Tropic Con is packing a lot of geektastic fun into one weekend. More than 100 vendor and artist spaces, major voice actors, pro wrestling stars, Star Wars costumers, live panels and a cosplay championship with a $1,000 top prize are among the attractions lined up when Tropic Con returns Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 15 and 16. And for fans who like conventions as much for the hunt as the celebrity guests, there will be a lot of ground to cover.
Tropic Con’s floor listings include dozens upon dozens of vendor and Artist Alley spaces, plus additional creator, activity and cosplay tables. That means more than 100 spaces devoted just to vendors and Artist Alley before the other attractions are even counted.
The lineup ranges from comics, toys, collectibles and trading cards to games, artwork, crafts and fan-made creations. Comic Book Depot, Level 9 Toys & Games, 10th Dimension Games, Best Comics and Cousin Joe’s Comic Relief are among the vendors, while Artist Alley includes dozens of illustrators, makers and creators. Stevie C. Rottt Art is the convention’s featured artist for 2026.
Don’t worry about getting lost in the shuffle. Attendees will receive a map when they arrive to help navigate it all.
Then there’s cosplay. Tropic Con itself calls cosplay a “huge” part of the convention, and this weekend’s schedule backs that up. Costumed fans will be roaming the con throughout both days, with cosplay-related activities on the floor before the weekend builds toward the Tropic Con Cosplay Championship at 4 p.m. Sunday. There’s also some serious money on the line.
The Best in Show winner takes home $1,000, a championship trophy and free admission for the winner and a guest to El Churro Entertainment events during 2026.
Separate Novice, Journeyman and Master divisions offer their own prizes. First-place winners receive $100 in Novice, $200 in Journeyman and $500 in Master, along with Tropic Con weekend passes. Judges will also hand out individual awards.
For cosplayers who run into the inevitable last-minute costume problem, the floor plan also lists a cosplay contest, repair and ribbon game area.
Tropic Con’s guest lineup also brings together voices from several generations of animation.
Rodger Bumpass, the longtime voice of Squidward on SpongeBob SquarePants, gets the spotlight Saturday at 1 p.m. for a panel looking back at his career.
Then at 2:30 p.m., Josh Keaton and Kimberly Brooks join host Blake Jennings for “Defenders of the Universe,” a panel celebrating the 10th anniversary of Netflix’s Voltron: Legendary Defender.
Keaton voiced Shiro in the series and is also known as Peter Parker in The Spectacular Spider-Man. Brooks voiced Princess Allura and has a long list of animation and gaming credits that includes Jasper in Steven Universe.
Sunday brings another big animation name to the stage. Dante Basco gets his own spotlight panel at 1 p.m. Basco is beloved by Avatar: The Last Airbender fans as the voice of Prince Zuko and by a slightly older generation as Rufio in Hook. Then, at 2 p.m., the Empire arrives as members of the 501st Legion take over the panel room to talk about Star Wars, costuming and what it takes to become a member.
And just two hours later, the Cosplay Championship takes over the stage.
Tropic Con’s pop culture mashup also extends into professional wrestling. Scheduled wrestling guests include Shotzi Blackheart, Willow Nightingale and Priscilla Kelly, known to WWE fans as Gigi Dolin. Nightingale brings a local connection to the lineup as a Long Island native and former AEW TBS Champion.
The celebrity guests will be available for autographs and meet-and-greets at their tables when they are not taking part in panels or on breaks, according to Tropic Con.
Tropic Con takes place Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Long Island in Hauppauge. Tickets and additional information are available through Tropic Con.
