A new anime con lands at Hillside on Saturday, and yes, the costumes are welcome

Hillside Shopping Centre turned into a one-day anime convention this past Saturday, September 26th.

Hillside Matsuri ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., pulling together local artists, vendors, and cosplayers for a full day across the mall. The centrepiece was a cosplay contest from noon to 1 p.m., with prizes from sponsor BC Hobbies, plus a cosplay Q&A, a Cosplay Storytime, and a Coastal Collector's Market stocked with Pokémon trading cards.

Organizer Jade Chamberlin said the timing was the point: most Vancouver Island cosplay events land in the first half of the year, so a fall date filled a gap. Dressing up was encouraged, within limits. Hillside barred gun props, metal or sharp-edged props, and masks outside the contest walk-on, and asked anyone carrying a weapon-shaped prop to check it at the volunteer booth.

It capped a busy weekend downtown. The Victoria Craft Crawl ran Friday through Sunday across 19 participating businesses, with a passport you stamped at each stop for a chance at a prize drawn October 3rd.