Maleficent, Deadpool, Captain America, and countless others descended on the Nepean Sportsplex on Oct.15 and 16 to help celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Ottawa Geek Market.
The annual event brings geeks from all walks of life and every kind of fandom imaginable together for two days of shopping, creating, and gaming. According to the event’s Facebook page, this weekend’s event broke records, with 5,637 people attending.
Geek Market isn’t just a simple flea market for geeky merchandise, but it is an opportunity to give back to the community. According to the Geek Market website, since it began in 2012 the event has raised more than $29,000 for local charities. Beneficiaries include the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Eastern Ontario and Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO).
Erica Noordermeer, this year’s Geek Market show manager, said the two day event is important because it is a celebration of what it means to be a geek.
“People think it’s not cool to be a geek but it absolutely is, everybody’s a geek in some way,” she said. “You don’t have to be the stereotypical nerd, [that stereotype] doesn’t exist anymore and there’s no reason to think that it does.”
Geek Market also aims to support local artists. In October 2015, in honour of the film Back to the Future II, Geek Market introduced its arts scholarship program, providing secondary and post-secondary students with $1,000 scholarships.
This year Meaghan Mueller and Courtney Stone won for their cosplay accessories. Mueller won her category with Alicia from Valkyrie Profile 2’s Silmeria Wings, and Stone won with a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired chain bracelet.
In addition to vendors, video and board gaming stations, and two escape rooms, the market was filled with cosplayers. From Harley Quinn to Darth Vader, people expressed their creativity and fandoms by dressing in a variety of costumes.
“I love seeing myself in the mirror reflecting characters that I feel reflect me inside,” said Anja Takera, a Carleton graduate and current dance coach for Ravens Rhythm, who dressed as Princess Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog.
For cosplay artist Peekaboo Cosplay, who doesn’t share her real name when cosplaying, dressing up became a lifestyle. Peekaboo said she developed a range of allergies and intolerances, as well as environmental impact allergies, that have no mainstream treatment.
“It started just as a hobby really after I got sick, I needed something to do while I was out of school and after that I just sort of became addicted to masquerades,” Peekaboo said. She added she enjoys Geek Market since it is one of the few events in Ottawa that supports such a broad alternative culture.
Peekaboo said the event is a welcoming place for everyone.
“They’re such a broad community but at the same time they’re very supportive,” Peekaboo added. “That’s the thing I love about [conventions and markets] is that I’m never gonna walk down the street in a bikini and feel comfortable with it, but I can walk around half-naked in any convention and know that I am going to be in a safe space.”
According to Noordermeer, the Ottawa Geek Market prides itself on being a safe community space for people to celebrate what it means to be a geek.
“You don’t have to be a stereotypical nerd to be a geek,” Noordermeer said, “but you should celebrate the fact that you really love what it is that you love, and however you need to do that you should be able to, and here at Geek Market we definitely want that to happen.”
