Anime Weekend Atlanta is a convention celebrating and promoting the art of Japanese anime and manga. Dating back to 1995 this four-day event is now ranked as the largest anime con in the Southeast and seventh largest in the country. Artists and fans coming from all over the country and the world converge on the Renaissance Waverly Hotel from September 30th to October 2nd to enjoy a variety of events, panels, concerts, and a Dealer’s Room which takes up over 72,000 square feet of space. Con attendees can peruse a vast selection of anime and manga related items from a seemingly endless number of vendors. With last year’s con hosting over 25,000 attendees, this convention has grown every year since its inception. In celebrating the history of cosplay at this convention the AWA has a gallery of some of the greatest cosplay costumes worn at previous conventions. Above, Keith, 36, and Victoria, 33, host the Anime Weekend Atlanta's Cosplay Gallery on Friday Sept. 30 2016. Both from Atlanta, Keith is in his 17th year of attending the con while Victoria is in her 8th year. Both now volunteer their time to help promote their love for anime, manga, and cosplay.