The official Mysticon T-shirts bear this slogan: “Faeries and pirates and vampires, oh my!” That pretty much sums up the three-day celebration of all things faerie and fae. “This is the first three-day big con we’ve done,” explains Charles Cagiao. “We’ve been doing one- and two-day shows, faerie festivals, but basically it was just people wanting more. And then we just gave in and decided, yes, that’s what we’re going to do.”

So what can you expect from Mysticon? “You’ll see a lot of vendors who are selling faerie wings, pixie skirts and real flower laurels,” Cagiao says. “You’ll see a lot of people dressed in faerie garb.” There will also be spiritual workshops, including discussions on Native American holy traditions, shamanism, what it means to be Wiccan and much more, as well as classes on making faerie wings and leather masks, and two costume balls: a White Faerie Costume Ball and a Wicked Faerie Costume Ball.

Mysticon opens today and runs through Sunday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 2886 South Circle Drive in Colorado Springs; tickets start at $5 for kids and $15 for adults, with weekend passes available. For more information, visit www.coloradofaeriefestival.com/MYSTICON_HX7Q.html.
Jan. 21-23, 10 a.m., 2011