DOWAGIAC — Next Saturday, the Mendel Center at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor will be filled with goblins, hobbits and video game characters.

While visitors may feel as though they have stepped through a portal to another dimension, they will have instead stumbled upon an event called Fandom Fest.

The Dowagiac District Library, along with 13 other area libraries, is cosponsoring the second annual Fandom Fest, taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 9. The event is free and open to the public.

Fandom Fest is a collaboration between public libraries in southwest Michigan that celebrates fandom culture, and allows area residents to “let their geek flag fly,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

The event offers many attractions, from guest speakers and panels, video and tabletop games, cosplay costume contests, maker space activities and door prizes donated from local and national companies. Vendors, such as virtual reality and sword fighting vendors, will be on site as well.

“There are all kinds of things to do,” said Matt Weston, director of the Dowagiac District Library. “It will be lots of fun.”

Weston said the event is a celebration of all things fandom, from Star Trek and Star Wars to video games and table games, such as Dungeons and Dragons, to comic books.

Last year, the event was split into two, with the closest one taking place in at the main branch of the Cass District Library in Cassopolis. This year, the Dowagiac District Library decided to partner with more libraries and consolidate Fandom Fest into one location.

“We realized people didn’t mind going to Benton Harbor, because they were willing to drive to places like Chicago or Detroit for an event like this,” Weston said. “So, we decided to host one bigger event.”

Weston said the event is geared toward people of all ages, and that he himself enjoys the event, particularly being able to see all the unique costumes that attendants dress up in.

“Last year, I saw a character from a video game my son plays,” he said. “I also saw some ‘Lord of the Rings’ characters and ‘Assassin’s Creed’ character. … They sparked my curiosity.”

Weston said that he believes anyone who attended the 2018 Fandom Fest will enjoy themselves, whether or not they consider themselves people who need to fly their geek flag.

“Even if you don’t identify with a certain fandom, you should come anyway out of curiosity, because you are going to see a lot of interesting things,” he said. “And if you are part of a fandom, you should come just to show support for your particular fandom.”