SacAnime offers 3 days of fun – and a new rule – as fans unite at convention center

Costumed heroes and villains have converged at the Sacramento Convention Center, but don’t worry: There’s no danger afoot.

With hundreds of its attendees braving long lines to get in, some shielding handmade costumes from the rain using umbrellas, this year’s winter edition of the biannual SacAnime convention began Friday and runs through Sunday.

Taglined “Pop Culture with an Anime Twist!” on its website, the convention will feature games, panels, workshops and plenty of cosplay for lovers of anime, video games and more.

SacAnime’s social media accounts and website have already chronicled some of the early goings-on, and kept guests aware of changes to the event’s schedule, which can be found here.

Event organizers have also added a last-minute rule announced on Twitter, evidently a safety measure: No holstered weapons allowed.

Rules had originally allowed for prop weapons meeting certain criteria to be holstered, but not concealed. A full list of rules regarding prop weapons, as well as other policies regarding conduct and photography, are listed here. Enforcement of violations can range from a verbal warning to ejection from the premises, at the discretion of SacAnime and the venue.

The event is held at the convention center and the Sheraton Grand across the street. Tickets can be purchased at the door and range between $20 (one night) and $50 (full weekend), and children 8 and younger get in free with a paying adult, according to the website. Prices do not include hotel rooms.

Held at the convention center twice a year since 2013, SacAnime was conceived in 2004 as an offshoot of SAC-CON.

SAC-CON started in 1986, drawing in thousands of attendees itself, and is also now hosted at the convention center. The next Sac Comic Con is scheduled for April 15.

This story was originally published January 5, 2018 at 5:34 PM with the headline "SacAnime offers 3 days of fun – and a new rule – as fans unite at convention center."