Mark your calendars for June 8 and 9 to attend the Penti-Con, happening this year at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre.

According to a release from Lillian Wilson, chair of the Penti-Con Association, organizers are excited to welcome back myriad activities, competitions, vendors and guests. As they looked to expand the event from previous years, a change of venue became necessary.

Related: Penti-Con making a bigger return next year

“This year the running theme is Ancient Egypt. The venue underwent a change when it was decided to step into the larger venue after hosting the first year at the Penticton Lakeside Resort for only a single day,” wrote Wilson. “It was a wise choice and a huge success, they garnered just under a thousand attendees but with over 60 vendors, an all-day games room, a full stage area and two running panel rooms — there was no lack of things to see or do.”

New this year, the event will run for later hours and offer more 18+ content and late-night gaming. Organizers are also waiting to hear if Penticton city council will approve their grant proposal “as they hope to bring in a celebrity guest or two, but that all depends on funding.”

Related: Weekend of comics, cosplay, sci-fi and more in Penticton

“Everyone always asks if we can bring in larger known guests and we would absolutely love to but most of them have a price tag of $8,000 and up. Definitely not cheap,” said organizers in the release. “We’re happy that even without a big name, we have lots for our attendees to do and we’re excited to continue partnering with local businesses to highlight how fantastic our community and city are.”

Tickets for the Penti-Con 2019 are not yet on sale, but more information about the event can be found at www.thepenti-con.org.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.