Cosplays and Geek Conventions: Elfia Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands

In case you haven’t noticed yet, I don´t really post in real time. I mean, I went to Spain last December and I still haven´t written about everything I did there.

However, I do make exceptions with seasonal events. And, since last week I went to Elfia Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands, I assume it would only be fair to share with you my extreme geekiness.

I decided to take a trip to Holland when my friend Nynke (if you don’t remember her, please refer to my Galway trip or my St Patrick’s Day in Ireland post) invited me to Elfia Fantasy Fair. Elfia Fantasy Fair is pretty much a super geek convention where people cosplay as fantastic characters, hang out in a Dutch castle and buy tons of nerdy memorabilia. How could I say no to that?

Elfia is one of the biggest fantasy/geek conventions in Europe. It hosts more than 22,000 visitor each year and includes costume contests, live bands, battle re-enactments and glorious food (with vegetarian options). It is not mandatory to dress up, but what would be the fun in that?

The Dressing up game

With such a clear message, it was obvious I had to wear a costume for the trip. However, when you live out of a suitcase, it is hard to find a medieval/steampunk/fairy-like dress. Not to mention the extra luggage fees. Luckily, Nynke and her twin sister are huge cosplay fans. Therefore, they let me borrow some of their pieces and I managed to put together an outfit.

Do you really want to know what was my costume? Well, try to figure out what happens when you combine a Daenarys wig + a black robe + a Ravenclaw scarf + a stick from Nynke’s garden… I can´t believe I am actually going to share this with you, but I have a journalistic commitment, so here it goes…

Yes! I dressed up as Luna Lovegood and have no regrets about it. I am a proud nerd and now the Internet knows about it. However, my costume was not the most spectacular one. Nynke spent almost a month sewing a huge skirt with fairy lights that turned her into a sort of night nymph.

Inga, her sister, had a minor wardrobe malfunction. She intended to be a Death Angel, but after her wings collapsed, she had to go for this super cool Victorian warrior attire. I thought it was a great option. Doesn’t she look badass?

The rest of our group consisted in native Americans, wizards, ghost busters and Georgie, the kid from IT, which was a complete success!

Papa-Papa-Paparazzi!

To get to Elfia, we needed to take a road trip to the other side of the country. The moment we approached to the facilities, I was not sure if I had stepped into a Fairy Tale or a Big Bang Theory Episode.

You find every costume you can possibly imagine. From standard Disney princesses, to the most unrecognisable anime character to completely original fantastic beasts.

Additionally, the place is absolutely filled with photographers eager to create a portfolio, so if your costume is decent enough, you basically become a model for a day. People take pictures of you and then they give you a card where you can check them out later and download them.

Nynke, Martin (the IT kid) and I were often stopped by in order to get a picture, either for a photographer, an eager toddler or an average fan. This was the first time I attended a festival like this, but I think now I dig geek conventions!

The Harry Potter Family

Harry Potter is a pretty big theme when it comes to geek conventions, so it was no surprise when I found plenty of my fellow Potterheads along the road.

Besides, there is something weird about the atmosphere. Maybe it’s the fantasy vibe or simply the amount of mead you find in the place. Nevertheless, the moment you see someone dress up in the same theme costume than you, you automatically bond. This awesome Malfoy girl and I just ran into each other’s arms. We had never met before.

And I cannot begin to tell you the excitement I felt when I joined this duel in the middle of the forest. Photographers around just went crazy and Bellatrix and I wondered what a chaos had we started.

Anyways, I had a lot of fun posing with this crew and, although I lacked some of the effortless grace they had, I think it kind of went well with Luna’s awkwardness. At least that’s what I keep telling myself.

Geek conventions: A happily ever after

At the end of the day the festival ended with some laser show and several bands playing in one of the multiple stages. We enjoyed some warm drinks and snacks in the food section and then danced to the rhythm of The Trouble Notes, one of our favourite bands for the day.

I don´t know much about geek conventions, but this pretty much offered everything I could imagine. Cosplays, castles, Celtic music, Viking food and a bunch of weird, weird personalities. I never got bored and if I visit the Netherlands again in the future, I would definitely give it another go at Elfia. If Nynke lets me crash in her air mattress again, of course.

Cosplay highlights

As you might know, my camera died in Croatia (rest in peace), but Nynke was awesome enough to let me borrow hers for Elfia. After all, one of the coolest geek conventions can’t go undocumented. However, it takes a while to familiarise with a new camera, and I lacked the practice I had with my old Sony Alpha. However, I managed to capture some sick costumes! I’ll leave you some of my favourites and let me know which one you liked the most.

Well, I guess I see you on the road.

Love,