On August 30, 2013, Dragon Con opened its doors to what organizers projected would be a record 57,000 visitors by the time the convention closed on Monday — up from approximately 52,000 the previous year. The growth was not surprising to anyone who had watched the convention's trajectory over the preceding decade, but the number carried a significance that extended beyond the event itself: Dragon Con had become one of the largest annual gatherings in downtown Atlanta, rivaling professional sporting events in its economic impact and cultural visibility.
The convention spread across five downtown hotels, transforming the Peachtree Center district into a landscape that looked nothing like the weekday business corridor it typically was. Stormtroopers shared elevators with executives. Cosplayers posed in the same lobbies where convention attendees normally discussed quarterly earnings. The collision of worlds was the point — Dragon Con's identity was built on occupying a space that was not designed for it and making it entirely its own.
The Walking Dead Connection
The 2013 convention had a particular draw: cast members from AMC's The Walking Dead, the post-apocalyptic series that had become one of the most-watched shows on television. The connection between the show and Dragon Con was geographic as well as cultural — several key scenes from the first season had been filmed within blocks of the convention venues. Actor Michael Rooker, whose character had been handcuffed to the rooftop of a nearby railroad building during the show's first season, was among the featured guests. In total, more than 400 actors were scheduled to make appearances across the four-day event.
William Shatner — a fixture of the convention circuit and a draw that transcended any single franchise — headlined the guest list, connecting Dragon Con's present to the science fiction fandom that had defined its earliest years.
The Parade
Dragon Con's free Saturday morning parade had become one of downtown Atlanta's most distinctive public events. Thousands of costumed participants marched through Peachtree Street while tens of thousands of spectators lined the route — many of whom had no badge and no intention of entering the convention, but showed up every year to watch the spectacle. The 2013 parade featured a new, slightly longer route, extending the event's visibility into additional blocks of downtown.
Downtown's Weekend Transformation
For downtown Atlanta's hospitality industry, Dragon Con weekend was one of the most lucrative of the year. The five host hotels sold out months in advance at premium rates. Surrounding restaurants, bars, and retail establishments saw foot traffic that rivaled New Year's Eve or SEC Championship weekend. The convention's attendees were not the typical in-and-out sports crowd — they stayed for four days, ate every meal downtown, and spent money on costumes, merchandise, and experiences at a rate that few other events could match.
The 57,000 projection for 2013 placed Dragon Con among the top five fan conventions in the United States, alongside San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con. The difference was that Dragon Con had no convention center — it existed entirely within the hotel and street infrastructure of downtown Atlanta, making the city itself part of the experience.
Original reporting by Georgia Public Broadcasting, August 30, 2013.
