DashCon 2 Need-To-Know

Hi all,

I’m certain some of you are struggling with packing, so we’ve made a little guide for you. This will also be uploaded to our website soon for future reference.

Pack Your Bags

Key Items

• Water!! PLEASE bring a refillable bottle of water with you. Heatstroke is no joke. (If you're feeling unwell, please go to either the med tent or water stand ASAP.)

• Food! Either bring money for food specifically or pack lunch in your bag/car.

• Snacks. We recommend granola bars, since they're easy snacks to pop in your bag. Even if you intend to buy food, pack a snack or two anyway!

• Comfortable Shoes. Cosplayers, I know you want to go all out, but trust me. You will regret those shoes after a few hours. Save yourself the pain.

• Backpack. No matter how cute your cosplay is, you'll want something to carry things around in.

• Sunscreen. Even if you have a lot of melanin already or tan easily, the sun can still have negative effects! No one wants a burn on con day. (Even if it rains? Yes! Even if it rains!!)

• Cash. Canadian dollars. Some of our sellers only accept cash, and there are no ATMs on site. Besides, bringing cash helps with budgeting!

• Photo ID. You'll need it if you're picking up merch! And generally it's a good thing to have in case of emergencies. Canadians - don't forget to have your health card on you! We can't request it for ID purposes, but if an accident happens, you'll want it on hand.

Health & Safety

• Hand Sanitizer

• Masks

• Tissues

• Medication (pain reliever and/or allergy medication depending on your needs)

• Charger/Battery Pack. You don't want your phone dying on you during the con!

• Earplugs. If you struggle with crowds/overstimulation, it might be helpful to have a pair.

• Glasses/Contacts + lens cleaner (if you wear them). Seeing is, in general, good.

Activities

• Enamel pins/buttons/shinies (Crow Exchange)

• Sketchbook & pencil (DashCon 2's Exquisite Corpse)

Beyond DashCon 2: The Full Weekend

DashCon 2 is only one day, but there's a whole weekend ahead of you, and Toronto is a big place! There's plenty to do, see, and explore, particularly for queer nerds like we are.

Our Recommendations

Storm Crow Manor. Toronto's premier fantasy nerd restaurant and bar. Enjoy d20 shots, cyberpunk bars, and the massive beholder head affixed to the wall, located in the heart of the Gay Village.

Glad Day Bookshop. The oldest queer bookstore in the world! The building also houses a cafe and hosts drag brunch every Sunday (11AM & 2PM). They struggled to keep the doors open during the COVID-19 pandemic and would appreciate any donations/patronage you could give them. (Also, naturally, found in the Gay Village.) It’s in the middle of a downsizing location change, so make sure you’re going to the right place!

LVLUP GAMES. Our dear sponsor, and a cozy board game cafe in neighbouring city Mississauga! Enjoy board games, delicious beverages, and an army of WH40K miniatures for sale at the back.

The ROM. The Royal Ontario Museum, boasting massive dinosaur skeletons, The Bat Cave, an incredibly shiny gemstone collection, and much more. Museum lovers rejoice!

(Since we are an all-ages convention, we cannot exactly recommend any adults-only locales, but for those interested in that sort of thing, we would recommend doing some googling. Toronto has some good stuff!)

The Weed Smoking Girlfriends!?

The host of the Weed Smoking Girlfriends photoshoot organizer put together a LOVELY photoshoot flyer!! If you haven’t decided a cosplay and want something easy and last-minute - go as a Weed Smoking Girlfriend and pull up to the photoshoot! Once again, femininity not required.