ATLANTA – Dragon Con, the internationally renowned science fiction, fantasy and gaming convention, returns to downtown Atlanta on Labor Day weekend, attracting an estimated 72,000 pop culture enthusiasts from around the world.

The five-day event begins August 29 and runs through Monday, September 2, at five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree and Courtland Grand – as well as AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

This year’s guests include a trio of living legends: John Cleese, Walter Koenig and action movie icon Danny Trejo. They will be joined by fan favorites such as Giancarlo Esposito, Jodie Whittaker from “Doctor Who,” Marvel stars Vincent D’Onofrio and Cobie Smulders, Disney Princess Ming-Na Wen and Nathan Fillion and Alan Tudyk from “Firefly.” In addition, comic book legend Jim Steranko and puppeteer Karen Prell will join the Fraggle Rock puppets in panel discussions, book signings and special events to engage fans.

For those with nostalgic memories of the 1980s, the cast of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, including Barry Gordon, Cam Clarke, Renae Jacobs, Rob Paulsen and Townsend Coleman, will reunite at the convention.

Dragon Con is also known for its extensive gaming offerings, spread across more than seven acres in AmericasMart Building Three, with additional programming at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel. This year, the convention will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons with special events, panels and appearances by key figures such as Luke Gygax, the son of D&D creator Gary Gygax. The latest D&D-based video game sensation, Baldur’s Gate III, will also be well represented by its voice actors.

The highly anticipated Dragon Con Parade will take place in downtown Atlanta at 10 a.m. on August 31. A colorful array of costumes will be showcased along a route that remains unchanged from previous years. The parade is free and open to the public, with streaming options available through DCTV and Dragon Con’s streaming membership.

PHOTOS: Dragon Con Parade 2023 takes over downtown Atlanta

Attendees can look forward to several cosplay contests, including the Dragon Con Masquerade, the Friday Night Costume Contest, and the fan-voted Hallway Costume Contest.

The official charity this year is the Georgia chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. Dragon Con aims to raise significant funds for the foundation through auctions, merchandise sales and other charitable events, with the convention matching a dollar for every dollar raised up to $125,000. Over the past decade, Dragon Con has donated more than $1.3 million to Atlanta charities.

In addition to fundraising, Dragon Con will also host the largest blood drive in the country, with proceeds benefiting LifeSouth, which serves hospitals in the Atlanta area and the Southeast. Last year, the Robert A. Heinlein Pay It Forward blood drive collected more than 6,000 units of blood and blood products from 3,000 donors.