What vendors should know.
KinshokuCon is an anime convention focused on anime, Japanese culture, and the Western New York community. It features programming for all ages, including panels, workshops, and live performances.
Crowd
Around ~5,000 attendees across the run.
Venue
KinshokuCon 2026 will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Niagara Falls, New York from November 6th to 8th. Surface lot parking is available free of charge for convention attendees, while overnight parking for on-site guests is $15 per day.
Applications
Applications from people based out of Western New York will be prioritized to showcase local fans.
What's happening.
Food & Culture
Misty Guild Café offers a 10% discount for KinshokuCon 2026 badge holders and is located a short distance from the venue, open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM throughout the weekend.
Theme & Focus
KinshokuCon emphasizes community engagement and aims to create a welcoming environment for fans of anime and Japanese culture.
Mini events & panels.
A working schedule of the panels, screenings, and meetups happening across the run. Subject to change up to doors.
- 11:00 AM – 1:45 PMContestBeyblade X Tournament
- 11:30 AM – 12:30 PMPanelStories from the Studio: Voice Acting Tales with the Georges
Catch some interesting stories the Georges have to share throughout their voice acting journey.
- 1:00 PM – 2:00 PMConcertJapanese Pop and Anime Music
A vocal performance medley of anime themes and enka classics in Japanese.
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PMCeremonyClosing Ceremonies
Come reminisce on all that happened over the course of this memorable debut weekend for KinshokuCon.
- 10:30 AM – 11:15 AMPanelWakandaverse: How Black Panther Can Enrich the Youth
Join this panel discussion to learn about the power of Wakanda in scholastic settings.
- 11:30 AM – 12:15 PMPanelCollege of Creation: Cosplaying D&D Characters & Beyond
Come learn and talk about what it takes to put together a cosplay for your own D&D character.
- 12:30 PM – 1:15 PMPanelYour Wig is Wigging Out!
I’ll share my experience and professional opinion on caring for cosplay wigs.
- 1:30 PM – 2:15 PMPanelWould Monsters in the Dungeon Actually Taste Delicious?
Let’s take a look at a few monsters featured in Dungeon Meshi and see if they would taste delicious.
- 2:30 PM – 3:15 PMPanelHow to Use a Death Note for Good (Without Killing People)
What are some things you can do with a Death Note that are good without killing people?
- 10:30 AM – 12:00 PMWorkshopAnd They Were Roommates: A (SFW) Shipping Fanfiction Workshop
Join us for an exercise-based workshop all about writing romance fanfiction for new or intermediate writers.
- 12:30 PM – 2:00 PMWorkshopBuild-a-Bouquet: Wood Flower Workshop
Join KrisBrig Creative for a free hands-on wood flower workshop.
- 3:00 PM – 4:00 PMDemoKumihimo Friendship Bracelet Demo
Learn how to make your own in corded friendship bracelet during this dedicated demo time.
- 10:30 AM – 11:00 AMEventZumba® with Danielle (Anime/J-Pop Edition)
Zumba® is a dance fitness party for everyone!
- 11:45 AM – 1:00 PMEventODORI-NO-KAI: Japanese Folk Dance
Come enjoy a performance of traditional Japanese folk dances culminating in a guided, audience-participation dance.
- 1:30 PM – 2:30 PMPanelQ&A with the Dynamic Voice-Over Duo: Grant and Jessica Gee-George
Come sit and chat with Grant and Jessica as they take on your burning questions about voice acting.
- 5:00 PM – 7:00 PMContestKinshokuCon 2025 Cosplay Contest
Come cheer on our contestants competing in the Craftsmanship, Runway/Walk-On, and Youth divisions.
- 8:30 PM – 10:30 PMLive(18+) Nerdlesque Drag Show
Come see your favorite pop culture characters brought to life through the art of drag!
- 11:00 AM – 11:45 AMPanelWhy We Love Cozy Games
Learn what makes a game 'cozy' and why we enjoy it.
- 12:00 PM – 12:45 PMPanelA Franchise Made Fullmetal
Join us as we rank and review every entry point to this classic series.
- 1:00 PM – 1:45 PMPanelThanks, I Thrifted It: Sourcing Secondhand Items for Cosplay
You’ll learn tips and tricks on how to source pieces from thrift stores and online secondhand sites.
- 2:00 PM – 2:45 PMEventGame that Tune!
Win fantastical prizes such as candy just for guessing the tracks we’re laying!
- 4:00 PM – 4:45 PMPanelGatekeeping in Blerd/Nerd Culture
Let’s dissect gatekeeping in Blerd/nerd culture in this panel discussion.
- 5:00 PM – 5:45 PMPanelBacklog Battles
Unclog our backlogs through pre-picked titles of our own plus audience suggestions.
- 6:00 PM – 6:45 PMGameJRPG Jeopardy!
Put your knowledge to the test in our JRPG Jeopardy game show!
- 7:00 PM – 7:45 PMEventFandom Mad Libs
Join us for a round of Mad Libs where all of our fandoms come together—anything can happen!
- 8:00 PM – 8:45 PMPanel(18+) Can I Get Yaoi for 600: Revenge of the Citrus Scale
Join us as we explore the old, the new, the infamous, and down right iconic ships in yaoi.
- 9:00 PM – 9:45 PMPanelAnime Roast: Your Favorite Anime Is Not As Good As You Remember
Audience members place shows on a live tier-list and defend their picks while panelists roast their show.
- 10:30 AM – 11:45 AMWorkshopKid’s Mask Making
We will explore different materials to make your child’s favorite character come to life in their very own mask!
- 12:00 PM – 1:30 PMWorkshopSo You Wanna Vend? Elevating Your Nerdy Business Booth
Learn how to elevate your artist alley or convention booth with practical tips on branding and display.
- 2:00 PM – 4:00 PMWorkshopKanazawa Craft Workshop
Try your hand at a simple craft activity featuring gold leaf from Kanazawa.
- 4:30 PM – 5:30 PMDemoKumihimo Friendship Bracelet Demo
Learn how to make your own in corded friendship bracelet during this dedicated demo time.
Vending at KinshokuCon?
Add the dates to your Eventloot schedule so fans know exactly which booth to find you at — and what you'll be bringing.
