The Schweinfurth Art Center is hosting its third annual Cosplay Invades Auburn! event 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 15, 2019, at the Carriage House Theater, located behind the Schweinfurth in Auburn, NY.

The event will feature a talk with costume tips and tricks, vendors, a costume contest, and a food truck. Cosplayers can use the event to fine-tune their costumes for Syracuse’s Salt City Comic-Con, to be held July 6 and 7 at the New York State Fairgrounds’ Expo Center.

The day starts at 1 p.m. with a talk by cosplayer and costume contest judge Kate McKay offering tips and tricks for improving your presentation. Registration for the contest runs from 2 to 5 p.m., with the contest starting at 5:30 p.m. In between, check out our amazing vendors, including Kim’s Collectible Records and Comics, Morbid Morgue Creations, and Galloway BBQ, our on-site food truck.

Attending the event, including the costume talk, is free, but cosplay contest participants pay a $5 fee to enter. Prizes, including two tickets to Salt City Comic-Con in Syracuse, will be awarded to the top winners in each of seven categories:

• Ages 12 and under
• Ages 13-18, Anime
• Ages 13-18, Comic
• Ages 13-18, Pop Culture (TV/movie/video game)
• Adult, Anime
• Adult, Comic
• Adult, Pop Culture

Judges for the contest are McKay; Darlynne Overbaugh, organizer of Wizarding Weekend Ithaca; and Syracuse University professor Chris Wildrick, who cosplays as Savage Opress, Two-Face, and Molecule Man.

When cosplayers register for the contest, they will also sign up for private pre-judging, during which they will meet with the judges and answer questions about their character and costume. Contest participants are asked to bring a reference photo for their character.

Sponsors include Salt City Comic-Con, which donated tickets for prizes, and the New York State Council on the Arts.