First Fridays VAMPIRE BAR CRAWL invades RIchmond's Arts District on Oct. 2nd!

Sink your teeth into the 2026 Halloween season at Richmond’s VAMPIRE BAR CRAWL, taking over the Arts District during RVA First Fridays on Oct. 2nd!

Dress to impress as vampires, creatures of the night, and fellow Halloween lovers descend on downtown Richmond for an evening of themed drinks, photo ops, contests, a blood quest, and after-dark mischief.

This year’s crawl coincides with the 25th Anniversary of RVA First Fridays, making October 2nd an especially big night in the Arts District. Wander between participating bars at your own pace while enjoying exclusive vampire-themed drink and shot specials and plenty of opportunities to show off your best vampire look.

Every registered attendee can take part in the BLOOD TOKEN QUEST, an interactive social game happening throughout the crawl. Challenge your fellow vampires, collect as much “blood” as possible, and compete for prizes, including free tickets to the Richmond VAMPIRE BALL (Nov. 13) and the Golden Party Pass, good for a year of FREE After Dark RVA events!

River City PIRATE BALL reschedule & moved

The River City PIRATE BALL has been rescheduled (from June 27th) to November 6, 2026 - all current tickets will be honored on the new date and location, now hosted at FALLOUT (117 N. 18th Street, 21+)

Set sail on a night of treasure, rum, and adventure as Richmond’s immersive RIVER CITY PIRATE BALL (21+) anchors for another year — presented by After Dark RVA and hosted at Fallout in the heart of the River City!

On Nov. 6th, come celebrate the pirate spirit in a city with deep maritime roots. Richmond, once a favored stop for pirates navigating the James River, has long been known for its waterway history. Now, it’s your chance to immerse yourself in the swashbuckling world of piracy right here in the "River City" with the return of Richmond's PIRATE BALL (21+) - presented by After Dark RVA!

WHAT TO EXPECT: 

🏴‍☠️ BEST-DRESSED PIRATE / WENCH CONTEST: Come dressed to impress in your finest pirate or wench attire—whether you're a fearsome captain, a swashbuckling mate, or a spirited wench, those best-dressed will both win treasure-filled prizes, so be sure to bring your A-game to this swashbuckling showdown!

🏴‍☠️ PIRATE-THEMED COCKTAIL SPECIALS: Raise a glass to the pirate life with signature cocktails and rum-infused concoctions.

🏴‍☠️ MUSICAL GUEST: @deathbybellows – Armed with an accordion, kick drum, kazoo, and guitar, Christo plays sing-a-long shanties, pirate music, and songs of the sea. Also be prepared for Irish traditionals, Cypriot love songs, Tom Waits, and originals in the same vein.

🏴‍☠️ MUSIC: Tuned to the ear of a true pirate, our DJ will keep the ship rocking until the stars come out.

 🏴‍☠️ EVENT PHOTOS: Capture the memories of your swashbuckling adventure with pirate-themed photo ops - available online the week after the Ball.

🏴‍☠️ CHARITY FOOD DRIVE with Prize Raffle: Give back to the community! Every 2 cans donated equals 1 raffle ticket. The more cans donated means more raffle tickets to win donated raffle prizes, benefitting FeedMore of Richmond.

All current ticket holders will be honored on the new date/location; however, full refunds are available for those who can not make the reschedule date.

DRINKERS & DRAGONS Fantasy Bar Crawl returning to Richmond's Carytown

Magic and adventure return to Richmond’s Carytown on May 16th with the return of DRINKERS & DRAGONS Fantasy Bar Crawl - a great 21+ event for anyone who loves fantasy, cosplay, gaming and meeting like-minded adventurers! Hosted at New York Deli (Richmond’s oldest restaurant), attendees can expect a day full of quests, photos, themed food & drink specials, and the return of the social interactive “drinking dragons” collectible card game.

For fellow creatives who want to submit their own “drinking dragon” for inclusion in our Spring edition, deadline is April 24th, 2026 - we are seeking all types of looks and styles - more info. can be found on our Dragon Illustration page.

CALL FOR ART – seeking RVA ARTISTS!

The Drinking Dragons Universe is expanding, and we’re calling on Richmond artists to bring new dragons to life!

Submit your dragon design by April 24th, 2026 for immortal tavern glory!

COSPLAY WEEKEND returns to Atlanta with 3 events celebrating the "halfway" point to the Dragon!

Clear your calendars for the first weekend in March 2026 as we get HALFWAY to the Dragon! It’ll be three events celebrating cosplay, the one thing that binds all of Markster Con’s events.

Friday, March 6: Join us at Monks Meadery for the HALFWAY TO THE DRAGON celebration, as we mark being 6 months out from the Dragon returning to Atlanta during Labor Day weekend. More info. coming!

Saturday, March 7: Markster Con’s most unique event, HAIR OF THE DRAGON: Cosplay Photo mini-Con returns for a 14th year. Break out your favorite cosplays and come work with a multitude of talented photographers in Studio Space Atlanta, a 20,000+ sq. ft. multi-use venue. Network with your cosplay peers, make lasting friendships and get those top-notch photos of your cosplay(s) that you’ve always been seeking while at a Con! More info. at HairOfTheDragon.com (NOTE: tickets open up Sept. 15th!)

Sunday, March 8: Join us on a fantastical journey like no other as the Atlanta's DRINKERS & DRAGONS Fantasy Bar Crawl returns – part of the Atlanta's 'Halfway To The Dragon' cosplay weekend! Gather your party and surrender to your inner adventurer as you explore Atlanta's own Little Five Points while completing quests and raising a glass (or three!) while making new friends along the way! Click HERE for more info. and Adv. Tickets!

HAIR OF THE DRAGON #13 a stellar success! Photos now coming from photographers...

Wow, what a weekend! First Monks Meadery helped us host the HALFWAY TO THE DRAGON cosplay celebration & pre-party on Friday, March 7th and then the annual HAIR OF THE DRAGON: Cosplay Photo mini-Con returned for a 13th year to Studio Space Atlanta on March 8th, 2025.

We could not have asked for better support from both the cosplay & photographer community in Atlanta. We love seeing all of the new connections & friendships that come from HOTD and it truly does make it all worth while….along with, of course…THE PHOTOS!

We will be posting album links (as we get them from photographers) on HairOfTheDragon.com over the next several weeks so check there often. We currently have March 7, 2026 set as the (tentative) 14th return of HOTD: Cosplay Photo mini-Con so get that date down on your calendar in pencil — also join the Ticket Wait list by clicking HERE.

Group photo from March 8, 2025 by photographer Patrick Sun.

Photos from 2023 Savannah GATSBY GALA

Thank you to all who came out to the April 7th GATSBY GALA in Savannah. Edited video & album links from the evening are posted below for your viewing / sharing:

• JaW Images Photos HERE *new*
• Chris Dowd Video HERE
• Kalyn Barbary Photos HERE
• Corey Brooks Photos HERE
• Thomas Reimer Photos HERE

Thanks to the generosity of many of our attendees we were able to collect over 500 cans of food via our CANNED FOOD DRIVE that benefitted Emmaus House of Savannah! Here’s a photo of some of those donations:

Savannah VAMPIRE BALL a bloody success, photos now available!

Wow...just WOW. Such a wickedly wonderful night at Ships Of The Sea Museum in Savannah, Georgia. So many smiling, fang’d faces...too many beautiful creatures to mention - but oh so many photos were taken! Thank you to all who donated canned goods towards our charity food drive benefitting EMMAUS HOUSE of Savannah!

A massive THANK YOU to the wickedly awesome photographers we had on board for the 3rd annual VAMPIRE BALL in Savannah. Below you will find links to their edited photos. If you repost them please make sure you give the photographers credit as well as the VAMPIRE BALL itself.

Photos by Corey Brooks: bit.ly/MarksterCon_VB_Corey_Brooks_Photo

Photos by Malcolm Tully: bit.ly/MarksterCon_VB_Malcolm_Tully_Photo

Photos by Jazzmin Wilson: COMING SOON!

Savannah's VAMPIRE BALL finds a new venue and date!

The VAMPIRE BALL will now be hosted at Ships Of The Sea Museum on Oct. 28th, 2022 from 8pm-midnight (no longer Oct. 15th due to the previous venue closing on Sept. 4th). If you were already planning to attend or have interest in attending, please visit SavannahVampires.com for the latest updates.

NOTE: More tickets will be released on Monday, Aug. 29th at 7pm EDT. For those who can not make the new date of Oct. 28th and have adv. tickets already, you can submit a Refund Request (by Oct. 1st).

NOTE: All current ticket holders were emailed individually on Aug. 30th, 2022 from email account markstercon.tickets@gmail.com

Upcoming ZOMBIE BAR CRAWL in Daytona Beach – video interview with HauntScene & Markster Con

Check out this recent interview with sponsor HauntScene and event producer Markster Con about the upcoming ZOMBIE BAR CRAWL in Daytona Beach on Aug. 13th, 2022. Lots of useful info is discussed with still time to secure your tickets!

Featured Photos from Savannah's GATSBY GALA

Take a few moments to check out these beautiful Featured Photos from the sold out 2022 GATSBY GALA by JaWImagesPhoto.com on June 4th, 2022!

It’s always an honor for Markster Con to work with Ghost Coast Distillery in Savannah. Photographer Jazzmin Wilson and her talented lens was a big hit at the event with attendees, all told she shot almost 300 images during the event and was able to work with everyone who was interested.

Everyone looked fabulous and the jazz band sounded amazing. We can’t wait to bring the GATSBY GALA back to Savannah with Saturday, March 25th, 2023 as the (tentative) return date!

Savannah GATSBY GALA was a roaring success!

Wow, what a night! A massive THANK YOU to all who came out for the Savannah GATSBY GALA on June 4th, 2022. Everyone was dressed to the 9’s and we saw so many smiling faces we lost count. Another massive THANK YOU to all who brought out canned goods to support our Charity Canned Food Drive benefitting the Emmaus House in Savannah. Those donations from attendees helped us bring in almost 400 cans of food that we delivered Monday morning! Thank you to the wonderful live jazz music with Stephanie Nakasian and her band and to the wonderful staff at Ghost Coast Distillery for helping us host this event.

We’ll be posting official photos soon but for now, please check out the highlight video below by Peterson Brothers Productions which did a great job of capturing the funs times had by all at Ghost Coast Distillery.

Savannah's GATSBY GALA has sold out!

That’s right! Savannah’s GATSBY GALA at Ghost Coast Distillery, the first distillery in Savannah since Prohibition has SOLD OUT. No additional tickets will be sold online, nor will any be available night-of as “walk-up”.

For those who were lucky enough to secure a ticket, doors open at 8:00pm this Saturday, June 4th, with the live jazz music starting at 8:30pm. (21+)

36% of tickets remain for COSPLAY PHOTO mini-CON: Hair Of The Dragon #10 on Feb. 26th, 2022

Markster Con’s most unique event, COSPLAY PHOTO mini-CON: Hair Of The Dragon returns after a 2 year hiatus on Feb. 26th, 2022 to Atlanta and avid cosplayers are ready for it! With just under 4 weeks to go only 36% of tickets remain for this long-running event, now in it’s 10th year.

View fullsize

View fullsize

Not sure what HAIR OF THE DRAGON is all about? Visit CosplayPhotoCon.com for more info. and photos / videos from previous editions.

Cosplay photo studio party HAIR OF THE DRAGON returns for a 10th year in 2022, tickets now available

Almost two years to the day since Markster Con hosted it's last event, we're excited to announce that HAIR OF THE DRAGON, likened to a “cosplay photo mini-con”, will return for a 10th year on Feb. 26, 2022 to Atlanta. A limited amount of TIER 1 Adv. Tickets are now available (as of 12/26/22).

— TICKETS: Markster Con will be releasing a limited amount of Adv. Tickets on Sunday, Dec. 26th, 2021 (7pm EDT) for those who are interested in this very unique party, likened as a "cosplay photo mini-con" event. This unique time will be great reason to break out your favorite cosplay(s) and come work with many talented photographers in one of Atlanta's best multi-use studios, Studio Space Atlanta. If you have multiple cosplays you want to showcase feel free to bring them as there will be multiple changing rooms on-site.

— PHOTOGRAPHERS: If you are a photographer who'd like to be officially involved please visit our Photographer Application page, no matter your skill level.

— COVID-19 PROTOCOL: Please note that due to the on-going COVID-19 pandemic we do have safety measures in place - read about them on our COVID-19 Protocol page - which will include mandatory full vaccinations for all who attend.

TIME TRAVELERS GALA set for 3.5.22 in Washington, D.C.

It’s been almost 2 years since Markster Con hosted an event due to COVID-19 so we are ready for the TIME TRAVELERS GALA in D.C. on March 5th, 2022 (previously rescheduled) . If near the Washington D.C., Maryland, or Virginia area (DMV) please take note of our time jumping dance party - limited Adv. Tickets available.

⏰ Don't let time get away from you. For more info. and limited Adv. Tickets please visit bit.ly/time_travelers_gala_dc22 (21+).

This event is co-produced by Markster Con and DC Creators.

Savannah VAMPIRE BALL rescheduled for 2022

Due to a high amount of refund requests, as well as COVID-19 concerns from attendees, city officials and others involved in the annual Savannah VAMPIRE BALL, the difficult decision has been made to reschedule the event for October 15th, 2022.

COMPLETE INFO: www.SavannahVampires.com

We are offering THREE ticket options for those who have already purchased tickets: 1.) Roll over to 2022 Vampire Ball 2.) Transfer to Gatsby Gala (Savannah) 3.) Full Refund

Markster Con celebrates 9 years on June 2nd

June 2nd is a special day as it marks 9 years since Markster Con was birthed out of a small house party between close friends. Since then Markster Con has introduced thousands of new friends and connections (many even going as far as marriage) while creating amazing memories along the way. Needless to say, we are grateful for all who have supported us and are proud of what we have accomplished. With the Pandemic getting more under control and the U.S. society starting to open back up, we can’t wait to eventually help bring fun memories back to our attendees.

Curious how Markster Con came to be? Read more at bit.ly/markstercon_interview

Multiple Markster Con events cancelled for Fall of 2021

Due to the financial effects of COVID-19 on our business as well as other unforeseen issues, Markster Con has made the difficult decision to cancel several of it’s events in the Fall of 2021. We apologize for the issues and disappointment that this may cause. Please know that this decision was not made lightly as an incredible amount of planning, preparation, and enthusiasm go into putting on every event Markster Con produces for our participants. With that being said, all ticket holders have been issued full refunds which may take up to 10 days to receive. All ticket holders have been emailed with this information as well as notice of the impending refunds and cancellation reasoning.

2021 EVENTS CANCELLED:
• Wizard Pub Crawl (Richmond, VA) – Oct. 2
• Wizard Pub Crawl (Macon, GA) – Oct. 23
• Wizard Pub Crawl (Bristol, VA/TN) – Nov. 6
• Wizard Pub Crawl (Atlanta, GA) – Nov. 12
• WIzard’s Ball (Savannah, GA) – Nov. 12
• Wizard Pub Crawl (Savannah, GA) – Nov. 13

GETTING A REFUND:
All ticket holders (of the cancelled events) have been issued refunds back to their original payment sources which can take up to 10 days. If after 10 days ticket holders have not received their refund they can contact markstercon.eventbrite@gmail.com with their A) Ticket Confirmation Number B) Name of person who purchased C) Email used to purchase ticket(s) with. Once we have that information we can contact Eventbrite customer service to help resolve the issue.

CHECK IN FOR UPDATES:
For updates and future events in 2022, please follow us via the following methods:
• FACEBOOK: Facebook.com/markstercon
• INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/markstercon
• WEB: Markstercon.com
• EVENTBRITE: Eventbrite.com/o/markster-con-productions-llc

TOP 3 WINNERS of Holiday-themed PET PHOTO CONTEST announced!

Thank you to all of the wonderful pets (and their human compansions) for entering our first Holiday-themed PET PHOTO CONTEST! 643 online votes (total) were cast with the 3 entries below receiving the most votes. Thank you again for participating with a fun challenge people could do with their pet companions from the safety of their home. We’ll do another contest in February with a Valentine’s Day themed PET PHOTO CONTEST so please stay tuned to FurryFriendsPhotoContest.com

Jambi from Buffalo: 1st PLACE WINNER with 106 votes cast.

Bindi from Atlanta, GA: 2nd PLACE WINNER with 104 votes cast!

Lyanna Morpaw: 3rd PLACE WINNER with 84 votes cast!