Quaranween Con is an example of a virtual convention created out of urgency by and for horror fans. However, these online events are still in their infancy.

Above all, they abide by the social distancing rules put in place during the COVID -19 pandemic.

Geeks, nerds, and horror fans alike feel the need to gather and share their love of fandom, but due to the recent pandemic large gatherings have been put on hold.

Personal protection measures have greatly influenced daily life, making mass gatherings unsafe. This is exactly what motivated Quaranween Con producer Billy Carr to be pragmatic in creating his own virtual convention.

Quaranween Con marks the halfway point until Halloween 2020.  And being the fan Carr is, he is excited to bring this event to the public. On his Facebook event page he proudly promotes Quaranween, a horror con “by the fans for the fans.”

A separate Facebook page lays out the schedule over the course of Friday May 22 – Sunday May 24.

The panels will be connected to a link from the host shortly before they begin. You can find the weekend schedule here. All of the times noted are in Eastern Standard Time.

Quaranween Con is an attempt to “lift spirits,” Carr says, and this couldn’t have come at a more perfect time than on Memorial Day Weekend.

During a time when we are used to going to the beach, having BBQs, large family gatherings and pool parties, COVID has seriously limited our options on events and where we spend the holiday weekend. Carr has made it clear that this might be a prescription to help cure cabin fever.

“I wanted to create an event where people could come and promote themselves, come see some entertainment while we are all home bored,” Carr told iHorror. “I simply started putting it together using my phone and laptop. I talked to vendors, actors, entertainers and more…

…some cons are worried how to turn it into something profitable, and I am just simply doing it for the people in general.

…with great support from from great folks like you and my volunteers, it’s already shaping up a lot better then I could have imagined.”

One of the highlighted panels is Friday night’s Bad Moon FX Demo at 9 pm. The panel focuses on pouring, reinforcing, and detailing jaw-dropping props and masks. You may have seen some of their previous work and have not even known it!

Literally one of their largest pieces is the Elivra Funko Pop which won the costume contest at Spooky Empire in 2018; Florida’s largest horror convention.

Another amazing set of cosplays fabricated by Bad Moon FX is a set of head traps from the famous Saw series. These props truly appear screen worthy and movie ready.

Some of the highly anticipated Saturday panels include pumpkin speed carving at 2 pm by the convention organizer himself! If that doesn’t get you into the Halloween spirit, perhaps this next panel will: At 5 pm on Saturday be sure to tune into the Haunt Scene panel which focuses on professional haunts.

Sunday of Quaranween Con is closed out by a fire show by M.A.D. Flames featuring Lady Darjuxena aka Dj Palumbo.

In conclusion, Carr has included an interactive costume contest for the fans! You can submit a picture of yourself in costume to their Facebook thread, just please keep them PG-13!

The picture can either be recent or from the past. Fans will then vote by “liking” their favorite costume, and the costume with the most “likes” by June 20. The winner will receive a free custom made hand carved artificial pumpkin made by Carr.

Many of us feel like conventions are our home among like-minded fans. Seeing these conventions canceled over the past three months has been a very disheartening experience. It has been very difficult for many of us who have waited year-round for these events; making hotel reservations, saving money for the vendor rooms, and meticulously planning our cosplays. As we are still testing the waters of virtual conventions, Quaranween Con will help reveal the reception fans will have for this new platform of virtual gathering for those who share the same passion for horror.