PURCHASE TICKETS: vacationlandent.org/
Bangor, Maine, get ready. It's convention weekend!
The Queen City Expo Comic Con takes over the Cross Insurance Center October 2–4, 2026, bringing an enormous weekend of comics, cosplay, gaming, panels, artists, vendors, special guests, photo ops, and enough geeky activities to make your weekend calendar surrender.
Whether you're coming for the cosplay, hunting for collectibles, looking for your next favorite artist, ready to talk Kaiju No. 8 and Chainsaw Man, or simply want to spend three days surrounded by fellow fans, there's a LOT happening.
So grab your badge, charge your phone, and prepare your convention survival kit.
Queen City Expo Comic Con is here.
Three Days of Geeky Goodness
The Expo takes over the Cross Insurance Center for three full days:
🔴 Friday, October 2: 4 PM–8 PM
🔴 Saturday, October 3: 10 AM–6 PM
🔴 Sunday, October 4: 10 AM–4 PM
And if you're looking at that schedule thinking, "How am I supposed to see everything?"
Excellent question.
You're probably not.
That's why convention organizers have packed as much as possible into the weekend.
Friday: Let the Convention Begin!
Friday gets things rolling with the Expo Floor opening at 4 PM, giving attendees their first chance to explore the vendors, artists, collectibles, comics, toys, books, crafts, and everything else filling the arena.
Gaming fans can also jump into Husson E-Sports Free Play Gaming from 4–8 PM.
Then at 6 PM, it's time for the Miku Says Cosplay Event.
The Expo floor closes at 8 PM, but that just means you're going to have to save some energy for Saturday.
Good luck with that.
Saturday Is Absolutely Packed
Saturday is where the Queen City Expo schedule goes into overdrive.
The Expo Floor opens at 10 AM, with Husson E-Sports Free Play Gaming running until 1 PM.
Then the panels and events start coming fast:
12 PM — Kaiju No. 8 Panel
1 PM — Ghost Hunters Panel
2 PM — Queen City Hootenanny
3 PM — Chainsaw Man Panel
4 PM — Cosplay Contest
And that's only the official schedule.
There are also vendors, Artist Alley, celebrity guests, gaming, photo opportunities, wildlife encounters, and plenty of convention-floor discoveries waiting between events.
Bring comfortable shoes.
Seriously.
Time to Show Off That Cosplay
Saturday's Cosplay Contest gives costumed fans a chance to take center stage.
The competition includes three divisions:
🎭 Kids — 12 & Under
🎭 General / Store Bought
🎭 Master Class — 70%+ Handcrafted
And registration takes place at the convention.
Whether you're wearing something you've spent months building or putting together a costume that lets you become your favorite character for the weekend, it's time to show off your work.
And remember:
The more complicated the costume, the more important bathroom planning becomes.
This is just basic convention science.
Sunday Brings Even More Geekery
Think Saturday is the big day?
Sunday isn't exactly taking the day off.
The Expo Floor opens at 10 AM, with E-Sports Free Play Gaming running throughout the day.
Sunday's schedule includes:
🎲 10 AM — Cosplay D&D
🎥 11 AM — So You Want to Be a VTuber
🎭 2 PM — Cosplay Improv
👨👩👧👦 3 PM — Cosplay Family Feud
The Expo wraps up at 4 PM, giving everyone one last chance to grab that final collectible, visit an artist, take another photo, or realize you somehow spent three days at a convention and still didn't see everything.
Yes, There Will Be Animals
Because apparently cosplay, comics, gaming, and celebrities weren't enough.
The Wildlife Adventure Center will be at Queen City Expo Comic Con all weekend with some incredible animal guests.
Formerly known as Cool Zoo, the Wildlife Adventure Center crew is bringing:
🦘 A baby kangaroo
🐷 Micro pigs
🐍 A snake
🦜 Polly the Parrot, who has appeared in movies and television
A baby kangaroo at a comic convention?
Honestly, we're not sure what character that is supposed to be, but we're here for it.
Vendors & Artist Alley
If shopping is part of your convention strategy—and let's be honest, it probably is—the arena will be packed with vendors and creators.
Expect comics, collectibles, toys, books, crafts, artwork, and more, along with an extensive Artist Alley.
This is your opportunity to discover independent creators, find something weird and wonderful, and spend money you definitely weren't planning to spend.
You know.
Convention money.
It doesn't count.
Meet, Photograph & Celebrate
Queen City Expo also features professional photo ops throughout the weekend.
Shane Grant Photography & CineStrange Collective will be handling professional photography, including celebrity photo ops, cosplay photography, and printed group photos for families and friends.
So if you've spent hours getting your cosplay just right, this is your chance to get some photos that don't look like they were taken in a crowded hallway while someone walked directly behind you.
More Guests, More Fandoms, More Fun
The weekend lineup also includes:
Celebrity guests
Q&A panels
Jurassic Rescue
Maine Ghostbusters
501st New England
Husson E-Sports
Wildlife Adventure Center
Cosplay
Artists
Vendors
Gaming
Professional photo ops
And plenty more
In other words, you could probably spend the entire weekend inside the Cross Insurance Center and still have something new to discover.
Don't Go Home Saturday Night
Think the convention ends when the Expo Floor closes at 6 PM Saturday?
Absolutely not.
Queen City Expo is keeping the party going with a Saturday Night Karaoke After Party.
📍 Blue Sky Lounge
357 Odlin Rd., Bangor
🕘 9 PM–12 AM
🎟️ FREE ADMISSION
Sing.
Hang out.
Celebrate.
And discover whether your favorite cosplayer can also deliver a devastating rendition of a '90s power ballad.
Admission is free, so there's really no excuse.
Except stage fright.
That's legitimate.
Plan Your Queen City Expo Weekend
With so much happening, organizers recommend checking the event's schedules, maps, vendor lists, Artist Alley listings, panel information, cosplay schedule, and after-party details before—and during—the weekend.
The full event information is available through Vacationland Entertainment and the Queen City Expo channels.
But the most important information is simple:
Queen City Expo Comic Con is taking over Bangor October 2–4, 2026.
📍 Cross Insurance Center
Bangor, Maine
Three days.
Cosplay.
Comics.
Gaming.
Panels.
Artists.
Celebrity guests.
Animals.
Photo ops.
Shopping.
And a free karaoke after-party.
That's a pretty solid recipe for a Maine geek weekend.
So grab your friends, pick your cosplay, clear some space in your shopping bag, and get ready.
SEE YOU AT QUEEN CITY EXPO, BANGOR!
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