Cosplayers, Cherokee-language film buffs, and pop culture fans are circling Saturday, Nov. 14, on their calendars as SkasdiCon returns to the Chota Conference Center inside Cherokee Casino at 3307 Seven Clans Ave. in Tahlequah. The fifth annual gathering bills itself as a celebration of Native influence on pop culture, mixing Indigenous artists, film screenings, panel discussions, and a cosplay contest with real prize money on the line.
The event is hosted by the Cherokee Nation, which describes SkasdiCon as an annual celebration of Indigenous creativity and expression in pop culture, according to SkasdiCon's own event pages. As Tulsa World reports, this year's lineup includes Native artists, film screenings, Native pop culture panels, a cosplay competition, and special guest appearances. General admission runs $10 at the door and online, while children 12 and younger and anyone attending in cosplay get in free.
SkasdiCon runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time, according to Tulsa World, SkasdiCon's own site, and a separate event listing from Yahoo.
Cosplay Prizes and Celebrity Appearances
This year's cosplay competition features five divisions and $4,500 in awards, per the Tulsa World report. That's the same as the fourth annual event, which offered $4,500 in awards across the same five divisions and drew more than 60 Indigenous artists, according to Anadisgoi's coverage of that Nov. 8 edition.
Guest appearances this year include Gene Brave Rock, the Bitterwater Scout Trooper, and Raphael from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the outlet's reporting notes. Gene Brave Rock also appeared at the fourth annual SkasdiCon, alongside Ricardo Caté and Michael Paul, according to Anadisgoi's earlier coverage of that event.
Cherokee-Language Screenings Take Center Stage
Among the planned screenings are the first two episodes of “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” dubbed in Cherokee, along with the feature film “How to Train Your Dragon” also dubbed in Cherokee, per Tulsa World's reporting. The series is dubbed in Cherokee. The Cherokee-language version of How to Train Your Dragon launched in May 2025 and streams exclusively on Peacock, the same page notes.
The screening slate also includes language-revitalization projects from Cherokee Nation and Cherokee Film, plus short animated films titled Groundhog Dance, Redman and Uktena, Birds and Animals Ballgame, and Spearfinger, Tulsa World reports. Panel discussions are set to cover the dubbing process, language-animation efforts, and Native horror stories.
Interactive Games and Growing Crowds
Beyond the screen and stage, attendees can take part in interactive gaming activities including Fandom Bingo, Roll for Indian Taco, and What the Rez?, according to the Tulsa World account. The convention has built its audience steadily since its early years; at SkasdiCon Vol. II, attendance reportedly rose from 850 the prior year to approximately 1,200, per a report from the Cherokee Phoenix, though that figure carries low confidence in available records.
Attendees can find event information and cosplay rules and regulations at skasdicon.com. Jessica Pratt, identified as the Cherokee Nation's cultural tourism coordinator, is tied to the event's planning per that same report.
