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Salt Lake City FanX: Geeking Out in the Nerdiest State in the Nation

Salt Lake City FanX: Geeking Out in the Nerdiest State in the Nation

When it comes to Utah, you may never find a more fervent hive of fans and nerdery. That’s especially true at FanX, the largest convention in the state.

Written By Arianna Rees

Salt Lake City | Arianna Rees

The streets of downtown Salt Lake City are relatively quiet at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning, but on this particular Saturday, Darth Vader is marching past Lake Effect, an inflatable Among Us character slaps against itself as it hustles through the crosswalk and elves are getting their fingers greasy in food truck fare.

All of them are making their way to the Salt Palace Convention Center, and while it may be calm outside the building, inside, visitors bedecked in pins, paraphernalia and jaw-dropping fan costumes have shown up in the tens of thousands to experience the final day of Salt Lake City FanX.

FanX got its start in Salt Lake City in 2013 and is now the largest running annual convention in the entire state.

Photo: Arianna Rees

The level of fandom in Salt Lake City is exceptional, evidenced by the volume and quality of costumes you'll see while FanX is in town.

Photo: Arianna Rees

"FanX has become one of the largest fan conventions in the country, competing with the likes of the San Diego and New York Comic Cons."

The Rise of Fan X in Salt Lake

Consistently voted the nerdiest state in the nation, Utah is a “wretched hive,” as Obi-Wan Kenobi might say — though, we prefer “stunning” — of passionate people who love their fandoms. FanX is the most overt example. In its decade-long run, FanX has become one of the largest fan conventions in the country, competing with the likes of the San Diego and New York Comic Cons.

I attended my first FanX 10 years ago in full Han Solo cosplay. This time I’m just wearing a white t-shirt with Princess Leia running down the side. When I enter the main hall of the convention center, I question the wisdom of wearing something this subtle. FanX has become so massive since I first attended that I fear I could get swallowed by the crowd and no one would ever find me again. Getting lost in the crowd, however, is arguably the best part of the whole experience.

As I wander the Salt Palace, I pass a seven foot tall Xenomorph cosplay that drips fake saliva on the carpet as it extends an electronic double jaw out of its mouth at awed onlookers. A group of women in orange jumpsuits push a hand truck with a Joker cosplayer chained to it through the main hall. Their progress is slow, as every Batman fan in the near vicinity beelines to them like a bat signal. At one point, I hear familiar beeps behind me. Two life-sized, remote-controlled R2-D2s move across the floor, and their timing could not be more perfect. They bump into a Princess Leia, who beams, crouches down and reaches her hand out, becoming a snapshot moment of the “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi” scene in “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.”

Getting lost in the crowd is arguably the best part of the FanX experience.

Photo: Arianna Rees

Panels, Signings, Photo Ops & More

You could spend hours stumbling on fan interactions like this on the convention floor, but it’s only one part of a massive experience the FanX team has curated for guests. Each year, the event hosts dozens of celebrity panels, meet and greets and photo ops, attracting household names from the biggest franchises, like Dick Van Dyke, Geena Davis, Susan Serandon, Jason Isaacs and each of the hobbits from the original Fellowship, as well as dozens of other actors, voice actors and animators from popular series.

A Cache Valley girl at my roots, I decide to attend the “Napoleon Dynamite” panel. When the film premiered in 2004, it felt like the biggest thing that had ever happened in my community. My junior high was a short two minute drive from the Big J’s where Kip spills tea on his dating life with Uncle Rico. Arguably no other movie was quoted to insufferable levels like this film was quoted in my childhood home.

The line for the panel makes five or six snaking switchbacks outside of the Grand Ballroom door. I know I’m in the right place when I see the flock of Napoleons decked out in moon boots and “Vote for Pedro” t-shirts ahead of me.

Actors, producers, animators and more divulge their behind-the-scenes experiences during the panels at FanX.

Photo: Arianna Rees

The panel is entirely Q&A. Left to himself after Jon Heder’s flight was delayed, Efren Ramirez, carries the hour, lighting up the room with his infectious love for this film, which he says no one really expected to get as big as it did. He shares a mean impersonation of Jon Heder and some of his experiences on set, including that iconic scene where Uncle Rico throws a steak and hits Napoleon across the face. Ramirez says Jon Gries threw the steaks softly in previous takes until Heder egged him into throwing one with more gusto.

“He smacked him so hard in the face, cut his nose, bruised his nose,” Ramirez says. “His glasses went flying, and I was supposed to stay in the scene, but I was like ‘oh my god.’ All I could do was go ‘I better go.’”

At the end of his panel, he teases the audience with the possibility of a sequel. “The world of Napoleon Dynamite is not closed yet,” he says with a knowing grin. I don’t know if any world is prepared for my family to make two Napoleon Dynamite films their entire personality.

If you pay attention to the lineup of guests in advance, you may be able to get an autograph and a conversation from some fantasy's best-known players.

Photo: Arianna Rees

A Celebration of Fandom

Celebrity panels draw the biggest crowds at FanX, but there are hundreds of other activities to experience here, like fan meet-ups, cosplay contests, Dungeons & Dragons games, panels about fiction writing and voice acting, art rooms and more. I slip into one room with an elaborate LEGO Star Wars display and then find myself in another where a medieval band is playing bops on the lute and lyre while a man dressed as a knight teaches someone how to spar.

A chaotic, yet fun experience is perusing the vendor floor, which has every booth a fan could dream of. You can buy a “Lord of the Rings” inspired cloak, pick up bumper stickers, t-shirts and fan art featuring your favorite book or series and buy intricate, hand-painted D&D dice. One booth has been transformed into a massive interactive VFX station, where, as far as I can tell, guests can pick a dragon egg and watch their virtual dragon come to life on screen.

The open market is an incredible place to wander, with amazing fan art, prop replicas, cosplay supplies, and much more available for purchase.

Photo: Arianna Rees

Plan to return home with something you never knew you needed until you saw it at FanX.

Photo: Arianna Rees

I wander down every vein of the floor I can manage and somehow end up 10 feet away from best-selling fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. His crew has built an entire Dragonsteel bookstore with arcing doorways and shelves of beautiful leather bound copies of his books. After just an hour down there, I need to take a beat.

It’s remarkable that Salt Lake City FanX gets away with a three-day convention. The event feels cavernous in its scope, a space that like Salt Lake’s nearby canyons, you could spend a week in and still not see everything. Even the cosplays change throughout the weekend, with many diehards preparing a different costume for each day. The one thing that’s easiest to wrap your head around is why this event is so widely adored: it’s for all fans.

FanX is a space to celebrate what you love without judgment, and it’s also a celebration of shared love, of community-finding among strangers. It brings out the nerd in everyone, and by doing so, brings everyone together.

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Other Nerdy Locales Around Salt Lake

From its theaters and D&D shops, to its bookstores and museums, there’s something in Utah’s capital city for every flavor of nerd.

Salt-Lake-City_Central-9th_Legendarium-Book-Store_Canfield_Rob_2024_PXL_20241031_215253283-MP — Photo: Rob Canfield

The Legendarium

349 E 900 S, Salt Lake City

Fantasy, science fiction and horror fans alike have a haven in The Legendarium, a trans-owned independent bookstore and role-play gaming (RPG) cafe in Salt Lake’s Maven District. Peruse their selection of books or take a sip from their book-themed drink menu, where you can find flavors like S’Mordor, Arrakis Spice and Peppermistborn Mocha.

In addition to book clubs, the Legendarium hosts author events, weekly game nights where visitors can gather to play board games or campaign with fellow D&D lovers and D&D/tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG).

Salt-Lake-City_Downtown-Quaters-Bar_Diamond-Austen_2018_VSL-DowntownMain-Hi-Rez-AustenDiamondPhotography-43_1 — Photo: Austen Diamond

Quarters Arcade Downtown

5 E 400 S, Salt Lake City

Hole-in-the-wall is a great way to describe the downtown Quarters Arcade Bar, which sits in the basement of SLC’s historic New Grand Hotel, but for lovers of pinball, skeeball and vintage arcade hits like Asteroids or Pac-Man, it makes for a fun city haunt.

Visitors can challenge their friends to a late night round of drinks and games, catch a show at the Quarters DLC, register for a tournament or skip over to the Sugar House location for Wednesday’s Pinball Happy Hour, where all games cost only $.50.

Oasis Games

275 E 400 S, Salt Lake City

Utah is home to dozens of community gaming hubs where visitors can meet new people and join daily challenges, either as newcomers or pros. One of downtown SLC’s staples is Oasis Games, which hosts new events every day.

In a single week, their event calendar will feature Magic the Gathering tournaments, RPG nights, Star Wars Unlimited nights, Warhammer Open Play nights, Lorcana nights, Pokemon, One Piece games and more. If you’re not there to play, you can buy, sell or rent games, too.

Thieves Guild Cidery

117 W 900 S, Salt Lake City

New to Salt Lake City’s 9-Line district, Thieves Guild Cidery bills itself as an immersive taproom that “combines the art of cider-making with the enchanting world of fantasy.” Visitors can enjoy a drink while they dive into a game of Magic the Gathering in a bar room reminiscent of a Lord of the Rings-esque tavern. Thieves Guild has also begun hosting events, called “quests,” like Monty Python Trivia Night and Medieval Cabaret.

Broadway-Centre-Cinema-02_Movie-Theater_Salt-Lake-City_Mosqueda-Chay_2024 — Photo: Chay Mosqueda

Broadway Centre Cinemas

111 E Broadway, 300 S, Salt Lake City

You won’t find blockbuster franchises like Marvel or Star Wars playing at Salt Lake City’s Broadway Centre Cinemas, but for film nerds, that’s absolutely the appeal.

Run by the non-profit Salt Lake Film Society, “The Broadway,” features new independent film releases as well as nostalgic nods to the old (like their Nicolas Cage-a-thon, for example). It also supports local filmmakers exploring the craft and trying to break into the industry.

The Broadway’s proximity to Main Street makes it the perfect space to catch a flick and then grab a drink while dissecting finer plot points with your fellow cinephiles.

About the Author – Arianna Rees

The best place to spot Arianna Rees is in the mountains making a TikTok that won't do the view any justice. Arianna is a social media manager at the Utah Office of Tourism and a writer living in Salt Lake City. When she isn't hurriedly typing away at her computer, Arianna can be found hiking, paddle boarding, or neck deep in a good book.

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