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ACEN 2025: What's at the largest anime convention in the Midwest?
- Lloyd E
- 15 hours ago
- 3 min read
Last weekend, May 16th-18th, Anime Central (ACEN) was held at Hyatt Regency O'Hare & Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. ACEN is the largest anime convention in the Midwest and is hosted every spring at the same location. Although there is a focus on anime, manga, and Japanese pop culture, there is something for everyone here as the con was full of cosplayers, art, and merchandise from a variety of different fandoms.
This was my first time ever going and boy was it a blast! There are events such as panels, fan meetups, photoshoots, gaming, dance parties, and so much more every day of the con. Walking through up to the convention center, the streets were filled with cosplayers taking pictures and fans eager to meet people with the same interests. Making friends here was not hard, being in the convention environment brings out your inner extrovert. True extroverts will absolutely thrive as everyone is high spirits.
When I first entered the floor, I walked right into a voice acting competition. Never would I think to hear a middle aged man reading Naruto lines but anything can happen at these events! The crowd was full of laughter and support, and everyone is given the opportunity to participate. Seeing fans lined up for panels and guest celebrities motivates you to join in.
What stuck out most to me at this convention was the floor layout. A common problem with conventions is that the space gets really crowded and it quickly becomes overwhelming. However, the layout of ACEN was very spacious, the aisles are wide and there are plenty of areas to step out of the way and rest or check your phone. The sections of the con are separated by vendors, stages, artist alley, gaming, food, and photoshoot areas. It is easy to navigate around the convention floor but getting out of the con itself is a little tricky because there are so many exits and hallways as the convention center is connected to the surrounding hotels. However, there is plenty of security and con volunteers who are happy to help you with directions.
The most unique part of ACEN to me was the gaming lounge. Most conventions provide the opportunity to game but ACEN had everything form PS5s to old school claw machines. There were people hyping each other up on Dance Dance Revolution and a crowd gathered around some really intense games of Smash Bros. The most popular part was definitely the Gachapon machines, the thrill of putting coins into a machine to get a mystery toy has convention goers in a chokehold!
The sheer size of the convention is impressive enough but the diversity of vendors was mind boggling. From past convention experiences, I have noticed that there is a lot of repetition among vendor merchandise. This is not the case with ACEN. Each vendor was very unique yet catered to a wide audience. From Dungeons and Dragons, to fur suit accessories, to anime figures, to tech wear, walking into ACEN is like walking into the ultimate fandom shopping mall.
Overall, my experience at ACEN 2025 was amazing. Being surrounded by a supportive community in a safe, spacious, clean environment was the highlight of my spring, and the perfect way to wind down after the school year. For those of you considering it, I urge you to go and give it a try. Just keep in mind, Saturday is the most crowded and busiest day, but even then there is space to sit back and relax. The amount of events, vendors, space, and food will provide you with enough entertainment for a whole weekend!
More vendor pics
All images captured by me, Lloyd Epelbaum.
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