Think of SEMOcon as a massive, weekend-long festival celebrating imagination, pop culture, and community! It’s a place where fans of movies, comic books, video games, anime, and television gather to share their favorite hobbies. Whether you love shopping for unique crafts, meeting actors, admiring incredible costumes, or just looking for a fun weekend outing with the family, there is something here for everyone. 

Not at all! While you will see many attendees and professional guests dressed up as their favorite characters (which we call "cosplay"), the vast majority of our visitors come in everyday casual clothes. You are entirely welcome to come exactly as you are—though wearing your favorite superhero or movie t-shirt is always a fun way to join the spirit of the event! 

The kids tickets are good for kids up to the age of 17!

SEMOcon takes place from September 18–20, 2026, at the Black River Coliseum in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. 

Tickets can be purchased online through our official website or directly at the door during the weekend of the event. While general admission tickets do not typically sell out, we highly recommend purchasing your passes online in advance to get CHEAPER tickets and secure any limited-edition merchandise, like our official pre-order t-shirts! 

Friday, Sept 18: 1:00pm - 8:00pm

Saturday, Sept 19: 10:00am - 8:00 pm

Sunday, Sept 20: 10:00am - 3:00pm

Absolutely. SEMOcon is a family-friendly festival. We pride ourselves on creating a safe, welcoming, and positive environment for all ages. We have family photo opportunities with screen-accurate movie vehicles and characters, and activities designed specifically for younger fans. 

• Vendors: Browse a massive vendor hall packed with local and regional artists, authors, toy collectors, comic book dealers, and unique crafters and much more.

• Meet Celebrities & Voice Actors: Get up close and personal with professional actors from your favorite shows, movies, and games. You can chat with them, grab autographs, take photos, or listen to them share behind-the-scenes stories during live stage panels.

• Free-to-Play Video Games & Arcades: Skip the quarters! We have a dedicated gaming area loaded with video games, and even a couple arcade and pinball machines that are entirely free to play all weekend long.

• Tabletop & Board Gaming Events: Dive into scheduled tournaments, casual open gaming, and learning sessions for popular card games, board games, and role-playing adventures. We even have play to win games, where you learn how to play, then get put in a free drawing to win a copy!

• The Wonderland Escape Room: Put your puzzle-solving skills to the test and see if you can beat the clock in our specially themed, fully immersive escape room experience.

• Live Magic Shows: Prepare to be amazed by Randy the magician, performing mind-bending tricks and captivating performances right on the floor.

• Spectacular Cosplay Contests: Watch incredibly talented regional creators display jaw-dropping, hand-made costumes during our main stage showcases—or put on a costume and join the fun yourself!

• Charity Raffle: Get tickets to win some amazing things and help out this year's local charity we are supporting.

• SO MUCH MORE!!!!!