Cash Only Entry fee:  $5 per person; $10 per person in the pro category; Groups: each person of group pays $5

Rules:

All costumes must be family friendly.

· Profanity and anything deemed racially or culturally offensive will not be allowed. Politically charged and/or discriminatory cosplays or props will not be allowed. Along with negative statements towards other contestants, judges, or staff will not be allowed.

· All costumes must cover "swimsuit areas" – no nudity.

Contestants under the age of 18 need a parent or legal guardian present at the cosplay competition to sign a waiver in order for that contestant to compete in the cosplay contest.

The contest is open to characters from published works—this includes movies, TV shows, comic books, cartoons, video games, and card games. Original interpretations and characters  (e.g., Steampunk Batman) are also accepted.

Contestants are not allowed to throw anything off the stage (including themselves), nor use projectiles or use anything on stage that will leave a mess. This includes (but is not limited to) liquids, glitter, and confetti. If you have a question about something you want to do, feel free to ask any HFKCC Staff member or ask at the Chelsea Quinn Cosplay/ Bootheel Batfam Booths. All participants are encouraged to keep at least one foot on the stage at all times.

Costume Weapons:

·  Must be peace bound

·  No real firearms

·  Staff + law enforcement may inspect any and all weapons at any time.

No pyrotechnics, fire, explosive devices, live animals, or similar special effects can be used during the competition; this includes smoke/smog machines and flash paper/powder.

Be prepared for the judges to ask you questions about your creation process and to inspect your costume.

Key judging criteria include: 

Creativity & Originality: How unique, imaginative, and inventive the costume is compared to others. 

Craftsmanship & Effort: The quality of construction, attention to detail, and time invested in making the costume. 

Authenticity/Accuracy: How well the costume represents the character, theme, or, in some cases, historical accuracy. 

Presentation/Performance: The participant's ability to embody the character through acting, posing, or walking on stage. 

Overall Impression: The final "wow factor" and, for themed contests, adherence to the specific theme.  

Costume contest judging criteria generally evaluate participants on creativity, originality, craftsmanship, and presentation, with scores often weighted towards effort and accuracy. Common categories include, but are not limited to, how unique the concept is, the quality of construction, and the ability to embody the character, typically scored on a numerical scale. 

Categories:

Pro Category: 50-75% of costume must be homemade.

Age group category:

·  Little to no contest experience

·  Less than 50% of costume is homemade.

·  15 and under; 16 and up.

Groups: 2 or more individuals making up a group cosplay (i.e. The Scooby Gang, Harry Potter and friends, etc.)

Prizes:

1st and 2nd receive a cash prize (HFKCC Con Cash) along with a 2026 HFKCC Costume Contest Medal.

3rd receives a 2026 HFKCC Costume Contest Medal.

. . .

Contest Line-up starts at 2:45 at the front entrance to the con for Costume Parade. (Anyone in costume may join the parade, at the end of the line behind the contestants)

Parade will finish up in theater for the contest around 3pm