This past weekend I took myself on an Artist Date to FaerieCon. If you know the Cons then you know they are for people who are really really into whatever Con they relate to. In this case all things related to the Faerie (or Fairy!) Realm: Faeries, Elves, Mermaids, Goddesses and other woodland creatures. I would even factor in Norsemen, Druids, Knights and other Midieval folks. Essentially, its the hotel version of Middle Earth. 
It was my first visit to one of these and I saw lots of people dressed to the max in amazing costumes, You see them first hanging outside on real earth which seems off if only because its not October anymore. If you didn't have a costume and wanted one, then you were in the right place. There was a full array of artist's booths with folks selling their artwork and wear. This was not your Halloween pop-up store. The costume-wear here was often handmade and high quality with a price tag to match. Velvet gown with Renaissance sleeves? No problem! Corset for your gorgeous handmade wired Faerie Wings? Take your pick. And the velvet jacket with the phases of the moon burned out on the back? That will be $400, thank you, its a one-of-a-kind. You could go small too, because while FaerieCon is for the magical kids inside of us, its also for actual kids! On Sunday, the last day of the event, it's Family Day and kids get in free! I saw many, mostly little girls, of varying sizes running around all decked out in wings and flouncy skirts. Once again, if your little elf was lacking proper attire there was plenty of it to choose from. I snatched up an adorable skirt and wristlet set with pink ribbons and roses for my own (winged) creature who was not with me this time.
If you just want to dip your toe or ear in the Faerie realm, then there was plenty of artwork to look at including jewelry, sculpture, paintings, drawings and such as well as masks and a vast array of ear cuffs for mermaids, faeries, elves, and dwarves. For a future costume, I couldn't resist getting myself a most enchanting pair of handmade leaves.
Its not just showing off costumes and exhibitors either. There are programs ongoing throughout the event featuring musicians, artists and authors, as well as workshops, fashion shows and contests. And both Friday and Saturday nights of the weekend featured Good-Faery and Bad-Faery (respectively) Masquerade Balls which sold out long before the event.
So if you ever crave to spend time in an actual magical realm, I think this is as close as you can get. Its an incredibly satisfying real world 3-D (vs. 2-D Electronic Device) experience. Soak it in while you can because Faerie Con comes around only once a year, unless you want to travel to the other coast. If you're up for a bit of a spectacle, or you are in dire need of a Hobbit Cloak, this is where you can find one!