About Tora-Con

Staff image

Greetings from our staff!

What does "Tora" mean? RIT's mascot is the tiger, and "tiger" in Japanese is "tora". Put that together with "convention" and you get Tora-Con!

Tora-Con is an annual two-day convention in Rochester, New York celebrating anime, cosplay, and nerd culture in general. Since we began as a humble cosplay contest in 2004, Tora-Con has grown into a major event with thousands of attendees.

Every year we feature anime industry guests from around the world (yes, even Japan!), a packed schedule of fan panels, contests, major events, and performances; as well as a Dealer's Room filled with vendors selling genuine anime merchandise and an Artists Alley for artists to sell their own creations. Come enjoy a full weekend of anime-themed events, cosplay, games, and convention fun!

We welcome fans old and new, and hope you will join us for the festivities!

Important Details

Scheduling

Our next event is March 23-24, 2024. A full schedule of events will be released in the weeks leading up to the convention.

Early Friday Badge Pickup: 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. on Friday night, prior to the convention

Saturday Badge Pickup: 8 a.m. - 12 a.m. midnight

Sunday Badge Pickup: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Key Locations

Tora-Con is located on the Rochester Institute of Technology campus in Rochester, New York.

Badge pickup will be located in the Gordon Field House.

Statement

Tora-Con is a non-profit event run entirely by student volunteers from the RIT Anime Club.