áyA Con is a comic and arts festival celebrating nerd culture and cultural heritage. Held at the historic McNichols Civic Center Building in the heart of Denver, Colorado.  This year the dates will be from October 4th through October 6th with an educators day on the 4th. All are welcome to join us in a full weekend of connection, art and Indigeneity hosted by North American Indigenous peoples!

Our event focuses on sharing perspectives, celebrating differences and connecting through a shared love for art and nerd culture! We cultivate relationships and community building through opportunity and place holding. Our festival highlights comics and storytelling, illustration, traditional arts, fashion, performance and more!

About our name and logo

The word áyA is a Lakota word meaning to change to become. Our logo was designed by our co-founder/director Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand and is a crow flying into a sun composed of people and graphics presenting various forms of art supplies and hobbies-like comic books and video games. Why a crow? Crows and Ravens are among the few birds that fly through a storm instead of away from it, they are a symbol of resilience, innovation, creativity, intelligence, and loyalty. The crow flying into the sun is to represent flying out of the storm into a brighter future. 

Poster Design by Brushstroke80

2024 Festival