Erie Anime Fest Returns – Here’s Drillimation’s Convention Schedule For This Year

Another one of the difficulties that Drillimation faced in 2025 was the changing convention schedules. At first, things were good for the Erie Anime Fest, having exhibited three times in March, August, and November of 2024. The following year’s schedule was initially good, until the schedule got changed after their fourth fest in March 2025 – a new type of convention named Pokékon, which is dedicated to all things Pokémon, ended up taking its place in August of that year. It was blood-boiling – Drillimation Systems had absolutely nothing related to Pokémon to present, and it was skipped. There was no Anime Fest in November of that same year.

In response, Drillimation began looking for Anime Fest opportunities outside their hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, and they did. Drillimation’s convention schedule for this year goes as follows:

• Pittsburgh Anime Fest (February 1, 2026)
• Niagara Falls Anime Fest (March 8, 2026)
• Erie Anime Fest (August 15, 2026)
• Cleveland Anime Fest (October 3, 2026)

In 2024, Drillimation got to exhibit at three conventions, but 2025 only gave Drillimation one. Additionally, if you look at the schedule from ourcons.com, more types of conventions are popping up, such as Horror Fest, K-PopKon, and Wire Grass Sports & Trade Card. Drillimation will never exhibit at these conventions. To illustrate each one and as of January 10, 2026:

Convention Type	Date
Pokékon	January 10, 2026
Anime Fest	January 10, 2026
Anime Fest	January 17, 2026
Anime Fest	January 17, 2026
Pokékon	January 24, 2026
Pop Culture Event	January 24, 2026
Pokékon	January 25, 2026
Comic Fest	January 25, 2026
Anime Fest	January 31, 2026
Anime Fest	February 1, 2026
Pokékon	February 7, 2026
Pokékon	February 7, 2026
Pokékon	February 7, 2026
Anime Fest	February 14, 2026
Pokékon	February 14, 2026
Retro	February 15, 2026
Anime Fest	February 21, 2026
Anime Fest	February 28, 2026
Anime Fest	March 7, 2026
Anime Fest	March 7, 2026
Pokékon	March 7, 2026
Anime Fest	March 8, 2026
Anime Fest	March 8, 2026
Anime Fest	March 14, 2026
Anime Fest	March 14, 2026
Pokékon	March 14, 2026
Pokékon	March 21, 2026
Anime Fest	March 29, 2026
Pokékon	April 4, 2026
Anime Fest	April 4, 2026
Pop Culture Event	April 11, 2026
Anime Fest	April 11, 2026
Pokékon	April 12, 2026
Anime Fest	April 18, 2026
Anime Fest	April 19, 2026
Anime Fest	April 26, 2026
Anime Fest	April 26, 2026
Anime Fest	May 3, 2026
Anime Fest	May 3, 2026
Anime Fest	May 9, 2026
Anime Fest	May 16, 2026
Pokékon	May 16, 2026
Anime Fest	May 23, 2026
Anime Fest	May 24, 2026
Pokékon	May 30, 2026
K-Pop Fest	June 7, 2026
Pokékon	June 13, 2026
Anime Fest	June 20, 2026
K-Pop Fest	June 20, 2026
Anime Fest	June 21, 2026
Pokékon	June 27, 2026
Anime Fest	June 28, 2026
Anime Fest	July 11, 2026
Wire Grass Sports & Trade Card	July 11, 2026
Anime Fest	July 12, 2026
Anime Fest	July 25, 2026
Anime Fest	August 15, 2026
Anime Fest	August 15, 2026
Anime Fest	August 16, 2026
Pokékon	August 16, 2026
Pokékon	August 29, 2026
Anime Fest	September 20, 2026
Pokékon	September 26, 2026
Pokékon	September 26, 2026
Horror Fest	September 26, 2026
Anime Fest	September 27, 2026
Anime Fest	September 27, 2026
Anime Fest	October 3, 2026
Anime Fest	October 10, 2026
Anime Fest	October 10, 2026
Anime Fest	October 11, 2026
Pokékon	October 17, 2026
Pokékon	October 18, 2026
Horror Fest	October 18, 2026
Anime Fest	November 7, 2026
Anime Fest	November 7, 2026
Pokékon	November 8, 2026
Pokékon	November 15, 2026
Pokékon	November 21, 2026
Comic Fest	November 22, 2026
Comic Fest	November 29, 2026
Pokékon	December 12, 2026
Anime Fest	December 13, 2026
Anime Fest	December 19, 2026
Pokékon	December 27, 2026

For the percentages that make up the schedule:

• Anime Fest: 47 (55%)
• Pokékon: 27 (32%)
• Comic Fest: 3 (4%)
• Horror Fest: 2 (2%)
• K-Pop Fest: 2 (2%)
• Wire Grass Sports & Trade Card: 1 (1%)

Anime Fest makes up the majority of the shows they present. Pokékon is climbing up to the point that they may have achieved Adored by the Network status.