Stars, costumes and all things nerd: Here's what you can expect from this year's Fan Expo

If you see Jedi, storm troopers or Moon Knights roaming Toronto streets this weekend, that's because Canada's biggest science-fiction, fantasy and horror convention is making its return after being scaled back for the first two years of the pandemic. 

Starting Thursday, Fan Expo is back for four days of costumes, workshops and all things nerd. 

More than 140 thousand people are set to attend the pop culture extravaganza, including Kala Phelan and her three-year-old son. Grayson, who is dressing up as Monkey D. Luffy from the anime series One Piece. 

"He wants to do that the whole time," Phelan said. "I'm like, 'Do you want to do Spiderman or anything?' He said, 'Nope, I want to do Luffy, I'm the king of the pirates.'" 

Celebrities including William Shatner, best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk in the original Star Trek series, and Elijah Wood, who played Frodo in The Lord of the Rings films, are set to draw crowds. 

Stranger Things stars Finn Wolfhard, Joseph Quinn and Grace Van Dien will also be headlining the event, but many celebrity photo ops are already sold out. 

Panels, workshops and family activities 

However, don't worry, if you can't catch any of the special guests, Fan Expo HQ vice president Andrew Moyes says there are plenty of other activities to fill your days with. 

"There's hours or programming," he told CBC Toronto. "You can learn all about different facets of genres like gaming, sci-fi, anime, comics and horror." 

There's also a full roster of workshops and panels. John Reynolds, 52, from Kentucky is hosting four of them  Reynolds focuses on making all attendees feel included, which is why he's launching a panel on cosplaying when you're over 40. 

"I started seeing a lot of parents, they're walking around with their kids, they're not dressed up. This panel is directed at them," he said.

Returning to Fan Expo this year are hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, community meet-ups and a family zone for kids. 

Attendees can also drop by the Comic Creator area and geek out over their amazing work. 

And for those who want to wear their fandom on their sleeve (literally), there are artists inking guests in Tattoo Alley. 

No COVID-19 restrictions 

The pandemic necessitated a fully virtual version of the event in 2020 and a pared-down in-person version last year — without the usual spectacle that sees thousands of fans packed into the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. 

"I'm so excited to have it back to normal," Phelan said. "The full true experience again." 

She's not the only one. 

Brooke Colley, a professional singer and cosplayer, has been attending comic-inspired events since 2021. She's thrilled to be back in person not only because of the extravagant costumes, but the sense of community. 

"For me, being a geek, I found my tribe," Colley said.

"When I'm there, no one judges you." 

This year, attendees won't be required to wear masks or show their vaccination status. There also won't be any capacity limit within the convention centre. 

"It's going to be busy," Colley said with a laugh. "It's going to be bumpin'."