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Teren (he/him) is a second-year student studying conservation biology in the Faculty of Agricultural, Life & Environmental Sciences (ALES). Originally from Treaty 6 Territory, Sherwood Park, Teren can often be found all around campus, working on course work or writing.
When not studying, Teren is an emerging voice in Edmonton’s literary scene. He’s an avid writer, frequently attends open mic nights, and recently won the 2025 CLC Poetry Contest. Look for him to be the featured writer at the Olive Reading Series in March 2026. Teren is currently shaping his poetry collection into a manuscript, with the goal of becoming a published author.
This weekend, cosplayers, superhero lovers, and crafters will flock to the Edmonton Expo. It’s a great weekend to escape coursework with your friends!
Whether you like anime, superhero movies or simply enjoy the art in the market, there are many ways to enjoy the event.
Connect with friends and family through a fun activity.
I’ll be enjoying Saturday with my brother and dad. We go every year — it’s our yearly bonding activity.
You can even coordinate matching costumes!
During the semester, it’s hard to find time to hang out with friends, so this is a perfect opportunity. We’re all studying, in class, or at work with schedules that don’t align. Sometimes students need an event to prompt them to solidify plans to hang out, so why not meet at Edmonton’s comic con?
Invite a group to make last-minute group costumes for extra fun. Speaking from experience, many cosplayers are procrastinators who manage to make an epic costume in the final days before the expo. If you remember to make a costume the night before, you can use the items already in your closet.
A few ideas include dressing as the main characters from an iconic movie like Shrek or Ghostbusters or as the Avengers, Justice League or Starfleet from Star Trek.
Be creative with cosplays and costumes.
Arts and crafts are great ways to take a break from school while building something with your hands. Many crafters find it relaxing. Art can be used to express emotions or simply take a break from serious thoughts by creating something fun.
Cosplayers build impressive costumes. Some cosplays even have moving parts, lights or look incredibly realistic. Creating cosplays is a great way to practice problem-solving skills. Sometimes an idea doesn’t work how we planned, or we’re limited by materials available at the dollar store, but that’s when we can be creative.
Last year, my brother and I were Captain Canuck and Beaker from the Muppets. I used my lab coat from my chemistry course, then built my Beaker head with paper, styrofoam balls and tissue paper. Simple materials can make great costumes!
The fun can continue after the Edmonton Fan Expo, and you can keep building cosplays or find new arts and crafts if you enjoyed building your costume.
Meet celebrities and amazing artists.
Every year, the Edmonton Fan Expo hosts celebrities. This year these include John Cena, Temuera Morrison from Star Wars, John Rhys-Davies from Lord of the Rings, Mark Sheppard from Supernatural and the original live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Many more celebrities and voice actors will also be a treat to meet.
It does cost extra to speak with the celebrities or buy an autograph, but you can still see them from the market.
Last year, I was lucky to speak with many local comic artists in the main market. Then my brother and I found the Captain Canuck table, and we sat in a talk with the original creator. As you can tell by the smile on my brother’s face, he was very excited.
There’s also so much art to appreciate. Outside of the celebrities and comic book artists, the entire event is a market filled with fanart, games and fandom memorabilia.
If going to the Edmonton Fan Expo is too expensive, you can enjoy fandom from home.
My brother and I watch superhero movies and draw our own fanart all year long. You can still plan to meet at your place to have a cosplay-themed day with your friends.
Spending a day participating in your favourite fandom is a great way to take a break during a busy time of coursework and studying.
