Applications Open from June 30th - August 4th, 2025
Thank you for your interest in being a part of our Artists Alley at Setsucon 2026. We have updated some of our rules and policies, so please take the time to read them carefully before submitting your application. If you have any questions, please contact the Artists Alley Coordinator.
Artists Alley applications will be open from June 30th, 2025 until August 4th, 2025 11:59:59 PM EST. Accepted applicants for the Artists Alley will not need to purchase a separate convention badge, as that is included in the Artists Alley registration. You will be contacted by the Artists Alley Coordinator informing you whether or not you have been awarded a spot in our Artists Alley the week of September 8th, 2025 to September 12th, 2025. If you have been accepted, you will be contacted by the Artists Alley Coordinator to confirm your registration and arrange payment. Payment may be made via our online payment system only; cash and check are not accepted.
We select all of our artists via a jury process. We evaluate all artists based on the following criteria: quality and uniqueness of the work, overall potential appeal of the work, relation to anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, & Japanese culture, and clarity of the application. In order to aid in this process, we ask that you include a link to online pictures or a portfolio of your work in the space provided in the applications form. If you do not have your work online, please contact our Artists Alley Coordinator with information about how we can see your work. We receive many more applications than we are able to accept and having samples of your work provided to us will greatly aid in our process. Having a juried Artists Alley will ensure a wide variety of artists that can bring their best quality wares to our attendees.
Electricity is available to artists for an additional $25 fee. Please indicate on your application if you would like electricity. Any changes to this must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by January 1st, 2026 11:59:59 PM EST. Any electricity requests after contract acceptance and initial payment may be paid for via our online payment system on or before January 1st, 2025. No electricity requests may be made at-con.
Additional Artists Alley badges are available at the rate of $35/person. Initial requests for additional Artists Alley badges should be made on your application. Any changes to the number of requested additional badges must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by January 14th, 2026 11:59:59 PM EST. Any additional badges requested after contract acceptance and initial payment may be paid for via our online payment system on or before January 14th, 2025. Additional badges can be purchased via cash only at-con for the at-con registration price of $50/person.
Full refunds of the registration fee will be given for any tables cancelled by November 30th, 2025. Any cancellations must be emailed to the Artists Alley Coordinator by November 30th, 2025 11:59:59 PM EST. Cancellations after that date will result in the registration fees being non-refundable and non-transferable.
Important Note: Artists Alley is not a replacement for the Vendors Room. If you’re selling retail items, selling licensed merchandise (other than your own), or doing a high volume of sales, you should apply for space in the Vendors Room.
Any violation will come with a warning, at which time you will be asked to remove the offending merchandise from the premises. Failure to comply or a subsequent violation is cause for removal from the convention and forfeiture of all fees.
Setsucon has a strict, NO BOOTLEG policy. We will have zero-tolerance for any artists that do not comply with our policies regarding bootlegs and trademark violations. Failure to comply with this policy is cause for removal from the convention and forfeiture of all fees.
In addition to standard Artists Alley tables and booths, we will be offering table options at a reduced cost to those artists that are interested in showcasing their original manga. These tables are for the sole purpose of advertising and selling your original manga works; these are not a replacement for an Artists Alley table. As such, only the original manga and artwork created based on that manga are permitted to be sold at the table; other products, fan art, and items not related to your original manga are not permitted to be sold at one of these tables. The purpose of these tables is to highlight original manga creators in our community; in supplying these tables at a reduced cost while being fair to other artists in the space, we appreciate you being respectful of the differing policies that are in effect with these tables.
If you are interested in showcasing your original manga in addition to selling fan art and other non-original manga related products, you must apply for a standard Artists Alley table.
ALL HENTAI and PORNOGRAPHY are BANNED.
We ask that Exhibitors (Artists and Vendors), particularly those who sell adult material, keep in mind that this is a family oriented event and minors will be present. Think PG-13. The acceptability of displays of material is at the discretion of the Exhibitors Coordinator.
Any material that contains nudity, is extremely or graphically violent, or is otherwise unsuitable for minors (anyone below the age of 18) is prohibited. This includes artistic nudes.
Exhibitors who display prohibited adult material in the general public’s view or attempt to sell it will be reminded once about our adult material policy. Failure to comply with warnings is cause for removal from Exhibitors Rooms (Artists Alley and Vendors Room) and forfeiture of all fees.
The Artists Alley is Open for the Following Hours:
Prior to setting up your table, all artists must check-in with the Artists Alley Coordinator. Here, you will obtain the finalized location of your table and your badge(s). More details about this will be provided to accepted artists closer to the convention weekend.
Artists are solely responsible for moving in all necessary merchandise and equipment. The Artists Alley is located on the lower level of the Blair County Convention Center. It is recommended that you park for unloading and loading inside the parking garage of the venue. There is an elevator available for use in the parking garage. There is no guarantee that the venue or Setsucon can provide hand trucks or dollies during load-in and load-out.
Check-in must be done prior to 09:00:00 AM ET on Saturday, January 31st, 2026. Any tables that have not been claimed by that time will be forfeited without refund and become available for general purchase starting on Saturday morning. Artists Alley will be open Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM and Sunday 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM. While we do have minimal programming occurring during the evening of Friday, January 30th, 2026, Friday will be exclusively for set-up and there will be no public hours during this time.
Artists will have until 7:30 PM on Sunday, February 1st, 2026 to completely clear out any and all merchandise and equipment brought into the venue.
Contracts and payment information will be sent out within two weeks of the notification period. All contracts are due signed and completed at the time of payment. All payments will be completed via our online payment system. We will not accept any cash, check, or money order.
Setsucon is not responsible for obtaining any licenses or permits required by local, state, and federal law for any artists within the Artists Alley. More information on the taxes and licenses required by Pennsylvania law can be found at https://www.pa100.state.pa.us/.
Setsucon is a convention created by fans, for fans, and we want to encourage creative originality in all of our valued attendees. This is especially true for the Artists Alley. Setsucon supports the rights of artists and other creators regarding their intellectual property. We have a strict no bootlegs policy regarding bootleg, counterfeit, or unlicensed resale of merchandise in the Artists Alley, and we take its enforcement seriously; however, we also recognize that our fandom has a long tradition of fan art and fan fiction. Doujinshi, fanzines, fan fiction, and fan art are part of what makes fans, fans. They are creative ways for creative people to celebrate what we love.
Unfortunately, a lot of fanart risks running afoul of intellectual property rights laws, which weren’t written with fans in mind. Characters and names can be (and often are) protected under international trademark and copyright laws. You’re really not supposed to use them without paying for a license.
Setsucon is choosing to encourage original art, and yet we remain supportive of fan works, to the extent that we can legally do so. To that end, we are providing some general guidelines to help you in determining what is generally okay, and what is generally going to get you into trouble with somebody’s lawyers eventually.
So when you sign up for a table in the Artists Alley, we ask that you sign a contract that makes it clear you understand and accept all the terms and conditions — and that any violations of copyright, etc. are the responsibility of the individual artist and not the responsibility of Setsucon.
Though it is not a constant problem, it has come to light on occasion that an artist may overstep the limits of the table space that they have purchased for the convention. We do understand that more space means more products that you can sell, however, encroaching on someone else’s space can be both annoying and possibly dangerous.
It is out of respect for everyone’s happiness and safety that we ask you to take consideration when coordinating your designated space in the Artists Alley.
To eliminate conflict, keep in mind that you and your neighbors share a limited area. This means that your personal effects should not impede your neighbor’s ability to sit, get in and out of, or move about their space during the course of the convention. Displays should be of a manageable size and utilize your space as efficiently as possible. If you have any surplus items or boxes, we also ask that you do NOT block any exits or fire exits in the case of an emergency. Remember too, that displays shouldn’t extend into the walking paths of attendees, as the room has heavy foot traffic.
Please complete the below application to the best of your ability and as complete as possible. This application, and the contents held within, shall be used by our Artists Alley jury to select the room for Setsucon. Please ensure that you read all policies and information ahead of applying, as submitting an application binds you to these policies, if accepted.
Do note – this is not a first-come-first-accepted system. We will review all applications equally and fairly once applications have closed and will select from the list of applicants for the room. The more clear your application is, such as information on what you plan to sell, representative images of your stock and past booths, and anything else that can make your applications be clear and stand out, the better your chance of acceptance is.
The Artists Alley Application is Not Open at this Time.
Founded in 2007 by the Penn State Anime Organization, Setsucon brings anime, manga, and Japanese culture to the winter months in Central Pennsylvania.
Get on your dance outfits, find your glowsticks, and be ready to party all night long at our Setsu Odori Late Night Dance! Featuring our slate of DJs, this three hour dance caps off a full Saturday of excitement. So go hit the dance floor, vibe to the groove, and finish out the night with us!
Experience this one-of-a-kind idol showcase event where we celebrate idols taking back power! This wild, unhinged, and memey event gives idols the chance to perform to whatever genre of music they want… and they won’t be the songs you are used to seeing idols perform to!
Looking to perform in the Idol’s Revenge Showcase? Click the button below to learn more about applications.
Step into the world of The Divas! This incredible group of drag performers – Ashlynn Manhattan, Amethyst, & Hexxa, led by their host Enigman – hit the Setsucon stage on Friday Night! With dazzling lip-syncs & jaw dropping performances, you will not want to miss the kickoff event of the con! [18+ Only Event]
The Setsucon Main Events stage has been graced by many performers throughout its history! Listen to awesome music from the featured performance group each year during our Saturday Night Concert – stay tuned to find out who will be performing this coming year.
No matter the style of game that you are looking for, hop on to one of the many consoles, both modern and retro, that our room has and give a try in our console gaming section of the Video Gaming Room, presented by Origin of Play. The catalog of games is endless – consisting of all the fan favorites, including numerous fighting games, rhythm style games, and party games.
And think you have what it takes to be the ultimate champion of the winter battle season? Enter our free-to-play tournaments all weekend long!
Stop by the Tabletop Gaming Room throughout the convention weekend to experience a multitude of games to enjoy! You’ll find a wide selection of board games and miniature activities, presented by Snake Eyes Gaming, for both the casual and expert player, and opportunities to dive into a tabletop role playing game, presented by The Quelmar Realm. Whether you’ve mastered every board game out there, or just want to learn a new one, we have something for you. Have your own tabletop games that you want to play? We have space for that too – just find an open table, set down to play your own game!
Are you ready to throwdown and duel? Get your decks out and be ready to play in our Card Gaming events, presented by Jake’s Cards & Games! From Magic the Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh to Pokemon trade and play events, we have a variety of card gaming tournaments and activities to keep you busy throughout the weekend. Or just pop into the Tabletop Gaming room and set up a game yourself!
Take yourself away on a trip to a Japanese arcade and play some of the best arcade cabinets around – provided by Snow Phoenix! Check out the different arcade cabinets, with popular types of cabs such as dance and rhythm games. Or give yourself a test with some of the Japanese crane machines – provided by Kawaii Catchers. Test your skill and precision to try and win fun prizes from these machines!
Share in your favorite hobby, learn a new craft, or watch as creativity comes to life with our workshop programming track.
If you are looking to present a workshop, click the link to learn more about workshop applications.
If you are looking to learn something new, laugh about your favorite characters, share in some anime history and fandom, or take home a new experience that you haven’t gotten elsewhere – then dive into some amazing panels – presented by you, our attendees! Stay tuned for the full schedule as we get close to con.
If you are looking to present a panel, click the link to learn more about panel applications.
Kick of the convention with a throwback to our Twitch days with a Friday Night Party Night! Get out your comfy PJs and join us for some Jackbox Games – come prepared with creativity and be ready to laugh the night away!
Join us as we showcase the many AMVs from around the world that are submitted into our contest each year! With a contest that grows each year – now containing over 60 AMVs across five different categories, there is something for everyone – from laugh out loud comedies to tearjerking videos, our AMV entries cover the full spectrum of emotions sliced together for a major joyride.
Learn more about the history of our AMV Contest – and if you are an AMV Creator, click the button below to enter your creation into our contest!
Check out wig styling skills in action! Participants have just 60 minutes to cut and style a pre-selected wig, and model it in front of our judges! Stylists can maximize their score by ensuring cleanliness, complexity, wearability, & creativity – all on their way to winning the grand prize! Sign-ups are held a few months before convention.
Our premier cosplay event on the Main Stage – the Cosplay Masquerade Showcase! Come be entertained with some of the top skits and talents for a showcase of cosplay prowess, fashion, singing, dancing, variety, fun, and much more!
This event puts your ultimate cosplay skills to the test to be as creative as possible given a box of who knows what to work with! Watch as contestants face off against one another in a clash of cosplay creativity, cooperation, and skill to make a unique cosplay.
Show off your cosplay creation to our panel of judges! All entrants will have a chance to present their handmade cosplays to our judges and compete for a chance to win prizes! All experience levels are welcome – showcase your handcrafted cosplays and your hard work in our premier craftsmanship event.
Stop by the Cosplay Photo Suite in the Exhibitors Hall during the weekend for free professional cosplay photos, presented by our friends at The Variant. With unique backdrops and pro photographers at the ready, this is a great opportunity to have your cosplay captured in memorable photos that will be available after the convention on their website.
Are you ready to see what characters can find the match of their dreams? The Cosplay Dating Game allows your favorite characters to find their happily ever after… or at least someone for the night. Join us for this hilarious event and be ready to laugh as our characters give love a try! [18+]
Take a break, watch a new show, and dive into some anime in our Viewings room! Whether it is a new show, old favorite, or hidden gem – take a seat and watch a show!
If you have merch, toys, games, collectables, or items that are looking for a new home, stop by the Swap Meet on Friday Night to see what items you can grab in exchange! Walk away from the event with your new favorite treasure!
The Setsucon Silent Auction is dedicated in memory of the late voice actor, Setsucon guest, and Pennsylvania native Billy Kametz. Visit the Silent Auction booth in the Exhibitors Hall to place bids during the con. All proceeds are donated directly to the Colon Cancer Coalition, which raises the awareness about the importance of colorectal screenings and colonoscopies to decrease deaths from colon cancer.
Do you love reading? Take a break and enjoy our extensive Manga Library, featuring the Penn State Anime Organization collection! We have over 500 volumes to choose from – with both popular titles & hidden gems to explore! Unleash your inner bookworm & dig into a good read!
The PSAO Laura Rayman Memorial Manga Library, which was renamed in 2016 in memory of long-time Setsucon attendee, manga lover, and Central PA native Laura Rayman, is a fast growing collection of titles both new and old. Their collection is mostly donation based, having grown over the years as members have helped stock the shelves. A true symbol of the organization, the manga library is one of the first sights a new member sees as they walk into the organization’s office.
Experience fun and creative crafts and activities throughout the weekend in the Makerspace, presented by the MAGFest Makerspace Team! Come join in for crafts and fun. There are machines and supplies that you can pick up and play with or ask the team staffed by teachers and volunteers for a tutorial. Come in and make your own projects that you can take home with you!
With a blend of cosplay, games, music, performances, and hospitality, the Setsucon Maid Cafe, presented by Pixel Pop, is an event that is sure to be something special – and is a highlight for many each year! Sign-up at con at the Maid Cafe to book your time; each first-come, first-serve spot includes a 1-hour seating time, dessert, refreshments, games, performances, and more.
Check out a showcase of itasha and anime-inspired cars in the Itasha Car Show, presented by Isekai’d Dreams. See cars decked out in anime gear, replicas of famous anime vehicles, or just awesome modded up rides.
Take home some new art for your wall, a new figures, a manga, and more in our Exhibitors Hall – the main shopping hub of the convention! With over 80 vendors and artists, there is something for everyone to find amongst our many exhibitors. Come ready to shop!
