When I walked through the Raleigh Convention Center doors, I really didn’t know what to expect. Yet, over those four days, I was fully immersed in the beating heart of fandom: breathtaking panels, surprise celebrity encounters, and an urban festival that transformed downtown Raleigh into a veritable nerd carnival.
As soon as I entered, my first stop was Jason Isaacs’ panel, where he shared anecdotes about his days on the Harry Potter set and how Lucius Malfoy ended up “taking over him.” Between jokes, he confessed that he loves fans’ most curious questions. A great start!
Saturday was “Behind the Voice” day where John DiMaggio revealed the tricks of the trade for bringing their animated and video game characters to life. I admit that hearing it “in action” made me appreciate the series I watch every night on the couch even more.

The real surprise? The GalaxyCon Street Fest: a free event that took over Fayetteville Street, transforming the streets of Raleigh into a giant geek playground. Between DJ sets, food trucks, and even a mini-ring for cosplay wrestling, I met dozens of people in crazy costumes—from steampunk Darth Vader to a group of living Pokémon. The atmosphere was so contagious that I found myself participating in the fudge-eating contest… and, well, let’s just say I didn’t come in last!
Otherwise, it’s a Comic-Con like many others. You wander among stands selling comics, action figures, and artist prints. You admire and complain about the endless lines waiting for movie and TV stars to get an autograph or a selfie.
Heat, sweat, and exhaustion are always present at these conventions; we all know it, we complain, but in the end, we can’t help it.