The long-awaited festival is back, and this year it's doubling down. For the fourth consecutive year, the Dragon Festival takes over the medieval town at the gateway to the Susa Valley for the 8th edition of the Val Susa Fair of Games and Fantasy Culture. Under the patronage of the Municipality of Avigliana, the event moves from its usual one-day event, running from Saturday, July 11th from 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM to Sunday, July 12th from 10:30 AM to 7:00 PM, within the Alveare Verde park,
already a favorite among attendees during previous editions.
Kurt Vincenzi's prophetic poster hints at the theme of this year's Fair, entitled "Hegemony."
In keeping with the Festival's playful and cultural nature, it will be not only a time for gathering, sharing, and playing—in itself an act of resistance in these times—but also a moment of reflection,
in an era of geopolitical upheaval and questioning ancient alliances, on the American cultural hegemony in terms of nerd subcultures and pop culture, and on the possibility of exploring paths that can even slightly challenge this hegemony.
Here's an idea of what you'll find at the fair. We recommend following the event discussion posts closely in the coming weeks to learn more about each guest, association, booth, and scheduled activity:
As always, the event will center around the covered games area, larger than ever (over 500 square meters) and, relaunching this year, even larger than last year. It will feature board games and role-playing games (including tables for children aged 5-13), with direct access, as well as tournaments and special gaming events such as "Play with the Author," hosted by demonstrators and Dragon Pot masters, supported by friends from numerous associations in the province of Turin, and running throughout the event.
A brand new feature this year is the dedicated miniatures and prototypes area, where you can play various wargames, admire the creations of master miniaturists, and sit down to play with the authors of a wide variety of prototypes, from narrative RPGs to spectacular playable dioramas.
– The cultural aspect of the event is also very rich, with conferences, writers, illustrators, cartoonists, academics, anthropologists, and game designers, game presentations, and discussions on the recreational and educational value of these works, including panels on cultural hegemony and truly important film guests.
As always, there's room for the little ones (ages 4-12) with dedicated activities in the themed areas, dragon surprises, magical animations, the participation of the Ludobus delle Valli with games for the little ones, a junior cosplay competition, and much more.
Cosplayers and otaku will also be entertained with a gathering and a cosplay competition with prizes on the main stage, organized by the La pentola del drago association, repeating the great success of previous years with the invaluable support of Otaku Paradise and the special "Marcello and Anna Oliveri" prize with the Val di Susa band The World Avengers. A separate Facebook event will be dedicated to the competition in the coming days with full details. Additionally, themed gatherings and official event photographers are available for photoshoots, offering all cosplayers a unique experience in the evocative setting of the park.
A classic that a medieval city cannot miss: historical groups and falconry.
Hobbyists, model makers, and cultural associations are ready to enliven the fair with the wonderful secondary worlds of pop culture and fantasy.
Commercial stands selling board games and role-playing games, publishing, gadgets, memorabilia, and comics. Special attention is paid to the craftsmanship and originality of fantasy and pop culture-themed products, with workshops and live demonstrations of the booths' artisanal expertise, not to mention street food (including vegan) and artisanal gelato: this year, Dragon Alley comes to life once again.
The visual art area is being renovated and expanded, featuring a showcase of works by nationally renowned illustrators and cartoonists. Here, you can admire the art on display and their skills live, in fantastic live drawing performances. This year, the artist street is transformed into an artist dome for rain-proof entertainment.
As is tradition, the Dragon Festival also features musical accompaniment, an integral part and driving force of the fantastic and the marvelous, with a DJ set on Saturday evening and a closing concert on Sunday evening.
