VisionCon starts Friday. Here's what to know about the guest lineup, workshops and tickets

VisionCon is kicking off in Springfield on Friday with a diverse line-up of special guests, workshops and activities for the entire family.

Founded in 1990, VisionCon is considered southwest Missouri's largest pop culture convention. The family-friendly con features comic books, cosplay, live action roleplaying, workshops — a little something for everyone. VisionCon is also dedicated to giving back to local charities. This year's benefiting charity is FosterAdopt Connect.

Located at the Springfield Expo Center, VisionCon is open on Friday from noon to 9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m and Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.

Who's on the guest lineup?

• Noah Hathaway: Actor known for childhood roles like Atreyu in the film "The NeverEnding Story" and Boxey in the "Battlestar Galactica" television series;

• Julian Richings: Actor best known as Death in the long-running television series "Supernatural";

• Austin Tindle: Voice actor for countless English dubbed anime, including Ken Kaneki in "Tokyo Ghoul," Marco Bodt in "Attack on Titan" and Monoma in "My Hero Academia";

• Bekka Prewitt: Actress on-screen in television series like "Nashville," "The Middle" and "General Hospital," and behind voices in video games like "Resident Evil Village" and "Gears of War 4";

• Paula Rhodes: Voice actress for children's television series like "Monster High," "Doc McStuffins" and "Barbie Life in the Dreamhouse" and video games including "Resident Evil Biohazard" and "Resident Evil Village";

• Kevin Keppy: Creature actor best known in movies like "Smile," "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities" and "The Quest";

• Kara Fletcher: "The Lego Lady" on season one of FOX's "LEGO Masters" television series;

• Greg Tull: Semi-finalist on "LEGO Masters" season three.

What types of workshops are available?

• TTRPG Adventure Writing at 4:30 p.m. on Friday: Learn seven key areas to successful adventure writing for various role playing games ($5 admission);

• Grimbeard Potion Bottles at 6 p.m. on Friday and noon on Saturday: Make potion bottles filled with magical forests and lights ($30 admission);

• Build a Mastersword at 3 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday: Learn how to make wooden swords ($65 admission with all materials provided);

• Be a Better Bard at 6 p.m. on Saturday: Add new songs for adventure games and build self-confidence with Springfield Improv ($10 admission);

• Stage Combat at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday: Learn theatrical combat, including safety protocol, fundamental movements and partner dynamics ($15 admission).

A full list of workshops is available on the VisionCon website at visioncon.net/content/schedules/schedule.php. Workshops have varying capacity limits.

What's available for children?

While all workshops, guest panels and photo opportunities are available for children, VisionCon does have a handful of events designed specifically for younger attendees.

• Pokémon Hunt starting at noon on Friday: Throughout the three-day con, children are encouraged to spot and "catch" different Pokémon lurking around the Expo Center;

• Ectoplasm Extravaganza at 3 p.m. on Saturday: Make ectoplasm slime to aid the Ghostbusters in a research study;

• Japanese Fairy Tales at 6 p.m. on Saturday: Listen to a local storyteller share Japanese fairy tales.

A full list of children's activities is available on the Vision Con website at visioncon.net/content/schedules/schedule.php. All children's activities are free with general admission.

Dressing up? Here's what to know about the cosplay contest

Attendees who plan on dressing up for VisionCon should consider entering the annual cosplay contest. There are four different categories: Journeyman (novice-level cosplayer), Intermediate, Master (highly-skilled cosplayer), Exhibition (those who wish to enter but not compete), Group (for groups of two or more cosplayers) and Youth (children 15 and under).

Each entrant will be judged on craftsmanship, materials, props, make-up/prosthetics and stage presence, according to the VisionCon website. Entrants should be familiar with VisionCon's cosplay contest rules before entering, which are accessible on the VisionCon website at visioncon.net/content/registration/masquerade.php. Generally, store-bought costumes, nudity, blood and gore, real firearms, live animals (except for service animals) and pyrotechnics are prohibited.

Registration for the cosplay contest opens on Saturday morning at the registration desk. Mandatory pre-judging will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday and the contest itself will be held at 7 p.m. on the con's main stage.

Passes available online, at the door

Single-day and three-day weekend passes remain available for purchase on the VisionCon website at store.visioncon.net/. If purchasing on the website, single-day passes are $40 and weekend passes are $45. Admission is free for children 12 and under with a paid adult admission.

Passes are also available at the door. Single-day passes are $45 for adults and $35 for children ages 13-17. Weekend passes are $60 for adults and $45 for children 13-17.

Attendees are encouraged to download the FAN GURU mobile app, used by comic cons internationally, to easily access tickets and the weekend's schedule.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Attending VisionCon? Here's what to know about this year's schedule