LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville’s first Anime-Fest was held on Sunday. Vendors, voice actors and super fans came out to make the most of their afternoon.

What You Need To Know

  • Louisville’s first Anime-Fest was held on Sunday

  • Over 3,000 attended from across the region

  • Many came to cosplay, lip-sync and shop 

  • The next anime event in Louisville is in October 

Katrina Gwinn is a full-time fiber artist. 

“I’ve got lots of plushies, I’ve got accessories and home décor. Pretty much anything you could want,” said Gwinn. 

Gwinn started crocheting four years ago and hasn’t looked back. 

“I originally started only following other people’s patterns, because I didn’t feel confident enough in my work,” Gwinn said. “But now that I’ve been doing it for several years, I’ve kind of been able to expand and see what my interests are to be able to make my own patterns.”

Now, they’re a full-time artist traveling the country to sell their creations.

“We are at the very first Louisville anime-fest. Very exciting,” said Gwinn. 

Gwinn is one of over sixty vendors who set up a ‘pop-up’ shop for the one-day festival. 

Many attendees dressed up for the occasion. Daisy from Super Mario, Raven from Teen Titans, and Sailor Moon were a few costumes seen during the festival. 

Over 3,000 Kentuckians came out to see voice actors, cosplay, have lip-synching contests and, of course, shop.

“It’s not for geeks anymore. It’s not for nerds, it’s for the family,” said show manager Carmine DeSanto. “It’s a good time to come out, dress up like your favorite anime character, play some trivia or video game and just have a good time.”

Up next for Gwinn and their fellow vendors is Anime-Fest in Sarasota, Florida. 

The next anime gathering in Louisville is the Cosplay Walk later this year. It is scheduled for October at the Big Four Bridge.