For one weekend each year, the Reitz Union turns into something entirely different.
Students in wigs and handmade costumes spill through the hallways; music leaks from ballrooms; panels, performances and meetups run nearly nonstop across two days.
That transformation is SwampCon — the University of Florida’s free, student-run pop culture convention.
“It’s the public library of conventions,” said Adin Beal, the convention’s event coordinator.
The comparison comes from its mission to keep fandom accessible. Unlike most major conventions, SwampCon does not charge admission, relying instead on university funding and support. In recent years, the event has drawn roughly 4,000 attendees across both weekends, with more than half coming from outside UF.
Organizing an event of that scale takes months of preparation. Planning begins as early as August, with 13 teams overseeing everything from budgeting and guest coordination to marketing and stage production.
Beal, who once served as treasurer, said coordinating all of those moving parts while staying on top of classes can feel like an extra job layered onto college life. When asked how he balances it, he answered simply: “I don’t.”
Still, he said the late nights and long to-do lists feel worth it when he sees crowds lining up outside the Reitz.
“There’s literally not a single hour of the day where something isn’t happening,” he said.
One of the busiest rooms of the weekend belongs to Maid Café, a long-running SwampCon staple that blends themed table service with live dance performances. Attendees are seated in short, 15-minute sessions and then treated to a choreographed routine from the café’s cast of maids and butlers.
Miranda Fernandez-Breto, a graduating senior majoring in zoology with a dance minor, has spent years performing and choreographing for the café. This year’s show may be her last.
“It’s kind of bittersweet,” she said. “Meeting all these really lovely people and being able to dance together and perform, it’s just been a really good experience.”
Maid Café performers do more than rehearse choreography. The dresses are sewn by the students who make them during organized sessions. Butler outfits are assembled separately, with some performers even crafting their own accessories.
Fernandez-Breto said the performances are brief, making them accessible for attendees.
“It’s really short, and you can go with your friends and just hang out,” she said. “You get to see a fun little performance and support your community at school.”
Beyond Maid Café, large-scale stage productions help define the weekend’s lineup. Among them is CosPoi, a flow arts performance group founded by students who first connected through SwampCon. The group blends poi — a traditional prop adapted into modern flow arts — with theatrical dance to create story-driven performances.
Riley Mixson, CosPoi’s founder, has been part of SwampCon for most of her life.
“I’ve been attending SwampCon for 14 years,” she said. “I like to say that I went [to UF] because of SwampCon.”
Mixson joined SwampCon staff as a student and eventually served as panel coordinator, event coordinator and Maid Café co‑coordinator. CosPoi began as a special event at the convention before growing into a recurring main event that now performs on Sunday evenings.
For Mixson, SwampCon’s identity is tied to its openness, both financially and socially.
“There is absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain,” she said. “Let yourself really enjoy something.”
SwampCon runs Saturday and Sunday at the Reitz Union. Both days begin at 11 a.m., and admission is free.