Because I was out of town, I missed the debut of PopFest in January. After hearing great reviews from friends who attended, I made sure not to miss its return last weekend.

Despite powerful storms, I made the 30-minute trip to Naperville Yard Indoor Sports Complex, about 30 minutes southwest of Chicago. Upon entering the venue, my buddy Tony and I were immediately impressed. After opening on time, a rarity for such events, staffers quickly handled ticketholders. Of special note was a young girl who was extremely helpful and professional.

Once inside the convention area, we saw more than 150 vendors offering all sorts of pop culture items. Funko Pops were the most abundant product and certainly the most popular. I picked up a couple, and I don’t even collect them. I also bought a few cars for my grandnephew.

In addition to the vendors, there was cosplay, gaming, giveaways and other fun activities. Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle was the celebrity guest, and he drew a huge crowd, well-managed by staffers.

The indoor field allowed for 40,000 square feet, giving plenty of room to maneuver despite the large crowd. The soft artificial turf also made it more comfortable walking the aisles all day.

One great part of the convention was giving exposure to local businesses, like Joseph White’s Whitney Collectibles. After starting his business online, White recently opened a retail shop in nearby Glen Ellyn. PopFest exposed his business to thousands of potential customers in one day.

I go to many similar conventions, but PopFest gets my praise on every level. There was no announcement for the next PopFest, but I will be there and am already looking forward to it.

— John Wroblewski, online writer