I’m thinking something like vintage computing, Linux/BSD, makers. Not limited to those, but not things that are more fandom focused like comic con or anime. Maybe video games, if it’s more indie, less corporate. No shade intended for fandoms. I’ve done a few comic cons and what I’ve learned is it’s not that enjoyable for me.

I live in one of the four corners states. But it doesn’t necessarily have to be in a Western US state. It’s more about travel costs. Like it’d probably cost me about the same to go somewhere in the midwest as it would to Los Angeles. More expensive flight (but still fairly cheap) but lower costs for food and lodging. East coast or Mexico/Canada are probably out of the question, those flight costs are a bit too high for me to justify.

Some context: I did Vintage Computer Festival Southwest (VCFSW) last year, and I really enjoyed it. Going again this year. And I would love to find some others with similar vibes, but don’t know where to look. I found a handful of different searchable convention lists and searched for VCFSW on each of them as a litmus test, which they all failed.

  • FunnySalt@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
    2·
    1 day ago

    Thanks for all the recommends!

    California Extreme looks cool! I live not too far from a retro barcade and it scratches this itch a little. I bet I’d enjoy this. I’ll keep an eye on it.

    I do like board games and tabletop RPG’s. Not sure if I do enough to travel out to one of those but it made me think there are probably some in my neck of the woods I could check out, and indeed there are. So, still helpful!

    I think I would love DEF CON. But the price of admission is pretty steep. But that helped me remember a friend telling me about SAINTCON. Also a Cybersecurity convention, in Provo Utah. Not cheap, but about half the cost of DEF CON. Provo is most certainly not Vegas. But I don’t need it to be. I can go to Vegas pretty much anytime. Was just there this past weekend, in fact.