LeakyCon
| Convention | |
|---|---|
| Name: | LeakyCon |
| Dates: | 2009-present |
| Frequency: | |
| Location: | |
| Type: | Convention |
| Focus: | Harry Potter |
| Organization: | Mischief Management) |
| Founder: | Melissa Anelli |
| Founding Date: | 2009 |
| URL: | http://www.leakycon.com/ |
| Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
LeakyCon is a series of Harry Potter fan conventions. It was one of the Harry Potter Symposiums.
Origins
The first LeakyCon was created by Melissa Anelli, headmistress of The Leaky Cauldron. Eventually, Anelli expanded the convention into a larger producer of fan events, Mischief Management, LLC.
History of Events
2009
The first LeakyCon was hosted in Boston, MA.
2011
Orlando, FL. This convention saw a performance of the Potter Puppet Pals, who would become regular at subsequent conventions.
2012
Chicago, IL at the Hilton Chicago hotel. This convention saw the premiere of A Very Potter Senior Year, the third in the A Very Potter Musical series, in the form of a live staged script reading with performances of the songs. It also saw the return of the Potter Puppet Pals.
2013
For the first time, LeakyCon hosted two event in 2013.
June 27–30, 2013 in Portland, OR at the Oregon Convention Center.
August 8–11, 2013 in London, England at the Grand Connaught Rooms.
2014
July 30 - August 3 in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center.
2015
2016
October 19-23 in Los Angeles, California.
2017
August 31 - September 3, 2017 in Dublin, Ireland at the Citywest Hotel. Special guests included Evanna Lynch, Dan Fogler.
2018
August 10-12, 2018 in Dallas, TX at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. Guests included Allison Sudol, Chris Rankin, Devon Murray.
2019
In 2019, there were two LeakyCon events.
August 9-11, 2019 in Dallas, TX at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.
October 11-13, 2019 in Boston, MA at the Seaport World Trade Center, a return to the original LeakyCon city for the ten-year anniversary. Guests included Dan Fogler, Stanislav Yanevski, Chris Rankin and Luke Youngblood, as well as Wizard Rock bands like Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, Tonks and the Aurors and Lauren Fairweather and the Potter Puppet Pals.
2020
Two LeakyCon events were scheduled for 2020, in Orlando, FL and Denver, CO. Both were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
July 29-31, 2022 in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center. Mainstage guests included cast and crew from the Harry Potter series Devon Murray, Afshan Azad, Sean Biggerstaff, Josh Herdman, Chris Rankin, Stanislav Yanevski, and Bryn Court; as well as fandom creators Chanel Wlliams (@ChanWills) and Cherry Wallis (@CherryWallis)[1].
October 14-16, 2022 in Denver, CO at the Crown Plaza Denver Airport Convention Center. Mainstage guests included cast from the Harry Potter series Luke Youngblood, Stanislav Yanevski, Sean Biggerstaff, Tolga Safer, Chris Rankin; fandom creator Trey Beachum (@IAmBlackHarry), and featured podcasts Fanatical Fics and Where to Find Them, PotterCast, and Potterless[2].
2023
August 4-6, 2023 in Chicago, IL at the McCormick Place convention center. Mainstage guests included actors from the Harry Potter series (Sean Biggerstaff, Ellie Darcey-Alden, Tom Felton, Rohan Gotobed, James Payton, Chris Rankin, Stanislav Yanevski, and from other popular TV shows and movies (Sean Astin, Miranda Otto, Miltos Yerolemou, Kiran Shah, and Elijah Wood). Due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, actors were not permitted to promote their union-covered projects. Other guests prominent in the fandom included wizard rockers Lauren Fairweather and Brian Ross; podcasters Flick Miles, Mike Schubert, Eric Scull, and Micah Tannenbaum; and TikTok creators Trey Beachum (@IAmBlackHarry), Em Wallbank (@MiWalbank), and Chanel William (@ChanWills).
In 2023, LeakyCon again expanded its purview to include events about other magical stories, rather than being focused solely on Harry Potter. This involved inviting actors from properties like Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, and hosting programming about media like the Grishaverse, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and Avatar: The Last Airbender.
On June 9, 2023, LeakyCon announced that the traditional ball and wizard rock concert would be replaced by a Night Market, with extended vendor hours[3]. The cancellation of both events was attributed to a lack of attendance in recent years, as well as Esther Earl's family wanting to distance itself from the Harry Potter brand. However, due to outcry from regular attendees, the ball was reinstated without the Esther Earl name[4], and a smaller wizard rock concert was scheduled as a mainstage event during typical convention hours.
2024
LeakyCon 2024 will take place from July 5-7 in Portland, OR.
Major Events
Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball
The Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball is a dance held during an evening of the convention, after regular programming hours. It raises awareness of This Star Won't Go Out, a charity whose mission was to support families facing childhood cancer. Esther Earl was a Harry Potter fan. In 2023, the ball was initially canceled, then reinstated without the Esther Earl name, due to the family/organization wishing to distance itself from the Harry Potter brand, according to a Discord message from Mischief Management owner Melissa Anelli.
Wizard Rock
Each LeakyCon typically hosts a large wizard rock concert on Friday evening, after regular programming hours. In 2023, the large evening concert was replaced by two smaller concerts during regular programming hours.
Snitchwitches
A Snitchwich is a sandwich invented at LeakyCon 2011 by Harry and the Potters. Snitchwiches became a cult phenomenon among LeakyCon goers and wizard rock fan, spawning merchandise and an hour-long "infomercial" panel at LeakyCon Boston 2019.
The Snitchwich is composed of peanut butter and Golden Grahams between two pieces of white bread. The Snitchwich itself is sold for 3 USD. "Athletic delivery" costs an extra dollar, for which the person selling the sandwich will squish the sandwich roughly into the shape of a Golden Snitch and throw it at the purchasers mouth.
The slogan of Snitchwiches is "catch it in your mouth."
Chris Rankin
Chris Rankin has played a significant role at LeakyCon for several years, often acting as emcee during mainstage events.