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Puerto Rico Comic Con is Just Around the Corner, What Do I Do?

The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UPR chapter.

Whether you are into geeky stuff or just want to have a good time and enjoy something different, Puerto Rico Comic Con is the best event to attend. From booths with varied merchandise to local artists, international celebrities and cosplayers from around the country, Puerto Rico Comic Con has it all.

PRCC, for short, is a yearly entertainment event that takes place at the Centro de Convenciones Dr. Pedro Roselló in San Juan. It is a three-day show that features everything in pop culture entertainment: comics, anime, manga, series, video games, card games and more!

This year, the PRCC will be celebrated from April 15 to 17 and many attendees are very excited, as they have been waiting for two years to get back to cons due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So, how do you prepare for a moment like this? What can you do to enjoy this event to the max? Here’s a mini guide on how to prepare for Puerto Rico Comic Con.

Cosplay

Cosplaying is one of the biggest attractions of this event. Many participants spend months assembling their costumes to bring their favorite characters to life. The complexity of the costume will depend on what day you are attending. Saturday is usually the day where cosplayers bring their best costumes because it’s the biggest day of the con in terms of attendance, celebrity panels, and cosplay contests.. If you’re thinking about cosplaying all  three days, I recommend wearing something comfortable on Friday, your best cosplay on Saturday, and going back to comfortable on Sunday. Always wear comfortable shoes and, if you use contact lenses, please take them off after a few hours, as your eyes can get irritated. Because it’s essential for you to stay hydrated, don’t forget to bring water with you because, even though the place has an air conditioner, it will get hot when people start piling up. Bring easy-to-carry snacks such as  granola bars or dried fruit, and please, take a break to eat every so often, whether you go out of the place or buy something to snack on inside. The most important part is to have fun in what you’re wearing! On another note, remember that cosplay is not consent, and if anyone makes you feel uncomfortable or harrasses you in any way (think unwanted touching, hugging, photographing, and making jokes or comments of a sexual or offensive nature) please speak up and talk to a convention center security employee.

The Booths

The main hall will be full of retailers with pop culture-related merchandise: action figures, Funko Pops, plushies, keychains, standees…you name it! There are booths of many stores around the island, so make sure to bring money because I can assure you that it will be spent.

The Artist Alley

This is where the local artists are located. Puerto Rico Comic Con is the best place to support your favorite local artists and small shops. These artists work very hard to sell their art in many forms such as prints, bags, keychains,  stickers and even art commissions, so make sure to visit them and support them! When buying something, please take pictures of the merch and tag them on Instagram;  they will absolutely appreciate it.

The Food

There are some places inside the Convention Center that sell food, but they can be a little pricey. Many order food and go outside to eat. There are many delivery services available such as DoorDash, UberEats and Dame un Bite. If you can’t or don’t want to go out, you can buy food inside the place, but just be prepared to pay a lot. As far as I know, they will allow you to bring a bottle of water and little snacks, so you can try that too.

International Celebrities

Puerto Rico Comic Con usually brings many famous celebrities; from actors and actresses of series to voice actors and actresses. They even bring international  cosplayers such as Yaya Han. Due to the pandemic and the regulations, they have only a few celebrities booked this year which are, up-to-date, Mark Sheppard from Supernatural, Mario Castañeda from Dragon Ball, Jaeden Martell from It and Kevin Smith. You can get tickets to meet them in person,  get their autograph or get a photo taken with them.

Parking Lot

This is the biggest pop culture event in the island, so it is only natural that the parking situation can get pretty complicated. The Convention Center has a few parking lots, but these get full quickly. Usually, people open private parking lots near the place, but you will have to walk a little to get to your destiny. I recommend gathering a group and carpooling.

Photos

Prepare your camera or your phone because you are most likely going to be taking A LOT of pictures! Create space for the new pics, because you  will not want to deal with a full memory when taking a picture with your favorite character or  guest celebrity . Always ask for consent! Cosplayers appreciate when someone asks them for a picture instead of just taking it without notice. Please don’t photograph them while they are eating or are busy. I’m sure they won’t mind getting a picture taken after they finish eating.

Entertainment

There are places where you can go and play your favorite video games, so if you’re into that, this is a great chance to gather your friends and have fun together. In past years, Puerto Rico Comic Con has brought Just Dance, Overwatch, Fortnite, even Minecraft! I’m pretty sure this year they will have more variety for everyone to enjoy. There’s always something fun to do: inflatables, bouncy slides and photo booths.

Taking Care of Yourself

With COVID-19 still going around, everyone must be responsible for taking care of themselves. Even though there are no masks requirements anymore, I recommend using them because the place will be crowded. Bring hand sanitizer or alcohol to clean your hands occasionally. Keep a safe distance and eat with your same circle of friends or family. Puerto Rico Comic Con requires that you show your vaccination card, a negative PCR test or a recovery certification. After the con, you can wait 5 days and get tested as a precaution to be sure you are not carrying the virus.

Tickets

You can get tickets at Ticketera.com. There are single-day tickets available for all 3 days, so you can buy them for the day you want to attend the most. There are going to be tickets available at the entrance too. Make sure to not let it last minute, as they can be sold out.

This event is fun and it’s a great experience! It is a family event where everyone can enjoy what they most like, from video games to kids’ shows, there’s a little of everything for everyone. 

Astrid Carolina is a grad school student at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She has a Bachelors Degree in Modern Languages and is currently doing her Masters in Translation. When she's not stressing out over doing her thesis, you can probably find her playing videogames or being crafty. Astrid is out there encouraging people to be themselves without fear!