Naka-Kon is an annual three-day
anime convention
An anime convention is an event or gathering with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Commonly, anime conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activ ...
held during May at the
Overland Park Convention Center
Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As o ...
and Sheraton Overland Park Hotel at the Convention Center in
Overland Park, Kansas
Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As o ...
. The name of the convention comes from the Japanese word for "center/middle".
Programming
The convention typically offers an Artist Alley, contests, Dealers’ Room, game shows, fashion show, maid cafe, panels, showings, video game rooms, and workshops.
History
Naka-Kon was founded in 2005 by members of the
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. Tw ...
Anime Club.
The convention moved to the
Overland Park Convention Center
Overland Park ( ) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located in Johnson County, Kansas, it is one of four principal cities in the Kansas City metropolitan area and the most populous suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. As o ...
in 2012.
Naka-Kon 2020 was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Naka-Kon held a virtual convention in March 2021, a smaller event over Labor Day weekend in September, and in 2022 moved to Memorial Day weekend in May.
The 2021 convention had an attendance cap of 2,500, with 2022 having a cap of 6,000.
Event history
References
External links
Naka-Kon Website
{{Coord, 38, 55, 42, N, 94, 39, 19, W, region:US-KS_type:event, display=title
Anime conventions in the United States
Recurring events established in 2005
2005 establishments in Kansas
Annual events in Kansas
Festivals in Kansas
Culture of Overland Park, Kansas
Conventions in Kansas