The 2026 Midwest convention calendar runs from January through November with major events in nearly every month. This monthly overview covers the confirmed anchor events and the recurring shows that define the Midwest nerd culture year. For interactive filtering by state, month, and type, use the Midwest Con Planner.
January
Marscon (Bloomington, MN) — Minnesota's winter science fiction convention with filk music and fan programming. January is light on conventions across the Midwest; Marscon is the significant exception.
March
March is the biggest month of the early year for Midwest conventions:
Fan Expo Cleveland (March 13-15, Huntington Convention Center, Cleveland, OH)
C2E2 (March 27-29, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL) — the Midwest's largest pop culture convention
Planet Comicon KC (March 27-29, Bartle Hall, Kansas City, MO)
AdeptiCon (March 27-29, Schaumburg, IL) — miniature gaming
April
Anime Detour (Bloomington, MN) — Minnesota's largest anime convention, spring timing TBD
Kansas City Collectors Convention (April 4, Johnson City Fairgrounds, KS)
Midwest Toy & Comic Fest (April 18-19, Springfield, IL)
DemiCon (Des Moines, IA) — 35+ year fan convention, spring dates TBD
May
Anime Central (ACen) (Rosemont, IL) — one of the largest Midwest anime conventions
Motor City Comic Con (Novi, MI) — Michigan's largest pop culture convention
Geekway to the West (May 14-17, St. Charles Convention Center, St. Charles, MO) — 22nd annual board gaming convention
June
Origins Game Fair (June 17-21, Greater Columbus Convention Center, Columbus, OH) — 50+ year tabletop gaming convention, 6,000+ events
Southside Comic Book Show (June 20, Tinley Park, IL)
July
Anime Midwest (Rosemont, IL) — dates TBD, annually in July
CONvergence (Bloomington, MN) — Minnesota's flagship fan convention, annually early July
Gen Con (July 30-August 2, Indianapolis, IN) — North America's largest tabletop gaming convention, 70,000+ attendees
KantCon (Johnson County, KS) — summer dates TBD
August
Gen Con continues through August 2
Fan Expo Chicago (August 14-16, Rosemont, IL)
September
GalaxyCon Des Moines (September 12-14, Iowa Events Center, Des Moines, IA)
October
GalaxyCon St. Louis (October 23-25, America's Center, St. Louis, MO)
Grand Rapids Comic Con (Grand Rapids, MI) — fall dates TBD
Gamehole Con (Madison, WI) — fall dates TBD
November
Youmacon (Detroit, MI) — Michigan's largest anime convention, November annually
Dates reflect official announcements and historical patterns as of May 2026. TBD dates indicate the convention runs annually but 2026-specific dates had not been confirmed at time of writing. Always verify at the official convention website before booking travel.