Hey, don't get me wrong. I think the Humor & Harmony Festival is great for northwest Louisiana. From the get-go, I have supported and promoted this festival in my blog and in this paper. Humor & Harmony has been a constant in the other local media for the past two weeks.
Not to be overlooked is the upcoming Geek'd Con three-day happening starting next Friday, Aug. 16. Goodness, this event is expected to have attendance of 15,000--all in one venue, the Convention Center. Compare that to the estimated 30,000 for Humor & Harmony stretched out over six locations--Municipal Auditorium, Convention Center, Red River District, Festival Plaza, Stage Works/Expo Hall, and the Dome.
Since 2015, Geek'd Con has been the premiere pop culture event in the Ark-La-Tex. It is the largest event of its kind in North Louisiana and the biggest comic con style event in Louisiana outside New Orleans.
Each year, Geek'd Con hosts hundreds of vendor booths, dozens of celebrity guests, and fans from all over the country. And this year, the Shreveport Sports Card Show will debut on the second floor of the Convention Center with sports card vendors, memorabilia vendors and sport guests.
The long list of celebrity guests at Geek'd Con rivals if not surpasses the Humor & Harmony lineup. The key is that all of the celebrities attract their fans, many of which are fanatics in the good sense of the word.
Geek’d Con features the ever popular cosplay. Admittedly, I had to be educated on cosplay--which is an elaborate costume contest. The contest in and of itself rivals the celebrity guests and vendor booths.
Geek'd Con is a standalone, economic venture. It does not receive any assistance from the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish or the State of Louisiana. No special security measures are needed nor does Geek'd Con require the closing of any streets.
Parking in the Convention Center garage is free--its paid for by Geek'd Con and it fills up fast. Many attendees will be parking on the streets with free parking on Friday (after 5 p.m.) and all day free on Saturday and Sunday.
Humor & Harmony and Geek'd Con are great events for our area. The contrasts in these two are a good thing--providing a variety of entertainment options. I do not plan on visiting either Humor & Harmony or Geek'd Con, but I welcome both to our city. I hope all readers of this column do as well.