Whether big or small, there’s a convention for just about anyone who’s passionate about fandom.

I was lucky enough to nab a ticket to the Wizard World convention in New Orleans, Louisiana this past weekend, and after filling up on shrimp poboys and king cake, I made my way to the convention floor, once again feeling at home amongst my fellow nerds.

There are all sorts of conventions out there, and I’ve been to my fair share of them. I’ve gone to general cons like New York Comic-Con and San Diego Comic-Con, each of which total at well over 100,000 visitors. This year, New York even topped San Diego, with over 150,000 con-goers making their way through the door each day.

I’ve also been to specific conventions, like Bite Con and Howler Con, which are geared toward fans of the MTV hit show Teen Wolf. They pull in a couple hundred people, and, in both of these cases, are fan-run conventions.

Then there are conventions like Wizard World, which are a nice middle ground. It’s a general convention, but pulls in just over 10,000 people, making it a fairly busy but a more comfortable experience than the larger conventions.

All of these cons have something in common, which is that the best part of this experience is how you can pick and choose which aspects you want to explore and how deeply you want to dive into the middle of it. Below are some of the highlights of Wizard World NOLA, and why I think conventions are truly the place to be if you enjoy being passionate about your interests.

Judgement-free zone

Please note the zombie in the background. She is not a statue. She wanted to eat my soul.

We’ve all been there, right? A new episode of Arrow comes out and the next day it’s all you can think about. All you want to do is talk about the lore behind the Lazarus Pit, but your co-workers look at you like you have two heads.

Everyone back home might not be on your level, but you can pretty much guarantee your fellow con-goers are. Whether you like to cosplay, buy art, or stake out your favorite panels, you can rest assured you’re in the right place. There’s no judgement here because you all bring your passion to the table in equal measures.

At Wizard World NOLA, there were some incredible cosplays, including a full-sized Groot, a female Gambit, and Korra aplenty. Whether you’re into superheroes, villains, anime, or even mashup costumes, there’s always something spectacular to see. And instead of getting laughed at for wearing a costume outside of Halloween, you’re applauded for your creativity. Can’t every day be like this?

The panels

Hey, Deathstroke, do you think you could move your head a little to the left? Thanks.

Wizard World NOLA had some of the best mixes of panels I’ve seen at a convention. Not only did I get to sit down and learn about the haunted history of New Orleans (from a man named Lord Chaz, no less), I also got to listen to one of my favorite authors, Melissa Marr, speak about writing, witness the adorable goofball that is Brett Dalton try to work his way around talking about S.H.I.E.L.D. spoilers, as well as revisit my childhood with an entire panel dedicated to my all-time favorite show, Charmed.

Conventions like Wizard World know how to do this con thing right. They’ll bring in the big names like Brett Dalton and Tom Felton, but they’ll also hit you right in the nostalgia feels with guests like Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause (Leo and Piper 5ever!!). They know that, big or small, fans will come from all over to bask in the glory of their favorite actors. I mean, I came all the way from New York for a show that’s been off the air for nearly 10 years. Clearly what they’re doing is working.

And even when certain panels court trouble, like the one titled Marvel vs. DC, they’re handled with an intensity that doesn’t cause the filled-to-capacity-and-then-some room to break out into anarchy, but rather facilitates an intelligent discussion about the pros and cons of each camp. (Although I’m still not convinced Batman would beat Iron Man in a fight, boys. Sorry.)

The art

Ahhh, nostalgia.

My favorite place to visit during a convention is — and will always be — the show floor. Some conventions break the show floor up into separate areas, one for vendors and one for artists. Some cons let them mix and mingle. Either way works for me, because I usually wind my way around the different booths at least three times while I’m there.

Whether you’re into action figures, Funko pop vinyls, steampunk clothing, custom lightsabers, or framed prints, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll find just about anything at a convention. Marvel and DC have been dominating lately, but a lot of the smaller fandoms have their own advocates that make one-of-a-kind art. My favorite Disney movie is Hercules, but finding art for it is near-impossible, unless you can drop some money for a custom portrait. Luckily, I was able to find a cute 4×6 print of Megara that’s just begging to go up on my wall.

And if prints aren’t your thing, just know that creativity is only limited by one’s imagination. Wizard World NOLA had custom corsets (one with even a light-up arc reactor in the center), unique buttons and magnets, and just about any kind of accessory you could ever wish for.

Wizard World is almost as good as Hogwarts. Almost.

I know how intimidating a convention can be when you first get there, but whether you go for the art, the photo ops, or the panels, you can experience as little or as much of the con as you want.

And for those introverts out there, like me, a convention is a great place to work on your people skills. You can blend right into the crowd without having to socialize, or you can be brave and walk up to someone in costume. You may not know each other, but life-long friendships can be made while waiting in line for a panel. At least you’ll know you both are in the same fandom!

What kind of conventions do you like best?

Addition reporting/fun-having by Courtney Guy.