the mommy avenger

Every single year I think FanX Salt Lake Comic & Pop Culture Convention has hit its peak, and every single year it proves me wrong. This September 24th–26th at the Salt Palace Convention Center, FanX is rolling back into town, and I am already counting down the days.

If you have never been, let me back up for a second. FanX is our local comic and pop culture convention here in Salt Lake, and it is so much bigger than the name makes it sound. It is three days of celebrity guests, panels, cosplay, artist alleys, gaming, photo ops, and thousands of people who all showed up to do one simple thing: geek out together over the stuff they love. Doesn’t matter if your fandom is comics, sci-fi, anime, fantasy novels, or 90s sitcoms — there is a corner of the Salt Palace that was basically built for you. That is what keeps pulling me back. It is one of the only places where a Star Wars superfan, a comic book collector, a cosplay artist, and a mom who just wants to see her childhood crush in person can all be standing in the same line, equally thrilled, for completely different reasons.

Okay, But My Favorite Part Is Always the 80s Nostalgia

I will just say it — the celebrity guest lineup is my favorite part of FanX every single year, and specifically, it’s the guests who take me straight back to being a kid parked in front of the TV. There is something so special about seeing the actual humans behind the movies and shows that shaped your entire childhood, standing right there, in person, in Salt Lake City.

This year’s lineup is doing it for me in a big way:

• Molly Ringwald. If you know me at all, you know I am a certified, card-carrying, ride-or-die John Hughes fan, so this one is huge for me.
• Jason Patric, from The Lost Boys — an absolutely epic and criminally underrated 80s classic that I will defend with my whole heart until the day I die.
• Jennifer Grey. I am just saying it now: nobody put Baby in the corner, and nobody better try it at FanX either.
• Lou Diamond Phillips, who I have adored since La Bamba had me completely wrecked as a kid.

Getting to see guests like this in person, after growing up watching them on screen, is exactly why FanX has become such a can’t-miss weekend for our family.

And for the Younger Generation, There Is Just as Much to Love

The beauty of FanX is that the nostalgia doesn’t stop with my generation — it just keeps evolving. This year’s guest list also includes names from Star Wars, iCarly, The Office, and even KPop Demon Hunters, so whether your kids are into galaxies far, far away or the newest animated hit, there is a guest lineup that is going to make them just as starstruck as Molly Ringwald makes me.

That is honestly one of the coolest parts of FanX — it is a genuinely multi-generational event. Grandparents, parents, and kids can all walk the same convention floor and each find something (or someone) that lights them up.

The Cosplay. The Creativity. The Whole Vibe.

Every year I am blown away by the sheer creativity that oozes out of the rafters of the Salt Palace the moment FanX opens its doors. The cosplay alone is worth the trip — people spend months building these costumes, and walking the floor feels like wandering through a living, breathing art gallery of every fandom imaginable. If you have a costume of your own, applications for the Official Cosplay Contest are open now, so cosplayers of every level are encouraged to apply and join in.

Beyond the costumes, there is genuinely something for everyone to participate in:

• Celebrity Row autographs and celebrity photo ops, so you can get that once-in-a-lifetime photo with the guests you grew up watching
• Artist Alley and Literary Lane, packed with independent artists and authors
• Panel programming covering everything from your favorite shows to behind-the-scenes filmmaking
• Fan and cosplay meetups, gaming, and the vendor floor for all your fandom shopping needs
• The Official Cosplay Contest, if you want to show off your own creation on stage

How to Get Tickets (and Why You Should Start Planning Now)

Here is my honest advice, friends: do not wait until September to start thinking about this. Tickets, celebrity photo ops, and autograph sessions all sell out, and the earlier you plan, the better your options for hotels, photo op time slots, and which panels you build your schedule around.

• Tickets are on sale now at fanxsaltlake.com, where you can also grab celebrity photo ops separately.
• Wristband pre-registration is available the day before the show, so you can walk in ready to go the moment doors open.
• Hotel and travel info is available on the site too, which is worth locking in early since FanX weekend books up fast around downtown Salt Lake.

FanX Salt Lake Comic & Pop Culture Convention runs September 24th–26th, 2026 at the Salt Palace Convention Center, and if this year’s lineup is any indication, it is shaping up to be one of the best ones yet. Whether you are there for the 80s icons, the newest fandoms, or just the joy of seeing thousands of people fully embrace their inner geek for a weekend, I will see you on the convention floor.