Every year there is a plethora of events surrounding San Diego Comic-Con, so many that’s it’s nearly impossible to decide what to do! Even if you didn’t secure tickets to the biggest convention of the year, you can attend Comic-Con events in the surrounding San Diego area to nerd out or get your fill of people watching.
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No matter if you have tickets or not, you should make the journey over to Nerd HQ at Petco Park where there is almost a mini-con in and of itself! There are autograph signings, special guests, photo opportunities, screenings and panels all weekend long. Don’t miss the after parties either, where celebrities have been known to show up.
Another popular event outside the convention is the 8th Annual Zombie Walk and Prom. Anyone is welcome to show up “zombified” and take part in the free walk, which starts at Children’s Park near the Convention Center and continues down 5th Avenue in the Gaslamp District. The walk starts Saturday at 5pm, and organizers recommend any patio restaurant along 5th Avenue as a great place for zombie watching. The walk is followed by a Zombie Prom (21+) at the Horton Grand Hotel!
If you’re headed into the convention, there are seemingly endless panels, autograph stations, photo opportunities, merch displays and more available to you. New movies such as The Giver and Battlestar Galactica both have panels on Thursday, while SyFy, Fox, Marvel and DC Comics each have major panels planned to promote their new TV shows and movies. If you’re a comic book artist yourself, be sure to check out some of the smaller panels about artwork and legal issues facing modern artists.
This year’s Comic-Con promises to be yet another huge, mind boggling event that will take over Downtown San Diego. If you’re still looking for a place to stay, be sure to check out our tips on finding lodging during Comic-Con.