What Comic-Con Is Really Like After The Convention Closes
I’ve spent the past five Comic-Cons walking the Gaslamp Quarter,visiting the bars, checking out the pop-ups and watching the crowds after the convention closes each day. If you’re wondering whether Comic-Con is one of America’s great party events, here’s my answer.
It has all the elements to make for a great bar scene: thousands of people in town for a big event, characters in costume like it’s Halloween, pop ups, activations and bars serving themed cocktails.
The reality, tho, is a little different. Is San Diego Comic-Con a great scene for bars and nightlife? A super scene for singles? A must-do, circle-the-calendar-each-year event?
As a local resident who has been to it the past five years, I would have to say, well, eh.
On the one hand it’s great. It’s lively, festive and everyone is in a great mood. After leaving the convention center they gather under the Gaslamp Quarter sign on Fifth Ave., and gladly pose for pictures; in this it reminds me of the West Hollywood Carnvial block party for Halloweeen, tho that is a much crazier scene. They are obviously very proud of their costumes and for good reason.
The area is also not exactly short on bars. In fact, there are 25 of them on Fifth Avenue alone. So it would stand to reason that once people have gone through the convention, went to a few of the studio activation pop-ups and posed for photos that they would want to take their characters with them into the bars and clubs.
Well, yes and no.
For one thing, about half the people who attend Comic-Con are families and underage people. There are a lot of kids, to the point that as I was making my way through the crowd around the Gaslamp Quarter sign I constantly had child strollers nipping at my heels.
And there is the addition factor that after all day doing Comic-Con activities many just have the juice left in them for a big night of partying.
Now I’m not suggesting that the city rolls up the sidewalks at 8 or 9 o’clock at night. That’s hardly the case and one year I went to a spectacular party with all kinds of people dressed in elaborate cosplay at the nightclub Parq.
Whiskey Girl, in an effort to get things stirred up a bit, put girls on tables outside of the bar blowing bubbles. It worked.
But it’s not a wild west , certainly not the same as Street Scene, which once was the Gaslamp’s biggest party.
To conclude, I’l do a Q&A and you can decide if Comic-Con is for you from a party standpoint.
Should I Come To Comic-Con To Party?
No. Now, if you happen to be in the area or want to visit a friend for a free place to stay, then my answer is yes.
How Does Comic-Con Compare To Other Events From A Party Standpoint?
Well it’s not exactly Munich Oktoberfest. If fact, it’s a far better scene at the Mooning of the Amtrak which takes place a couple hours north of San Diego earlier in July.
What Is The Best Party Time For Comic-Con?
Friday and Saturday nights at the clubs after 10 but if you want to get the post-convention scence, hands down its Saturday from about 5-9 along Fifth Avenue between the Gaslamp Sign and F Street.
Who Should Come To Comic-Con?
If you’re into cosplay, pop culture and people-watching, you’ll have a blast. If you’re expecting Mardi Gras with superheroes, you’ll probably leave disappointed.
What Is Your Biggest Advice For Attending Comic-Con?
Enjoy the show. Walk around the Gaslamp Quarter, along Martin Luther King, Jr., walkway where several pop-up activations are located, and around the back of he Convention Center. This is all free. You do not need a badge.
Now Hop on the Party Bus To These Other Nightlife Blogger Posts
• Hanging In Amsterdam With Mr. Amsterdam
• How To Navigate A Crowded Bar Without Losing Your Drink
The Nightlife Blogger is the bar columnist for PubClub.com, An award-winning journalist, Kevin Wilkerson has spent more than two decades covering bars, nightlife, destinations and events around the world, always searching for the stories and experiences most travelers overlook.
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