The event, scheduled between Thursday, July 28 and Sunday, July 31, features merchandise, exhibitions and the chance to see celebrities, artists and authors.
Minnesotan cosplayer Ashley Shogren and her two friends from different states came to GalaxyCon in Raleigh dressed as characters from the popular show Yu-Gi-Oh, wearing colorful, spikey wigs. The group, united by their love for the series, came to the convention to see Dan Green, a voice actor for Yu-Gi-Oh.
Shogren, who credits the show for their friendship, says attending the convention and cosplaying remains a needed break from reality.
"Real life is so draining and just so hard," Shogren said. "And so being able to cosplay and go to these conventions is like a release. It's like a chance to express ourselves the way we want to - but how real life holds us back, we can't do that in general. So, conventions like this just help us express ourselves."
Cosplayer Wren Clayton and friends came to GalaxyCon dressed as characters from Arcane League of Legends, a Netflix series, and said being surrounded by others with similar interests feels comforting.
"After quarantine we haven't really seen a lot of people, and the only people we know that like to do stuff like us is each other," Clayton said. "So, when we go out and we see so many other people doing this, that are in our area, it's just comforting to know that other people are like you."
RELATED: GalaxyCon gets underway at Raleigh Convention Centers with ribbon cutting, celebrities
The GalaxyCon expo got underway at the Raleigh Convention Center with a ribbon cutting on Thursday.