By Trey Cobb & Neera Burner
Herdcon 2023 happened last Friday and Saturday, bringing out attendees of all fandoms to celebrate “nerd” culture; there were lightsaber duelists, a Mario Kart Live Circuit racetrack, multiple D&D campaigns going on at once, just to name a few of the attractions.
HNN’s Trey Cobb and Neera Burner were on the scene, taking in the sights and sounds…and tastes (there were four food trucks) of Herdcon, to gain perspective on the excitement.
Three floors worth of exhibitions, information booths, and vendors greeted HNN as we entered the Memorial Student Center; in the basement, Marshall’s tech students held gaming sessions, much to Neera’s delight. There were also drone races, as well as a preview exhibition of the upcoming Huntington Children’s Museum, located at the former Shoney’s location in West Huntington.
The ground floor hosted community organizations like the Cabell County Public Library and WMUL, educating the public on services they provide. Girl Scout Cookies were sold, and children made their own slime at the center of the room.
On the top floor, Huntington’s local artisans set up shop for the community to browse handmade crafts: costume accessories, paintings, and collectibles. Also located at the top was a room dedicated to retro games, where two attendees played Guitar Hero — yes, Guitar Hero is considered a retro game now.
We finished out Herdcon 2023 with a stop at the food trucks; Neera ate a ham sandwich from Southside Sliders, while Trey had Pork Buns and Brown Sugar Bubble Tea from Bite Mi. The food was delicious, but we had to have a literal fistfight with the wind to eat it.
All in all, Herdcon was a rousing success, and we can’t wait for it to happen again; so much fun.
