Fans from East Tennessee and beyond went to Gatlinburg for a weekend filled with panels, shopping and unique experiences.
The Smoky Mountain Fan Fest kicked off on Saturday with panels with Dragon Ball Z stars, a photo opportunity with actors from The Mandalorian, a cosplay contest and a celebrity karaoke after-party to wrap it all up. During the after-party, officials said celebrities could come and go while mingling with fans.
On Sunday, fans will have a chance to take pictures with The Gunn Club, a popular group of wrestlers, and see panels with people who worked on major properties like Mortal Kombat and The Sandlot.
"You come to this place and it doesn't matter what walk of life you're from, where you're from, what your social status or what any of those other things might be," said Ty Shute, who helped organize the event. "You come here, you're with a loving crowd. Everybody here is so nice and they want to be friendly."
Organizers also said that the event is their first "big convention," and said their goal was to give everyone a fun experience that they wouldn't forget. On Friday, they spent the day getting ready at the Gatlinburg Convention Center.
"It's just such a good, accepting and loving environment for everybody," said Shute. "In this world nowadays, you don't get very many of those."