By Karen Haave
Gamers and cosplayers, this is for you.
Lodge Con returns on Saturday, November 2, and Sunday, November 3, at the Will County Fair Atrium, 710 S. West Street in Peotone.
Now in its ninth year, the event last year drew some 500 participants. Six-to-seven hundred participants are expected during this year’s two-day gathering.
“Lodge Con is an annual consumer fantasy, sci-fi, adventure, and hobby game convention in Peotone,” explained organizer Patrick Schreurs, a veteran Monee/Manteno firefighter. 
It is family-friendly and geared to include all ages. This year, it will feature a video game tournament that is drawing high school esports players from Kankakee all the way north to Brookfield.
“It’s hosted by the Beecher 4-H Club and sponsored by the 4-H Foundation,” he said. “Beecher runs the food stand and the 4-H / Illinois Extension Office is running the esports tournament. The Will County 4-H Foundation is sponsoring prize support for the tournament. We are connecting gamers and charities together; 4-H and Extra Life are both national organizations.”
Extra Life is a fundraising program of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. The Extra Life community fundraises year-round to change kids’ health to change the future. Donations go to local member hospitals to fund critical life-saving treatments and healthcare services, along with innovative research, vital pediatric medical equipment, and child life services. Since its inception in 2008, Extra Life has raised more than $120 million.
In addition to the food stand and esports, meanwhile, Lodge Con 2024 will include some crafting classes, crocheting and costume making, and miniature painting, Schreurs said.
There also will be a costume contest for the cosplayers on Saturday and a “mini micro marathon” early Saturday morning. (For the uninitiated, cosplaying allows individuals to celebrate their favorite fictional characters and stories with costumes and makeup.)
Lodge Con’s vendor hall will be open from 9 a.m. – 5p.m. both days, with more than 50 vendors, plus free general admission. The Game Hall badge is $10 for the weekend and offers access to unlimited hours of board games.
For registration or more information, visit www.lodgecon.org.