‘Can’t help but smile’: Thousands attend Lincoln’s first ever Nerd Fest

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Thousands packed into Sandhills Global Event Center over the weekend for a new kind of fun.

From costumes to drones, Lincoln’s Nerd Fest brought together a wide range of fans under one roof.

“We really wanted to start a community event,” said Rich, one of the organizers. “Lincoln doesn’t really have anything con-wise, so bringing nerdy vendors, tournaments, video games, everything together in one spot was the goal, and that’s what it exploded into.”

Organizers wanted to show off the nerd community around the capital city, and after seven months of hard work, the event exceeded all expectations.

With a cosplay parade, lots of entertainment and so much more, participation was more than expected.

“Our goal as a team was to have like 2,000 people come out, we really crushed it the first day,” Rich said. “We were so excited to see so many people come through. For our first year, we had no idea who was going to come. And they were ready to come back today.”

Many vendors and artists were there to build community and showcase their talents.

Some partnered together to host a toy drive, while others took the opportunity to teach younger generations about Esports and different games.

And for those who attended the fest, it was a perfect weekend.

“Everybody that you come in contact with has a giant smile on their face,” said Chris, one of the organizers. “Everybody has been super positive, their experiences have been great. Even with being super tired, getting everything set up, not getting a lot of sleep, you just can’t help but smile because you see how much everybody is enjoying themselves.”