What’s your niche?
Photo by foxgrrl
We all have our varied interests, and in the last few years I have discovered that, no matter how obscure or unlikely, every interest seems to have a convention or gathering for enthusiasts. I attend a few knitting conventions, including the Stitches West and Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. And this week, I’ll be in Portland, Oregon, with hordes of other sock-knitting enthusiasts, attending the first-ever Sock Summit. (Rumors claim that it’s going to be the Woodstock of sock knitting!) It doesn’t really get more niche than sock knitting, I think. I’ve also attended a couple of science-fiction conventions, and I’m hoping to earn my badge as a geek once I finally attend my first Star Trek convention.
Not to make it sound like all convention-goers bear knitting needles and/or Spock ears. There are also golf conventions (like the Portland Golf Show), Steamcon (for steampunk enthusiasts), airsoft conventions, fly-fishing shows, and music festivals like Coachella. If you have an interest, you can bet there’s a convention for it, and better yet—other enthusiasts! (In the interest of spreading the word about all things niche-y, there are also podcasts on just about every topic you can think of.)
The best part of hobby-focused conventions, for me, is meeting like-minded people. Clearly, there is a bond of common interest between all in attendance that brings people together who may otherwise be very different. That makes for great conversations, and frequently, lasting friendships.
So what’s your niche? And what gatherings have you attended in pursuit of your hobbies?
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National Scrabble Championship this weekend in Dayton, Ohio — 500 entrants playing 30+ games of Scrabble over 5 days….
I love writing. And I’ve participated in the Office of Letters & Light’s NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month – where you write 50,000 words in 30 days) and Script Frenzy (100 pages in 30 Days).
WGI Percussion world championships!
I attended comicon and have always been an advid comic enthusiast! One of my coolest collectibles have always been punisher and lady death
A knitter, a Scrabble player, and a percussionist! I like you guys already
I am a classical singer and composer. There are conventions for both, but the one convention that I would like to attend once in my life is the Twins Days in Twinsburg, Ohio. It’s always held near our birthday, and we’re already from the East Coast, so it’s just a road trip away.
Anime? Anime Weekend Atlanta in September I think. P=
Okay, unless there’s a violin convention then I guess I have none. Haha.
Thankyou ‘jo’!
YAY!
because of your comment about the twin festival. my twin brother and I will probably go to it!
My niche would have to be ocarina playing, I got my first ocarina about 2 weeks ago, and I’ve been wearing it around my neck nearly 24/7, however, I do have to say that it’s a bit heavy to wear around your neck all the time.
By the way, my friend Jacob is a huge fan of airsoft, if there’s a big skirmish going on anywhere in the state, he’s there, and he always comes back with a souvenir; bruises all over.
If you are anywhere on the east coast you MUST at least once in your life come to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival. In knitting circles it is just known as “Rhinebeck”. It is a must see for knitters! It is in mid-October.
Biology! I took my first class this year and have found my true love. I study it constantly.
Love horror movies, I make it a point to attend fangoria each year! Always great crowds there! Some of these big scary guys you see on the big screen are real softies!!
omg i live in portland
nvr been 2 a convention
i guess i really lyk drawing
Vintage motorcycles and the shows are the mid ohio show during the summer and the daytona fl show.
Well, I’d have to say Final Fantasy! I’ve ALWAYS wanted to go to the Janicon convention and see CJ Collins cosplay Kefka…a dream of mine. Of course, I think LARPing is one of the coolest/geekiest/niche-iest things, and I attend Wyvern Rising in North eastern PA!!! How about C++ programming? Any conventions for that?
Anime is mine :]
I go to conventions too :]
I love making costumes and like you said, meeting friends with like interests. It makes me feel very welcome.
movies. i’ve always loved the film industry. ever since i can remember i’ve watched the oscar awards. it’s what inspired me to be an actress.
In my case, there are 2 special gatherings I enjoy every year: The National Book Fair (for my bookwormy soul), and the Annual Meeting of the ATA (Argentine Tolkien Association, in case you were wondering).
The Book Fair is a must for me to go and spend too much money on books – luckily I get teacher discounts, but still, my April budget suffers LOL.
The ATA Meeting is just great. Although I don’t wear a costume to attend (at least so far), many others do, and I enjoy sharing the spirit of JRR Tolkien’s works with my fellow fans of fantastic literature. There are always some very talented artists, good food and music, so it’s a fun event
I’m good with writing, languages, and grammar. Stuff like that. That’s my “thing”, I guess you could say. D:
I love collecting diecast cars, especially NASCAR stock cars. I have literally thousands of them!!
One day, I hope to make my collection of cars a set of REAL cars!!
I’m into art of all kinds: performing arts, visual art, vocal performance, performing in general, music, dancing, and literature.
But I can’t stand artists. They’re all cocky musicians, actors, singers, people who think they’ll make it in this world as a celebrity because they can paint by the book or remember words and put them in a melody…silly people. Getting nowhere. We’re all slaves to the arts. And we hate it, and we hate each other, but we can’t leave. Oh no. Not now anyway.
Macroeconomics is my hobby. I am writing a book about its theory, which is almost complete. The results are of great interest to anybody who REALLY want to understand what makes our national society work.
My niche is anime in the maritimes, called animeratime
I like writing, photography and film. I haven’t attended any conventions for any but I would really like to someday. If anybody knows of any that exists, please let me know!
Thanks. I like this blog too, I would have never thought there was a sock knitting convention.
How about the Rocky Mt. Oyster Festival. For Lamb’s Fry enthusiasts. Definelty the Woodstock of wierd foods.
If you don’t know what lamb’s Fry is, Google it.
There are no conventions or whatsoever here in the middle east
or middle earth as Bruno would say ^^
not to mention of how poorly lots of people are informed due to the limitation of religious believes
BAAAAAAWWWW!!
My niche is that I am very good at school. I also take very good care of my health. I am very good linguistically and I am an EXCELLENT actress!
I don’t have a “niche”.
I haven’t had a chance to go to any Sci-Fi / Tech conventions but would like to. None in my area that I know of. I love Drawing, Painting, Writing and anything creative in that respect. Thank you for this blog, because of this, I’m going to get out there and do things more kin to like minded people.
I promote PROCRASTINATING!
Procrastinators are all around. – We get the least credit.
Consider “that paint job” that has been left undone until the rainshower that required it be finished yesterday. – Do you see the urgency of this job?
I manage my chapter of Procrastinators’ Club of America.
PROCRASTINATORS…… We’re behind you all the way!
I go to Anime conventions! Several times a year in fact. And to the Fantasy fair! If I find some other hobby that has conventions I’ll probably add that to my list as well…
FURRY FUREVER!
Mine is origami, and there’s been a convention for it in June that I went to at the Fashion Institute of New York. That was pretty amazing, there were courses for beginners and experts alike, we got to shop for cool prints and various different sized papers. There were also displays of origami from experts who’ve designed their own origami and there were tons of books for sale about how to fold just about anything imaginable. That was really fun, I bought like 4-5 books and I’m still leafing through them right now.
I am a sax player, reasonablly proffesional rock climber, and some other third thing that i havent really discovered yet
My niche? Ahmm…my passion is music. I used to be part of a chorale group in our university in the Philippines. I’m Tenor 1….hehehehe. I sing different genres.
I’m also good at playing LIneage2…it’s the only online game that I’ve been playing for the 5 years both private and retail. Atm, I’m playing in Lineage2 SEA Retail server.
Hmm, now I gotta find me an Origami convention… I wanna fold some hard core, fingernail-breaking stuff, like ancient deities, dragons with numerous scales and pirate ships. Paper is an amazing thing. I’m gonna look up ALL my little niches and hobbies and see if there are conventions for them now! I don’t know what this has to do with yahoo answers but thanks for the idea!
please try to not match me at this’s person.
Writing. I participate in the yearly National Novel Writing Month (where you write 50,000 words in 30 days), and I’m currently attending weekly “writing sessions” with a couple of friends who also write.
I am a Friends of the Library member. I am a book worm. My town is doing a birthday party for the town, 125 years old, and the library picked up 3 special meetings, or the Friends would meet 4 times a year. Yours sound like a lot of fun. Have a good day. Truly, Susan D. S.