Are you ready for Anime Central (ACen) this year? In less than two weeks, all anime fans, Japanese manga fans, cosplayers and video gamers will come together and party at ACen in Rosemont, Illinois for the three day convention. Held May 16-18 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare and the Donald E. Stephens Center, this is an event you don’t want to miss. With 24-hour game rooms, screenings of anime, autograph sessions, workshop panels and more, it can be hard to keep track of what’s going on. If you’ve never gone to ACen before, here are some things you should prepare for.

Water: Bring a water bottle. You will be walking around the convention center for up to three days (depending on which pass you bought). It can be expensive to buy drinks, but there are water fountains, so bring a water bottle to refill throughout the day.

Dances: There are three dances that happen at ACen. All of them have a different theme so there are options for you depending on your interest. If you’re more of a casual type, then the Masquerade Ball is perfect for you. There’s a $15 fee for it, but it’s totally worth spending. If you’re more of a rave type, head to the Soap Bubble Dance. There’s a long wait, so get there early, or have someone save your spot. The Soap Bubble is the place to go with friends and dance the night away. With laser lights and cool DJs, this is one dance anyone can have fun in. If you’re hardcore raver and over 21, then the hardcore Synergy Dance is for you. Go crazy and wild with your friends because the DJs are ready to party with you.

Cosplayers: Everyone typically decides to dress up for ACen as their favorite anime characters, manga characters or video game characters, but you don’t have to. You can show up as you are; all types of fans go to ACen and you don’t need to feel left out if you don’t dress up. You can be a hardcore fan and make your own weapons (which you will see) or even go half-and -half and just wear a wig. People from all over come and join together in their love for ACen, that it doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you have fun. People might stop you and take a picture with you if you have an amazing cosplay, or you might find yourself taking photos of others.

Contests: If you cosplay, you can also enter into contests to see who has the best outfit at the convention. You can also enter a contest where you can build your own Gundam model. If you like making slogans, why not participate in the Got Soap contest to have your ACen slogan printed on all official ACen T-shirts for next year?

Merchandise/Artist alley: If you saved your money up, this is the place to bring it. There will be vendors from all over who have come to display their work. There will be action figures, anime wigs, manga comics, DVDs and more. If you like a certain anime, there are artists who come and draw their own renditions of the anime and manga that you just might want to buy. From pillows to costumes, and buttons to posters, there’s going to be something that catches your eye.

Musical Acts: ACen always brings in some amazing artists to the convention and this year they will be having the groups Wake Up, Girls!, Nobuo Uematsu and Arnie Roth, as well as Angela, who will be performing throughout the convention. If you don’t know who any of these people are, look them up on YouTube and see which one tickles your fancy.

All in all, ACen is a place you can geek out once a year and hang out with people who love the same things you do. Whether you go one or all three days, there will always be something to do. These are only a few things to get ready for, but don’t take my word for it. Go see for yourself how fun ACen really is, and if it’s your first time, try everything!