Sunday marked the conclusion of Twin Cities Con, a three-day celebration of comics, film, popular culture and various nerdy pursuits at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Featuring appearances by Sean Astin and Elijah Wood, two stars from "The Lord of the Rings" and other movies, the event featured sessions on everything from "The Power of Board Games" to "Your Star Trek Economy."
As with similar fan conventions held in cities across the country, many in attendance Sunday came dressed in costumes including those who competed in a "cosplay" contest.
"It's like a pop culture festival," said Ben Penrod of Nerd Street LLC, the company that organized the event.
"It's a giant exhibit hall of vendors and artists selling kind of nerdy things. And then we've got a bunch of celebrities who are signing autographs. And then we have rooms that have discussion panels and different things like … the costume contest!"
"You can say costume or cosplay — I don't get offended," said Lauren Leigh, 24, of St. Louis Park, who dressed as an anime character. "It's nice to ask, though, because some people might."
