The annual SoCal Gathering picnic took place on May 8 at Craig Park in Fullerton. What started out as a small cosplay picnic between friends a few years ago has grown in to one of the larger cosplay events in Southern California. When the date for the event was announced, the event organizers limited online ticket sales to 400 to cap attendance due to park regulations. Tickets were sold out a few days before the event. With the acquisition of more park space for the event, online ticket sales resumed and in the end, total paid attendance reached 521. Tickets are only sold online due to park rules against selling items within the park. Attendees now not only come from Southern California. Many come down from Northern California. There are also others that come from out of state and even from foreign countries. The event gets larger every year as cosplay and anime culture become more popular and fans seek out events other than traditional anime conventions to get together and celebrate their hobby.
The idea of cosplay picnics is becoming somewhat popular in the US. The SoCal version seems to be one of the more highly organized efforts. For the $10 admission price, attendees are treated to a barbecue, are eligible for raffle prizes, can participate in an Iron Cosplay costume making contest, and are eligible for prizes for the best costumes at the event. There are also activities such as playing the Rock Band video game, card games, and board games. Of course, cosplay photography is also a very popular activity. It’s a welcome change for many to be taking photos at a park instead of the concrete jungles typically associated with Southern California anime conventions. It’s amazing how much is done through donations from fans and organizations. Just about all of the door prizes are donated. Many attendees bring additional food to share. Others set up video game systems and bring other games and organize other activities. People bring additional chairs, canopies, and tables. There is a staff for this event, but a great deal of the event’s success has to do with the desire of many people to contribute items or manpower for this. It truly is a community event.
I’ve read about many other cosplay picnics that take place in other areas of the country. Nothing really comes close to this in terms of organization and participation. It really is one of the more amazing cosplay related events that I attend.  I’ve been around the anime and cosplay scene for a long time and there are many aspects that I find to be disappointing in the community. This is definitely one of the bright spots. This is simply one of the more fun events of the year. It’s a nice relaxing afternoon in the park with a couple hundred of your friends.
