Winter might be coming, but not for this Richmond festival.
The Vanhoover Pony Expo will offer a respite from the wet, cold and wintry Metro Vancouver weather in January 2020 with its tropical theme, and invites My Little Pony fans of all ages to join in the celebration.
This year’s theme, “Tropical Canada,” invites attendees to take a break from the Canadian winter with white-sand beaches, palm trees and warm ocean waves.
“We invite attendees to come join our convention mascots Sunny Showers and Trail Blazer as they host the Princesses of Caneighda, Princess Apricity and Princess Poutine, on a tropical January getaway right in the heart of Richmond,” said convention chair Rob Harrison in a press release.
This is the second year that Richmond has hosted the expo. And while the event schedule hasn’t been finalized yet, there’s a lot on — both returning and new things — this year, according to Max Gardiner, the expo’s media liason.
The Children’s Room, featuring tropical-themed crafts and games, and annual charity auction where attendees can bit on various donated items of pony merchandise or art, will both return this year, along with the Ice Cream Social (separate ticket likely required), and “Plushie Pile,” said Gardiner.
On Saturday, Jan. 11, the expo has a concert lineup featuring musicians from the My Little Pony fandom, Gardiner added. The expo will also have a video game and tabletop gaming room, with several tournaments for different pony and non-pony related games.
There will also be at least one panel regarding the series finale of the current run of My Little Pony, which airs Oct. 12, and what the future of the community will look like, said Gardiner.
Special guests will be at the expo to sign autographs and participate in Q&A panels with attendees, said Gardiner.
And the first two of Vanhoover Pony Expo’s guests have been confirmed: actress Chiara Zanni, who voices Daring Do; and artist PixelKitties, who is best known for her work creating unique autograph images for the cast and crew of My Little Pony, according to the press release.
The Vanhoover Pony Expo takes place Jan. 10 – 12, 2020 at Richmond’s Executive Airport Hotel on Westminster Highway and Alderbridge Way.
Registration and hotel booking are now open. Children 12 and under attend for free, but registration and accompanying guardian are required.
For more information, visit vanhoover.ca.
