What to know before heading to Phoenix Comic Fest

The annual comic festival will be held at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N 3rd St, Phoenix, from May 24-27. 

Thursday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

Friday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Passes are available online on the event's official website. The prices of the pass vary per day.

Festivalgoers will need to go to one of three check-in spots outside of the convention center to pick up or purchase passes.

Thursday: $30 

Friday: $35 

Saturday: $55 

Sunday: $40

And if you went last year and experienced the long lines, organizers are working to make sure that's not the case again. Organizers told the Arizona Republic they looked at data from last year to help anticipate when people would come, and will better staff this year.  

Originally after last year's incident, the festival organizers decided to ban all props. Those rules have been relaxed a bit, but replica weapons are not allowed.  

All attendees this year will need to go through metal detectors or be scanned with detector wands. 

Also, anyone with props will need to visit the Prop Check Station to get their items checked and tagged. Props that do not follow the guidelines will not be allowed. 

And be warned: Your costume will be thoroughly checked, most likely through both visual and metal detection. 

Props that are allowed:

Lightsabers (good news, Star Wars fans), bows, shields, any props, including armor and sword, made from foam, foam rubber, cardboard, plastic, thermoplastic, resin.

For more information, like where to park and how to purchase a photo op or autograph, check out the website's frequently asked questions page.