Older gamers can wax nostalgic about vintage arcade cabinets - previous years have featured multiplayer X-Men and the original Mario Brothers - or explore the row of different console systems. This year’s theme is “Color, Line and Form,” and the museum describes the event as part of “the study and interpretation of video games as part of the national visual culture.” Really, though, it’s about turning the Kogod into a giant free arcade. SAAM Arcade at the Smithsonian American Art Museum: The Smithsonian American Art Museum’s annual SAAM Arcade, which returns to an in-person format at the museum’s Kogod Courtyard this weekend, celebrates the art of the video game. Special guests include voice actor Steve Blum, who has lent his talents to “Cowboy Bebop,” “Star Wars: Rebels” and more than 400 video games, and Friday night’s concert features K-pop band Pixy, making its North American debut.

Panels and workshops feature big names and die-hard fans.

Attend a formal ball or masquerade, play free arcade or VR games, browse original artwork in the Artist Alley, watch dance groups perform, try hands-on crafting or participate in a Pokémon battle. It’s known for elaborate and incredibly detailed costumes inspired by anime and manga characters - the schedule includes both costume contests and live-action role play, or LARPing - but the weekend is packed full of events. The 28-year-old event, run as a nonprofit “for fans, by fans,” drew more than 28,000 attendees pre-pandemic. Washington Convention Center: For fans of anime, manga, cosplay and video games, there’s no bigger weekend than Otakon, an annual celebration of Asian art and pop culture at the Walter E.

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