Grand Rapids Comic Con returns to DeVos Place Convention Center this weekend, running Friday through Sunday and drawing thousands of attendees for autographs, panels, cosplay and vendor booths spread across the downtown venue. The three-day event kicks off Friday with main show hours from noon to 7 p.m., continues Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and wraps up Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The event, as reported by FOX 17 West Michigan News, features celebrity and voice actor guests including Jodi Benson, Amy Jo Johnson, William Forsythe and Leah Clark, alongside Q&A panels and meet-and-greets. Mark Hodges, co-owner of the Grand Rapids Comic-Con, visited FOX 17's Morning Mix segment to discuss the weekend's lineup. Vendors on the show floor will sell comics, vintage toys and art prints, while attendees are encouraged to dress up and show off fan cosplay throughout the halls.
Tickets for the weekend can be purchased through Ticketmaster, with full-weekend passes and individual-day options both available. According to the convention's own ticket page at grcomiccon.com, tickets can be ordered through Ticketmaster and sent to buyers' phones, or picked up at participating comic shops and the Ticketmaster booth. An adult three-day pass lists at $80 plus $19.25 in Ticketmaster fees, for a total of $99.25.
Single-Day Pricing and the Door-Rate Deadline
Fans who just want one day can buy individual tickets instead of the full pass. A Friday adult ticket runs $35 plus $8.45 in fees for a total of $43.45, while Saturday's adult ticket is listed at $45 plus $10.85 in fees, totaling $55.85. Sunday pricing drops slightly to $40 plus $9.65 in fees, for $49.65 total, and the site notes kids under 5 are always free.
Shoppers hoping to save should note the clock is ticking: the ticket page states that pricing switches to at-the-door rates at 5:01 p.m. Thursday, November 12 — the evening before the show floor opens.
Panels, Autographs and a Full Weekend of Programming
Beyond the main attractions, the convention features a film festival and a gaming station stocked with both video games and tabletop games for attendees looking for a break from the autograph lines. On its media guests page, grcomiccon.com notes that guest appearances may change or be canceled — if a guest does cancel, the site says it will refund associated photo-op and autograph tickets, but not general admission.
The convention has grown substantially since its early years. A 2016 report from Rapid Growth Media said the show launched in 2013 with about 10,000 attendees and a $9,000 budget, and by 2016 had expanded to roughly 29,000 attendees and a $500,000 budget — nearly 30,000 fans over that three-day event, held that year at DeVos Place for just the second time. Last November, an MLive photo gallery showed thousands turning out for the 12th annual event at DeVos Place.
Full programming schedules and additional details for this year's show are posted at grcomiccon.com.
