Geek Out at the Kent Nerd Party, brought to you by The Game Shelf!
Get ready for the Kent Nerd Party, where downtown Kent transforms into the ultimate haven for nerds!
The Nerd Party is a street-wide event with a cosplay contest, miniature painting contest, Lego museum, LARP games, outdoor vendors, and more. Scroll down to see our full list of programming.
All nerds are welcome—whether you love science fiction, fantasy, horror, anime, gaming, or one of the other innumerable geeky pursuits!
Volunteering
Volunteers make the Kent Nerd Party possible. Meet awesome people and experience the event from a new angle. Volunteer! Sign up here.
Location
While vendors will be located on 1st Ave S between W Gowe St and E Titus St, the Kent Nerd Party is happening all over downtown Kent. Many businesses will be participating. Map coming soon!
Table of Contents
Artists, Authors, and Vendors
Special Guests & Signings
Miniature Painting Contest
Level Up! Vocal Ensemble Performance
Magic: the Gathering x Final Fantasy Prerelease Tournament
Cosplay Contest
Beer & Cider Garden
Lego Museum
LARP Combat Demos
Indie Game Demos
Shakespearean Era Performances
Craft Workshops
Live Music by Cool Nerd Mark
Art Cars
Cosplay Repair
Prop Policy
Participating Businesses
Sponsors & Partners
Artists, Authors, and Vendors
Applications to sell at the Kent Nerd Party are open! Authors, artists, and vendors can apply for an outdoor booth here, and authors only can apply for an indoor table space here. Food vendors should email KDPAdmin@kentdowntown.org to be considered.
Special Guests & Signings
The Kent Nerd Party will feature special guests, to be announced! Stay tuned.
Miniature Painting Contest presented by The Game Shelf
Hosted by Make It Rain Fitness
Show off your skill or admire the work of talented artists at the miniature painting contest!
There will be four categories:
- Age under 12 Single Model – Prize: $25 gift certificate to The Game Shelf
- Age 12-17 Single Model – Prize: $25 gift certificate to The Game Shelf
- All Ages Single Model – Prize: $25 gift certificate to The Game Shelf
- All Ages Model Group – Prize: $50 gift certificate to The Game Shelf
Accepting submissions on-site from 12PM to 2PM. The public will vote on the winners from 2PM to 4PM. Winners posted at 5PM. Models can be picked up 5PM to 7PM.
Level Up! Vocal Ensemble Performance
Hosted by Sure Lock Escapes
Level Up! Vocal Ensemble is a community chamber choir that sings video game music. Their repertoire runs the gamut from 80’s platformers to modern MOBAs to JRPG classics. Arrive early to tune into this beautiful performance!
Magic: the Gathering x Final Fantasy Prerelease Tournament presented by The Game Shelf
Hosted by Make It Rain Fitness from 4PM-7PM
Don’t miss your chance to try out the new MTG Final Fantasy collaboration! This event requires online preregistration, coming soon.
Cosplay Contest
Located in 403 W Meeker St
Grab your cape, polish your armor, and enter the Kent Nerd Party’s cosplay contest! Whether you’re ready to strut your stuff or get inspired by this year’s winners, this is one event you won’t want to miss.
Prizes TBA!
Sign-up and judging 4PM-5PM, participant showcase and winners announced 5:30PM.
Beer & Cider Garden
Located outside 202 W Gowe St from 2PM to 7PM
Ages 21 and up only! Have your ID ready.
Enjoy a refreshing beer or cider alongside food from the nearby food vendors! Beer provided by our sponsor Seapine Brewing Company and cider by our sponsor 2 Towns Ciderhouse.
Lego Museum by SeaLUG
Hosted by BigWu Fitness from 2PM to 7PM
SeaLUG, a group of Seattle-based Lego brick enthusiasts, presents the Lego Museum! Their elaborate Lego creations, which often take hundreds of hours to create, will be on display for all to see.
LARP Combat Demos by Kingdom Boffer Association
Located in Rosebed Park from 2PM to 7PM
Learn LARP (live-action role play) combat techniques with foam weapons!
Indie Game Demos by Seattle Indies
Located in 403 W Meeker St from 2PM to 7PM
Check out some game demos from local developers.
Shakespearean Era Performances by the Washington Shakespearean Festival
Located in Rosebed Park from 2PM to 7PM
Join performers from the Washington Shakespearean Festival in games, listen to songs, and watch other performances from this talented band of bards. Learn more about their mission and join the movement!
Craft Workshops by the Kent Library
Hosted in the Kent Library; schedule TBA
The King County Library System presents nerdy craft workshops! Details coming soon.
Live Music by Cool Nerd Mark
Located in 1st Ave Plaza from 2PM-7PM
Cool Nerd Mark is a singer-songwriter guitarist inspired by comic book heroes, science fiction, and old horror films.
Art Cars
On 2nd Ave S between Gowe and Meeker from 2PM to 7PM
These fantastic works of art will be on display for all to admire! Special thanks to the Seattle Art Car Blowout, occurring June 21-22.
Cosplay Repair
Presented by Running Stitch Fabrics from 2PM to 7PM
Cosplay malfunction? Not to worry! The team at Running Stitch Fabrics is here to save the day. Head into the store and ask for directions to the Cosplay Repair station–they’ll be happy to help!
Prop Policy
You may not bring any real, functional weapons to the Kent Nerd Party, including (but not limited to) firearms, bb or pellet guns, or blades (swords, axes, daggers, etc). Prop weapons are permitted if they are not sharp or otherwise capable of causing harm. Toy guns are permitted if they have an orange tip on the barrel and do not look like real weapons.
Any prop weapons must be brought to the info booth, where they’ll be checked for adherence to policy and peacebonded (marked with tape to show they are approved props).
If props violate this policy, you will be asked to return them to your vehicle or home.
By attending the Kent Nerd Party, you agree to these terms.
Participating Businesses
The Game Shelf: Our presenting sponsor and facilitator of the Miniature Painting Contest and Magic: The Gathering Tournament.
BigWu Fitness: A workout facility in the heart of historic downtown Kent, BigWu is hosting our Lego Museum.
Grey Sunz Tattoo: This tattoo shop will be offering themed flash tattoos.
Make It Rain Fitness: This kickboxing studio is hosting our Miniature Painting Contest and Magic: The Gathering Tournament.
NWBG Activity Center: This event space is hosting our authors and some special guests.
Page Turner Books: Nerd culture store offering sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, movies, video games, comics, manga, anime, and more.
Pied Piper Pub: This lively pub with shuffleboard, darts, and pool will be running a special menu of themed drinks.
Retro Emporium: Vintage to modern pop culture shop specializing in vintage 80s/90s collectibles and retro-themed goods.
Running Stitch Fabrics: This destination for sewing and quilting supplies is providing our Cosplay Repair station.
Sure Lock Escapes: Escape rooms that can’t be beat! Sure Lock Escapes is hosting the Level Up! Vocal Ensemble performance.
Thai Chili Restaurant: Enjoy delicious Thai food at Thai Chili!
