Cosplays and Geek Conventions: Elfia Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz32pCBgIuI

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Yes, shame on me.

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?

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Sort of a Renaissance Fair, but with Sci-Fi and Fantasy.

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?

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
There was so much to see!
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
There is also no age restriction, isn’t that awesome?

The Dressing up game

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlandss
My roommate, ladies and gentlemen. Subtle as usual.

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…

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Blond is so not my colour

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Isn’t it awesome??

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?

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Oh yeah, and they are twins, so… Double trouble?

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

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
The Ghost Buster girl, Simkje, even had her own background music!
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
And this is the whole squad: 7 Dutchies and a Mexican.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Isn’t this creepy and amazing at the same time? Photo by Inge Bouma

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Maybe we should have gone as the Justice League…

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

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Seriously, it was like a second Disneyland.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Nymphs? Fairies? Elves? Who knows, they look cool!

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Photo by: Bert Jan Schaapherder

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Wasn’t her cosplay awesome??

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Yes, it felt like a family reunion.

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 Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Even Hagrid and Dumbledore joined the party. It was magical =’)

Geek conventions: A happily ever after

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
I don’t know if they sold old-fashioned medicine or drinks.

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
These guys were seriously good! Look for them in YouTube

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.

geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Also, cosplayers were always happy to pose for my pictures!
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
I kind of want to wear a corsette one day.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Her costume was one of the coolest in the fair!
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
I practically stalked this guy just because my boyfriend Conor is a big fan.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
Winter is coming.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
I can’t forget this incredible Maui cosplay! You’re welcome.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
We asked this guy if he was cosplaying George R.R. Martin. He said he didn’t know who that was.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
A bit blurry, but too good to leave behind.
geek conventions Elfia 2017 Netherlands
There were like 7 Jack Sparrows around. I’m pretty sure one of them was a woman. Can’t tell which one.

Well, I guess I see you on the road.

Love,

The Dreampacker signature

 

16 comments on “Cosplays and Geek Conventions: Elfia Fantasy Fair in the Netherlands

  1. Wow this seems like a lot of fun. You look great btw 🙂 I loved how simple a guy could dress as Jonas from the Dark. I hope the yellow hood is that character.

  2. okay, so i’ve never really been to any convention that requires cosplay like comicon or anything similar.. but then again, i think it’s not because i’m not interested in something like that. it looks like a lot of fun to play costume, but then i feel like i’m too lazy to actually take some efforts in order to look like the character for real. 😛

    not that i’ve never been to any costume party or whatsoever, i have been to a few, and the costumes that i usually chose were always those that didn’t take much effort for me to represent the character. i secretly hope someone would sponsor me to do it so that i don’t need to rely on myself to get in costume correctly. haha. 😀

    1. I completely understand you, Marya! I am lazy as well, especially after seeing all the amazing costumes people make! If I hadn’t had my roommate’s help, I would probably have dressed up as a Mexican tourist XD It would be sooooo cool to have a costume sponsor! I would go to many more geek conventions if I had one. Thanks for reading!
      Dann Castillo recently posted…Best libraries and bookshops I visited in 2017My Profile

  3. I’ve never been to a cosplay held outdoors,that looks fun! I’ve only been to the ones held in convention centers, that’s fun too but I guess the nature factor in this one and Netherlands awesome landscape is such a lovely bonus!

  4. The Elfia fantasy fair in Netherlands sounds awesome! So much fun! I am not very into manga or heroes figures etc but I love to dress up! I attended to a manga and cosplay festival in Osaka in Japan a couple of years ago and it was an incredible experience! If I ever get the chance to attent to Elfia fantasy fair I will definitely not miss it!

  5. This looks like a lot of fun! I’m quite a geek with some of these shows, and would love the chance to dress up like it for the day! My favourite is Game of Thrones, and I can’t decide on who I’d want to go as!

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