Time to Choose Your Own C2E2 Adventure - 2025 Edition

This year's 'premier' Chicago convention really snuck up on us. Just yesterday we were complaining about the snow that was falling...just yesterday, after Third and Fourth False Spring came on a little too intensely. Anyway, that's neither here nor there other than to say, take a jacket but wear layers to this year's convention. Our second piece of unsolicited advice? Plan to arrive early, because most of the panels expected to be the most highly attended have been pushed to the beginning of the day, which means parking will fill up fast and lines will form very early. This is especially relevant to LOTR, Breakfast Club and Critical Role fans, whose panels are the "headliners" of this year's event.

You don't have to make a Main Stage panel to have a complete blast at C2E2 though, and we hope you check out some of the lesser known programming. This year there's all sorts of interests represented from the standard comics, superhero and pop culture fare to bellydancing, soldering, fitness, cooking and more. There's a lot of different paths you can take to a good time. Attend a meetup for your favorite fandom. Do some Star Wars Yoga, or pull up a story rug for Drag Story Hour. Check out the new comedy track featuring some amazing improv, standup and more... the con's your oyster! Make your own pearl!

It's overwhelming staring at that panel schedule, so we've gone ahead and started you down the DIY Con Weekend Track with this Choose Your Own Adventure Preview. Now it's your job to download the app (so you can set reminders for panels you don't wanna miss and get notifications of time/location changes), find your comfy shoes, pack some snacks and get on the road bright and early for the official opening of con season in Chicago.

Friday, April 11th, 2025

'Dawn is ever the hope of men' and if you're an LOTR fan wanting to go on an adventure with the lion's share of the cast of the Lord of the Rings, then it's gonna be when you need to get up and get on the road to get to C2E2. This year's kickoff is for you. There and Back Again: A Lord of the Rings Cast Reunion features Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, John Ryhs-Davies, and Andy Serkis. Crowds are expected for this first big panel on the Main Stage at 11 am, and there's already an overflow room set up for it, so you need to be parked and inside at least an hour or two beforehand if you want to get up close or even in the same room for this one.

OR If you're into being a maker and want to take some time to make something fun, head over to Friendship is a Superpower and make and take friendship bracelets in the N137 workshops at 11:00 where some of the best maker fun can be had.

If you'd rather catch some great gaming action, head over to Side Quest on the show floor at 11 am, where local friends I Play Games! is hosting the Chicago High School Esports Exhibition. Cheer on your favorites, and learn how you can be competitive.

Continue on in your game inspired journey by heading over to the FromSoftware Games Meetup in N135 at 1:30 if you'd like to find other souls who have been hurt by the Anor Londo archery club, developed trust issues due to mimics or had to chase crazy head caged men around a level. Clearly there's a lot to unpack, but the costumes should also bring Fashion Souls to life.

OR If you're a foodie or an aspiring chef or a Pokemon fan (or both!) don't miss From Screen to Kitchen: Creating Recipes Inspired by Pop Culture/Media Live in S401 at 1:30, where cookbook and comic book author Jarrett Melendez is going to show you how to make chocolate macaroons from scratch -- and they'll have beaks!

The next big event is something that'll be on a lot of gamers' can't miss lists, as the Rolling the Dice: The Cast of Baldur's Gate 3 panel will be on the Main Stage at 2pm. This panel, put on by Popverse, features Neil Newbon(Astarion), Devora Wilde (Lae’zel), Jennifer English (Shadowheart), and Aliona Baranova (Corinna the Squirrel, Motion Capture/Performance Director) and should have lots of behind-the-scenes stories, with a few surprises also in store.

Later, if you've got talent or simply want to see if the rest of those folks you've been pushing past on the floor all day do, crowd yourself back into the Main Stage at 4:30 and get cozy for C2E2's first ever Talent Show. According to the panel info, we should be seeing singing, dancing, juggling, comedy, and plenty of other things. Grab the popcorn and get into it!

Otherwise, TV fans who love Psych might want to catch Kurt Fuller and Kirsten Nelson's "The Psychologists are in" rewatch podcast live at 5pm in S404 and featuring one of its stars, Maggie Lawson. This is a separately ticketed event and you must also have a valid C2E2 Friday badge for entry.

If you're just here for the party, party with Chicago's own Jackbox Games when they host the Jackbox Games Party Power Hour at 5:15 in S403, where you can play a proper party pack with some local improv stars - and look for Jackbox all over this year's show schedule and floor with plenty of time for fun and games, and lots of room to see some of your favorite guests step in to play a round of Quiplash.

Finally, if you're a fan of comedy of the finest caliber, count your lucky stars, since the WorkJuice Improvisers, who include the likes of Craig Cackowski, Jonathan Dinerstein, Mark Gagliardi, Marc Evan Jackson, Hal Lublin, Annie Savage, Paul F. Tompkins, Janet Varney and a few as yet unnamed special guests. They'll be there for Workjuice Improv: featuring cast from the Thrilling Adventure Hour. This 18+ event is separately ticketed but happens on site at 9:30 pm in S404.

Saturday, April 11th

Now, it wasn't just the Lord of the Rings fans who have to take the L in the sleeping in on a con weekend category. You're also gonna have to shake off the previous night's tomfoolery in time to line right up for another giant 11 am panel on the Main Stage. And don't you forget about it. That's right. It's a panel 40 years in the making right here where the action happened. Don't You Forget About Me: The Breakfast Club 40th Anniversary Reunion. Honestly, if you're a John Hughes fan...you need to be there. Or at least try to make it to the overflow.

Who will you be seeing there? Well, Molly Ringwald (Claire), Anthony Michael Hall (Brian), Judd Nelson (Bender), and Ally Sheedy (Allison) are all on the roster. Find out all about the making and revel in the nostalgia and feeling of superiority knowing even more about a classic film will give you.

If you for some reason can't make it off the hotel room floor, you can also livestream this panel. Don't say we didn't help you out in your hour of need.

If for some reason that doesn't get you pumped up, you might want to hit up S402 at 11 and join Patton Oswalt, Jordan Blum, Scott Hepburn and friends for Welcome to Twilight.

You can ALSO make a difference as a cosplayer or a fan by having some thoughtful conversations at the convention, by interacting with the panelists at A Guide to DEI in the Cosplay Community in S401 at 11 am. This panel features cosplayers who are LGBTQ, disabled, POC and plus-sized and who can share their real life experiences (good and bad)

Booklovers should hustle over to the Main Stage at noon when Tomi Adeyemi of the Legacy of Orisha series where she'll be talking about the conclusion, Children of Anguish and Anarchy, in a moderated panel also featuring host Ashley Leggs, founder of the AshMedia Network and host of the Slay Girl Slay podcast.

Those who love stage shows and comedies and podcasts and, well, fun, should really make an effort to get to S404 for the Thrilling Adventure Hour's 20th Anniversary at 12:30. If you're not familiar with the longrunning show that's been a darling in LA and come to Chicago a few times before, don't worry, it's full of an amazing cast of incredibly funny people who've done everything from Brooklyn 99 to Legend of Korra, Drunk History, Venture Brothers and everything in between and it could not be a better time. We say that because we're certain, and we'll have an interview with the cast to prove it shortly after this convention!

BUT If Star Wars is where your heart lies, don't miss the John Boyega Spotlight on the Main Stage at 12:30 instead. You'll get to hear about his journey to being an actor and eventually how he got to Star Wars - that's a pretty meteoric rise and Boyega's charm is sure to delight.

Those who want to do something wholesome, fun and relaxing should pull up a little piece of floor in Family HQ Interactive at 1 for Drag Story Hour. This show features a rotating cast of Chicago's favorites, and today's lineup will include Amanda Lynn, Coco Sho-Nell, Miss Muffy and Mrs. Yuka all in their convention finest ready to read some great stories to people of all ages who have ears to hear it.

If you don't wanna leave the jungle, crawl out through the fallout and meet your fellow Vault Dwellers over at the Grand Concourse for the Fallout Series Meetup, where you can admire all manner of interesting cosplay and show off your perfectly shined up Pip Boy. This will start at 2:15 until whenever the Super Mutants start to cause major issues.

We're from Chicago, so we're gonna suggest yet another Jackbox Games Party Power Hour for you at 2:30 on Saturday in S401. Why? Because it's fun. And also because this time, it features members of the Thrilling Adventure Hour podcast, who we also love. Just...do yourself a favor and have a blast with some of the funniest people playing some of the best party games ever.

We'd be remiss to leave out horror fans, so join some of Chicago's finest horror authors for The Horror That Made Us and find out what inspired them to create their own horror tales, and what they're liking now. There's not always a ton of chances to get into the horror at C2E2 so do horror fans a favor and make sure you attend at 2:45 in S402-B so these panels keep happening.

Voice acting aficionados and animation lovers should be THRILLED about the good news on Saturday at 3:30 on the Main Stage. What's the news? Well, that's when Good News, Everyone! a Futurama Cast Reunion hits the stage, and this one features Billy West, John DiMaggio, Katey Sagal, Phil LaMarr and Lauren Tom. Just...get your butt in the seats, ok? Trust us.

Action movie fans might want to shift to S404 at 3:30 though, where Peter Weller and Nancy Allen will be appearing in the Dead or Alive: A RoboCop Reunion panel. If you're torn between the two, join the rest of us in trying to somehow make both panels.

Kids and people who just like slime should head over to Family HQ Workshops at 4pm and learn more about slime in A Hands On Look At Slime. Don't worry, it's also hands on, so you won't just have to sit back, you'll get to do something (hey, millenials were raised on slime, ok?). Find out more about this viral sensation that first got popular during the glorious age of Nickelodeon.

Then, if you're in Chicago and you're not gonna go see Svengoolie, what are you even doing with your life? You've got time to sit with a Chicago horror icon, so head to S403-AB at 5pm and get educated!

One thing we've always liked about C2E2 is how much it shows off Chicago's best sides, and nowhere is this more clear than the Second City Improv Show at C2E2. This kicks off at 5:30 on the Main Stage and if you've never seen a Second City show correct that at this con. Name a comedy legend- any comedy legend, and you'll find that there's only a handful who haven't graced the hallowed halls of Piper Alley.

Webcomic fans will want to head to S401 at 5:30 meanwhile, when the legends that are Cyanide & Happiness' creators take the stage and show off their process and some behind-the-scenes goodies.

Then cosplayers and just people who want to see something amazing should make their way to the Cosplay Crown Championship Regionals, Finals and Globals, all happening at 7:30 pm on the Main Stage. This isn't just a standard convention cosplay competition- it represents the best of the best from all over the world and you will see costumes that it is hard to believe could even be real, so delay your dinner and get in the mood for some amazing sights.

For your late night entertainment, stick around for the C2E2 Chicago Stand Up Comedy Showcase (18+) at 9 pm in S402 to see the class of 2025 here in Chicago to make you fall out of your seat laughing (just make sure you don't crush your cosplay. ) Once this finishes off, GO TO YOUR ROOM, because you've got one more day of show to go! Ok, fine, go drink at the Hyatt bar. But don't miss out on Sunday, y'hear?

Sunday, April 13th

Ok, I feel like we've been repeating this a lot, but you're gonna want to get up early for this one. Why? Well, if you're into DnD, or y'know, you watch any TTRPG content at all, it's pretty exciting that the first big thing that happens on the Main Stage on Sunday is the Critical Role panel.

This one kicks off at 11 (but parking and security mean you'll need to, what's that again, GET UP EARLY) Everyone's gonna be there, or at least Matthew Mercer, Laura Bailey, Travis Willingham, Ashley Johnson, Liam O’Brien, Marisha Ray, Sam Riegel, and Taliesin Jaffe will be.

If you're feeling grumpy from all the getting up early and you want to argue, or you just like movies and spirited debates, go ahead and pack up your stuff to get a seat in S402A at 12:15 for the Movies Everyone Disagrees With You On panel, where you'll get to agree to disagree agreeably. Maybe. Or at least you'll get some hot takes out there.

OR if you were enamored with the amazing ghouls and boys of Monster High, you CAN go back with the Monster High School Reunion in N135 at 11 am.

If you love parody and bugs and sci-fi movies that are eternal classics...you're going to want to hit up the Main Stage at 12:30 for The Only Good Bug Is a Dead Bug: A Starship Troopers Reunion which will feature Casper Van Dien (Johnny Rico), Jake Busey (Ace Levy), Denise Richards (Carmen Ibanez), Dina Meyer (Dizzy Flores), and Michael Ironside (Jean Rasczak)

Gamers, there's reason to hang around, especially if you're Nintendo stans. That's because at 2pm in S403, your quest to trivia greatness begins when you appear at Double NintenDare- a Retro-Fueled Nintendo Game Show. And yes, there's really prizes. So, shape up and get in there. Win one for us! Or, you know, for you.

Well, it's time for keyboard cat to play us out, we're gonna need to get to bed for some actual sleep before all the lining up and trying to get you the best from the show floor and beyond. Stay tuned to our socials and right here for daily wrap-ups and cosplay galleries. And repeat after me: Programming is subject to change and this is not even a full slice of the fun you can find on the full schedule.