COSPLAY

Capital City Comic Con welcomes respectful cosplay and costuming from all genres of pop culture. We believe cosplay should be celebrated in the spirit of fun, camaraderie, and inclusion.

2025 COSTUME CONTEST SCHEDULE

Friday Costume Contest - Theme: Your favorite Alien

7pm at Vendor Hall Main Stage, All Ages
Come as any character that fits the theme.

Saturday Daytime Contest - CASH PRIZE EVENT

THEME: Anything Goes

3:30pm at Vendor Hall Main Stage, Ages 18 and up only.

pre-judging at envy the green fairy's booth, #1501
Come as ANY character!

1st place: $350 Cash

2nd place: $100 Cash

3rd place: $50 Cash

Sunday Contest - Kids Contest!

THEME: Anything Goes

1:30 pm at Vendor Hall Main Stage, Ages 12 and UNDER only.
Come as ANY character!

COSPLAY GUIDELINES for All Attendees

We have guidelines in place to ensure that all cosplayers and convention patrons may enjoy the event. In short, we expect cosplayers to be respectful of others, exercise sound judgment, and place safety and courtesy above all else. These guidelines also apply to our Cosplay Contest, which you can read more about below. Specifically, we require both cosplayers and patrons to adhere to the following guidelines, understanding that failure to respect them may result in removal from the convention:

  • All costumes must be family-friendly, i.e., no lewdness or vulgarity
  • No live steel weapons or real guns are allowed. All weapons must be peace-bonded, must have an orange safety tip, and may not contain any sharp edges or points. All weapons are subject to inspection upon entrance to the event.
  • No projectiles of any kind will be allowed. This includes arrows, throwing stars, darts, foam, water, paper, silly string, plastic, food, metal, etc.
  • Respect others’ personal space, i.e., no touching of any kind or aggressive behavior
  • Exercise control of your personal volume
  • No harassment of any kind will be tolerated
  • No profanity will be tolerated
  • Any other behavior witnessed that is deemed to be inappropriate


We thank you in advance for following our cosplay guidelines, and ensuring a fun event for all! Please feel free to ask staff or volunteers for clarification.

COSPLAY CONTEST RULES Overview

  • All costumes must adhere to the general Cosplay Guidelines (Family-Friendly, must wear shoes, no live weapons, etc.).
  • All Costume contest contestants must register before the start of the contest at booth #1501 in the vendor hall. No contestants will be considered after the contest begins. Each contest may be limited to a certain number of participants. Register early!
  • Your registration form should include a full address, e-mail, phone number, and a phonetic spelling of your character for the Emcee, and the series your character is from. If you have an original cosplay, please mention that on your form.
  • You will be provided a lanyard with a number that you will need to enter the contest. Please keep the lanyard somewhere safe. Capital City Comic Con will not be responsible for lost or stolen lanyards and badges. Lanyards must be returned immediately after the contest.
  • Preference will be given to hand-made or hand-crafted costuming and props.
  • Each contestant may only enter one costume into each competition.
  • No skits during judging.
  • No political or religious statements.
  • No flashpots, explosive devices, or similar special effects.
  • Bladed weapons must be peace-tied and sheathed at all times.
  • Costumes must be self-contained.
  • Large or elaborate costumes must be handled by the contestant and/or assistants the contestant brings to help; Capital City Comic Con will not be able to assist.
  • Capital City Comic Con reserves the right to disqualify anyone for any reason.


SATURDAY CONTEST RULES

These additional rules apply to our Saturday contest:

  • Individuals for the Saturday Cash Prize Contest must be 18 or older and will be pre-judged at sign-up.  Please arrive to register at Booth #1501 in full costume including makeup with any props you would like the judges to consider.
  • All entrants must have a cosplay that is at least 65% handmade (or modified).

COSPLAY CONTEST Full RULES

  1. Sign-ups begin at opening of convention (TIME) and end thirty minutes before prejudging.
  2. Sign-up sheets must be filled in completion out in order to be a contestant.
  3. Employees, staff, crew or guests of Promoter or any associated company and their immediate families, and persons connected with the CONTEST e.g., prize sponsors or judges and their agents are not eligible to enter the CONTEST.
  4. Group entries are welcome. Groups will be judged separately in their own category.
  5. Contestants must comply with the EVENT cosplay, weapons and props rules and will be subject to security checks on entry to EVENT.
  6. Entrant’s cosplay must be at least 65% crafted by themselves. In Terms of these rules, “Crafted” is described as: Combining or modification of raw materials into a complete cosplay.
  7. It is acceptable to use bought wigs, shoes, and small accessories such as spectacles, greebles, and small props. Simple, largely insignificant base layers such as a leotard or pantyhose are similarly permitted.
  8. All significant parts of the cosplay must be constructed entirely by entrant. if a part of construction is deemed unsafe or impossible without assistance, then assistance (i.e. holding a part in place) is allowed.
  9. Entrants may only enter one cosplay or group per event contest. Any entrant will be disqualified if found entering multiple cosplays or groups. You will only be judged once per contest. If a cosplay “transforms” (i.e. One form of a character to another) It will be judged as the same cosplay.
  10. Any cosplay entered may not exceed nine feet in any dimension. Cosplayer must be able to walk in cosplay with limited to no assistance (that is not deemed necessary due to any disability/physical impediment). Cosplayer must be able to get on and off stage under their own power. CONTEST judges and event staff reserve the right to intervene should they believe a cosplay is not safe to participate on stage.
  11. All cosplays should provide enough coverage to be worn in public and in good taste in tune with a family-friendly show. CONTEST Judges and event staff reserve the right to intervene if a cosplay is deemed unfriendly to a family-friendly event. All cosplays must meet all local/state/federal laws involving obscenity/nudity.
  12. Cosplays must not be obscene or offensive to any group, individual, or organization. This includes any insensitive or unnecessary use of makeup, nor should it endorse any form of hate or any group deemed “Hateful”. Encouragement of Graphic violence or any element deemed objectionable by judges or event staff will be disqualified.
  13. Cosplays cannot promote any form of drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons, or any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous to a political agenda or message.
  14. Cosplays must not defame, misrepresent, or contain disparaging remarks to any event, promoter and their products or sponsor of CONTEST or associated event. Any attempt to communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive images and/or goodwill of EVENT will be met with disqualification.
  15. Cosplays cannot depict and cannot themselves be in violation of any applicable law associated with the state/province or governing body where event is held.
  16. Contestants must always have full footwear on while on stage and during pre-judging. This is for the health and safety of Contestants, judges, and attendees.
  17. Full footwear is described in this case as anything that completely covers the bottom of a contestant’s foot with some variety of solid sole.
  18. Models: Contestants may model a Cosplay made by another individual. The original creator of said costume must be present during the entire judging process. Cosplay must adhere to all rules. Creators can enter only one cosplay per event.
  19. Prejudging:
  20. All entrants must take part in prejudging the day of the contest.
  21. Either an EVENT representative or event staff will notify contestant during sign-up of their designated time slot for Prejudging.
  22. Each event will have a finite amount of time slots available. Please note the communicated times when sign-ups start, so you can sign up before all slots are filled.
  23. All contestants are encouraged to arrive to pre-judging five minutes before their scheduled time slot. All members of a group must be present for the full length of prejudging during your allotted time slot. If a group, cosplay, model, or creator is more than one minute late for their assigned prejudging slot, they will be considered disqualified.
  24. Contestant must arrive to prejudging in cosplay they are competing with at their designated time of pre-judging. Failure to arrive at prejudging in your completed cosplay will result in disqualification, or loss of points due to incomplete costume.
  25. All accepted entrants may bring a “Build Book” Documenting their cosplays. This build book can be printed, or handmade.
  26. Each contestant will be given three minutes for Pre-judging. Any contestant attempting to distract, disrupt, or request more time with the judges during prejudging will be disqualified.
  27. During Prejudging, a contestant’s cosplay is scored by the following: Craftsmanship, Technique, Accuracy and Originality.
  28. All questions must be answered truthfully to the best of the Contestant and collaborator’s knowledge at the time of pre-judging. Any information found to be incorrect due to misleading the judges will be met with disqualification.
  29. Stage presentation: Entrants are not required to prepare a stage presentation or performance. However, contestant is expected to prepare a series or poses or movements to showcase their cosplay on stage.
  30. Each entrant will be on stage for a minimum of one minute, and no more than two minutes.
  31. Presentations must be suitable for a family audience
  32. Entrants will be provided music. No music is allowed to be submitted.
  33. All Props must comply with rule six above. In addition, any projectiles, pyrotechnics, or items that can be “shot” from any cosplay or props is prohibited.
  34. Any smoke or item that dissipates must be completely cleared from stage within the time allotted for each presentation. Any materials that are left on stage after the two-minute mark will be subject to disqualification of the offending cosplayer.
  35. Judges, venue, security and event staff reserve the right to interrupt any performance due to safety reasons.
  36. Terms and Conditions of entry: By entering CONTEST you agree to follow the following:
  37. All selected entrants are responsible for all expenses related to competing in the contest, including all admission to event, food, lodging and travel to and from the event venue. This includes costs associated with construction of cosplays entered.
  38. All entrants must have a badge valid for the day of the event where the contest and pre-judging are held. No vendor, sponsor, or guest badge will be allowed to enter. CONTEST does not charge for entry to its contests.
  39. Entrants are responsible for their own belongings. CONTEST or event promoters unable to provide a secure area for personal items.
  40. Judges decisions are final without appeal.
  41. The safety of the audience, staff, and other participants must not be compromised. Any projectile, flame, explosion, water (physical or chemical) or liquid must be assessed by Contest judges and event staff before it is used on stage. If you are using a chemical outside of water, you must provide Event staff with an applicable SDS sheet for all chemicals used in this way.
  42. Each entrant grants to Promoter, its employees, agents, and assignees, the absolute and irrevocable right and permission to photograph, film, reproduce, portray and/or otherwise exploit the name, voice, appearance, photograph, image and/or likeness of such entrant in the Competition (collectively, "Likeness"), and to use the results and proceeds, without limitation, in materials produced by the Promoter in all media, in perpetuity. Entrant hereby waives any claim to compensation for use of such Likeness. Entrant agrees that Management owns the images, and all rights related to them. The images may be used by the Promoter in any manner or media without notifying the Entrant, such as the CONTEST website, publications, promotions, broadcasts, advertisements, and posters, for advertising or other related purposes. Entrant waives any right to inspect or approve the finished images or any printed or electronic matter that may be used with them.
  43. By accepting a prize, each winner agrees to release and hold harmless Promoter and its direct and indirect subsidiaries, suppliers, distributors, advertising/promotion agencies, and prize suppliers (if any), and each of their respective parent companies and each such company’s officers, directors, employees and agents, from and against any claim or cause of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the CONTEST or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.
  44. Promoter reserves the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify CONTEST or any part of it, if any fraud or technical failures or any other factor beyond Promoter’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the CONTEST, as determined by Promoter in its sole discretion.
  45. Event promo and CONTEST staff reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of CONTEST or to be acting in violation of the Rules or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. This includes any tampering or damaging another entrant’s cosplay in a malicious manner. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the CONTEST may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and should such an attempt be made, Promoter reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Promoter’s failure to enforce any term of these Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.
  46. Limitation of Liability: Promoter or CONTEST Staff is not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, typographical errors, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in event; (2) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or CONTEST; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of CONTEST or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from an entrant’s participation in the CONTEST or receipt or use or misuse of any prize (provided always that Promoter or its employees or contractors are not negligent in any way in relation to such injury or damage). If, for any reason, an entrant’s entry is confirmed to have been erroneously deleted, lost or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, that entrant’s sole remedy is another entry in CONTEST, if feasible. If CONTEST, or any part of it, is discontinued for any reason, Promoter, in its sole discretion, may elect to hold a random draw from among all eligible entries received up to the date of discontinuance for the prize(s) offered herein.
  47. In the event of any dispute arising, these Rules are to be interpreted in accordance with the laws of the country where the contest takes place.