SacAnime expected to bring thousands to downtown Sacramento
SACRAMENTO - About 30,000 people are expected to come out to SacAnime this weekend, which kicked off Friday and runs through Sunday in the Safe Credit Union Convention Center.
Attendees said they keep coming back for the cosplay and the friendship.
"I go every year, SacSummer and SacWinter," said one cosplayer.
"I started at 10 years old," another said.
Eventgoers aren't required to dress up, but those who do say it's a place they can be themselves.
"It's the only place where I feel completely comfortable expressing my interest," one woman visiting from Eureka said.
SacAnime is family-friendly and has a place for everyone. The community building is unmatched.
"This is a huge community. Everyone is nice to everyone, it's so fun," said a woman who spent weeks preparing her costume.
SacAnime started as an extension of Sac-Con, which started in 1986, and it has more than doubled in attendance in the last eight years.
"It's the one where most of my friends come and I feel most at home in. It's a special one to me," a man said.
The weekend-long event is bringing a boom to businesses and hotels downtown. It's expected to bring in $6.6 million to the area.
"We bring in about 25-30,000 people who are actually willing to come out, spend money, enjoy the nightlife. SacAnime continues to grow and increase year after year," said Marcos Salinas, a spokesperson for SacAnime.
"I love interacting with cosplayers," said a man visiting from Mountain View. "This is my favorite convention now."
"I'll do Barf today, Luke tomorrow and Indiana Jones' dad on Sunday," said a cosplayer describing his costumes for the weekend.
These diehard cosplayers can spend months preparing their costumes.
"The fangs are handmade, the horns are handmade, the whole costume is pretty much handmade. I can be someone else for a little while," said an attendee.
You can come out all weekend to enjoy the exhibit hall, anime talent, an artist's alley, gaming and much more. The convention center is newly renovated and the California Craft Beer Summit is coming up in March.
