20. Pyrkon

          Have you ever heard about Pyrkon? Do you know it's one of the largest fantasy convents in Europe? But first of all, what does "Pyrkon" mean?
          I'll start with etymology. "Pyr-" is derived from "pyry" what in Greater Poland's (one of the 16 Polish voivodes) dilect means "potatoes". "-kon" comes from "konwent" (= convent). Greater Poland is facetiously called by some Pyrlandia which means "the land of potatoes". Knowing all of that we can figure out that Pyrkon is a convent that takes place in the Land of Potatoes, in Poznań more precisely, which is the capital of Greater Poland.
          Each year the attendance is growing. Last year there were up to 44,000 participants.

          It started in one of the public schools in Poznań and now it takes place in MTP (Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie = Poznań International Fair), which is huge. 

          Pyrkon is what all fantasy addicts need. There are plenty of things to see like :
- lectures about franchises a lot of us love (Harry Potter, the Lord of the Rings, the Witcher, Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, Sherlock Holmes, video game / comic book franchises and many more) or things related to them, for example slavic / nordic / celtic mythology ; if you are a fan of a particular movie, video game, comic book, book, TV series in the fantasy or science fiction genre you'll find something interesting in Pyrkon's program for sure
- shows at the main arena (medieval sword fights, martial arts, extraordinary team games, dance workshops, etc.)
- masquarade (professional cosplay contest)
- integration places
- comic book reading rooms
- larps (live action role-playing ; players become actors in an improvised storytelling)
- meetings with fameous guests (writers, actors, publishers, sometimes directors like last year Tomasz Bagiński, vlogers / Youtube "celebrities" like Marek Hucz and Jan Jurkowski from Polish Youtube channel G.F. Darwin or Jon "Epic voice guy" Biley from Honest Trailers, or even with musicians since this year there will be meetings with Percival)
- places to eat and to socialize with other Pyrkon lovers
- places to play board games 
- entire building devoted to merchants who sell things many geeks would die for (mugs, pillows, accessories from games / movies etc., comic books, mangas, oriental food, sweets included, posters, figures, toys, playing cards, bookmarks, etc.) and even more (gothic / medieval clothes, armors, swords, jewellery, handmade too, etc.)

          There is also a place to sleep and to drink (the second one only if you're adult).
          Each year Pyrkon lasts three days and this time it starts on may 18th. Based on my experience, if you attend it with a group of friends or with your family, it's wonderful. It's a huge must-see not only beacuse of the attractions, but also for its great ambience. People there are more than friendly: you become part of a greater family.
          There are two drawbacks when I think about Pyrkon. Firstly, there are moments you can feel this whole Pyrkon family is too numerous; because of that it's more and more often called Kolejkon ("kolej-" comes from a Polish word "kolejka", ang. "a queue"). Secondly, unfortunately each year it becomes more and more expensive. Still, it's a fantastic adventure and something all of you should experience. 

PS. There's no way you can find me if you go there. This year I'll become a ninja...

Peace out