Ptarmicon, which bills itself as the world’s northernmost gaming and popular culture convention, will be moving to the Yellowknife Community Arena.
This weekend’s event was relocated from the multiplex following the facility’s transformation on Monday night into an evacuee centre for Behchokǫ̀ residents.
“I’d rather that people from Behchokǫ̀ have a nice place to stay than hold my gaming convention,” said Aimée Dentinger, the group’s vice-president, on Tuesday morning, ahead of securing the event’s new location.
There is currently no timeline for the duration of Behchokǫ̀’s evacuation, which is related to a wildfire east of the community.
Before the multiplex was turned into an evacuee centre on Monday, Dentinger spoke with excitement about a convention founded by “a group of nerds that wanted to start creating nerd-friendly events.”
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“It’s just grown and grown since then,” Dentinger said.
This summer’s convention will include activities for nerds of all ages, including a science fiction-themed escape room, virtual and in-person gaming tournaments, and an adult crafting area.
“We have a photo booth area with local cosplayers that are going to show up, decked out in some of the coolest custom-made cosplays that I’ve ever seen,” said Dentinger on Monday.
That photo booth will be run by Yellowknife-based youth charity Homebase, in return for donations to the organization.
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Ptarmicon will be free for children aged 12 and under who attend with an adult. For the 19-plus crowd, Ptarmicon will host its first-ever rock show, Ptarmicon After Dark. In the lineup are NWT acts PARTS, Gnarwhal and Brenden MacIntosh.
Tickets are available on Eventbrite. Admission costs $10 per day and entry for Ptarmicon After Dark is $30.
Bookings for the escape room cost $15 per person and require a group of four to six people to play.
