel Sabers, said.

Originally, Figgins and her husband planned to teach sword-fighting lessons at a local martial arts studio. The Coronavirus pandemic, however, caused the studio to shut down. Instead, they decided to sell the custom sabers, which were originally intended to be used for the fighting lessons, online, and have been selling at events like this ever since. 

“I love coming here and just being part of the community and engaging with folks that way,” Figgins said.