Five things to expect at UK Ponycon!

Next weekend I'll be selling at UK Ponycon, which is a convention that has been going since its debut in 2004 and is dedicated to all things My Little Pony! The con started as purely a collector's con, way before My Little Pony had its viral resurgence in the form of the new cartoon, Friendship is Magic. There, collectors would trade and sell their extras and generally use the weekend as a chance to meet other like-minded fans. In 2010, the new cartoon would bring a whole new group of people to the convention, fans of the show who called themselves 'Bronies' and who shared our passion for silly colourful horses.

Since then, UK Ponycon has grown into a mid-sized convention that collectors and new fans alike flock to from all corners of the globe. People dress up in pony cosplay, sell sell handmade art and customised ponies and take part in all the fun events Ponycon annually has to offer. I have attended nine of the thirteen (!) Ponycons so far, and I'd like to think I've got a pretty good handle on what to expect from the event, so I thought I'd write up a little guide detailing the sort of thing you might expect to experience if you attend UK Ponycon!

• Lots and lots of stalls!
  Ponycon started life as a collector's convention, so originally the vendors were primarily people selling original 1980s (and 1990s) My Little Pony products. As Ponycon is a multi-generation convention (meaning that it celebrates every edition of My Little Pony that has been released since the 1980s), the variety of vendors has expanded alongside the convention itself. Now you can expect to find people selling ponies and merchandise from all generations, as well as fanart and crafts featuring My Little Pony characters, customised ponies and one-of-a-kind, hand-made plushies, too!
  
  
• Cosplay!
  Where there's a convention, there's cosplay, and you'll find lots of it at Ponycon! Usually people like to dress up as ponies that represent the theme of the convention, though a lot of people just plain dress up as anything they fancy. We've even had Stormtroopers at Ponycon! This year the theme is the Wild West, so expect to find lots of cowboy themed cosplays roaming around.
  
  
• Events!
  With such a large fandom and such a long history, My Little Pony offers a lot of variety when it comes to panels and events to attend! Whether you're and old school pony crony like myself or a newbie who just started watching 'Friendship is Magic', you're bound to find something to suit your interests! In the past, panels have included topics such as how best to restore your childhood toys, the impact 'Friendship is Magic' has had on the fandom, feminism in My Little Pony, silly bloopers in the old cartoons and cosplay tutorials, tips and tricks. There are regular events like 'Mr & Mrs', 'Room 101' and, of course, the annual Ponycon Pub Quiz!
  
  
• The Ponycon Ninjas!
  I don't really remember when this Ponycon tradition started, but somewhere along the line, the convention seems to have picked up some 'Ninjas'! Every year, the 'Pony Ninjas' come out to play and leave goodies for attendees and offer things up for the auction, doing their part for charity. They've never asked for payment for their good deeds and are completely anonymous - nobody has any idea who they are, or where they came from!
  
  
• Pinch a Parcel!
  Pinch the Parcel is a fun event that has been at Ponycon since the early days! Similar to the familiar game 'Pass the Parcel', Pinch the Parcel is a lot more fun, and a lot more chaotic! Guests who want to enter must bring an item, wrapped, with a value of no less than £5. They're then all collected together and entered into a pile that everyone sits in a circle around. Two six sided dice are then handed around the circle, and as folks pass them around, they attempt to roll a 6 or a 1. On doing so, they're allowed to grab a parcel from the pile. This part of the game is pretty calm and laid back, with the dice being passed around until eventually there are no more parcels left to be taken. This is when the madness begins! The second part of the game is timed, and again on a roll of 6 or 1, people are now allowed to 'pinch' a parcel from anybody else in the circle. It becomes utter madness, especially as the timer runs down and people scramble to snag a few last minute parcels! Some people end the game with a whole pile of winnings, while others may go home with nothing! Such is the cruel fate of 'Pinch a Parcel'. Ponycon is a very friendly event, though, and it's rare for people to leave this event completely empty handed - sometimes they'll be offered a pity parcel from a kind soul who maybe got really lucky on their dice rolls during the game.
  
  

UK Ponycon travels around the country, and this year it's being held on the 21st and the 22nd of October, at The Exhibition and Conference Centre at the University of the West of England, Bristol. I'll be there on table D3 selling art as usual, though I've also found out a bunch of my extra My Little Pony toys to sell as well! I'm really looking forward to being there as I missed last year and it'll be so much fun to see all my old friends again!