Cradle-Con: A Comic, Collectible and Pop Culture Con

Introducing

The Cereal Club at Cradle-Con – Retro toons. Classic games. Infinite cereal.

Remember when the biggest decision of your weekend was which cereal to eat while watching cartoons? Relive the magic at The Cereal Club, a Cradle-Con exclusive add-on featuring retro cartoons on loop, classic Nintendo gameplay (Super Mario 1–3), and an all-you-can-eat cereal bar packed with sugary favorites.

For just $10, you’ll get unlimited cereal, a commemorative bowl (while supplies last), and access to Hangar 2’s ultimate nostalgia zone—then go meet special guests behind some of your favorite animated characters in our guest and artist alley!

Because growing up is optional.

Saturday & Sunday, May 17-18, 2025, 10 am–5 pm

All proceeds support our education and preservation programs.

Advance Tickets
Adults $25.00, Kids $12.00, Weekend Pass $40.00

At the Door
Adults $30.00, Kids $15.00, Weekend Pass $45.00

Add on - Cereal Bar - $10.00

Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10 am - 5 pm
And did we mention FREE Parking?!!

Cradle-Con 2025 - Saturday & Weekend Pass Tickets
Cradle-Con 2025 - Sunday & Weekend Pass Tickets

Cradle-Con is Long Island’s non-profit, comic, collectible, and pop culture convention, built by fans, for fans.

The Cradle of Aviation Museum is proud to present an event that is a pure celebration of all things comic book culture. It is an opportunity for COMIC READERS to meet and greet local comic book creators, for COLLECTORS on the hunt for rare books and toys to shop some of the best vendors, for COSPLAYERS to gather and celebrate their favorite fandoms and for RETRO GAMERS to get their game on! This spectacular yet intimate experience allows fans of all ages to gather, socialize, and be passionate about what they love. And it's a beautiful day out for FAMILIES with lots of activities for kids.

This is...Cradle-Con.

Proceeds benefit the museum's Preservation and Education Programs.

Thanks to our Media Sponsor, News12 Long Island

Library passes are not valid for Cradle-Con weekend.

2025 Guests

Dozens of Local Artists

Great Vendors

Cosplay Groups

Cosplay Guests

Adult and Kids Cosplay Contests with cash prizes!

Adult and Kids Cosplay Contests with Great Prizes!
Adult cosplay contest on Saturday for ages 17+. Pre-judging at 11 am and 1 pm, contest at 4 pm on the main stage. $500 first place prize. Kids cosplay contest on Sunday for ages 17 and under. Pre-judging at 11 am and 1 pm, contest at 4 pm on the main stage. $250 first place prize. Visit https://CradleCon.com/Cosplay for rules.

You can pre-register for the cosplay contests here:

Adult Cosplay Pre-Registration, Ages 17+
Kids Cosplay Pre-Registration, Ages 17 and under

Retro Arcade

The Arcade Age Exhibit

Our popular Arcade Exhibit will be out with over 60 arcade cabinets all set to free-play! Come get your '80s on!

Saturday Panels & stuff to do!

Theater - Main Stage

11:30 am - 40 Years of Thundercats and Silverhawks with Larry Kenney, Peter Newman, Lynne Lipton, and Pete Cannarozzi
12:30 pm - The Crow with James O’Barr
1:30 pm - Ken Landgraf and The Wolverine
2:30 pm - Al Milgrom and The Spectacular Spider-Man
4:00 pm - Adult Cosplay Contest (ages 17+) $500 first place prize! Pre-judging at 11 am and 1 pm

Panel and Activity Room

11:30 am - Take a Trek through the Stars with USS Iwo Jima cosplay group
12:00 pm - Perler Beads, make Pixel Power Logos from ThunderCats and GI Joe
1:00 pm - ‘80s Cartoon Shrinky Dinks - Color, shrink, and take them home!
2:00 pm - Perler Beads, make Pixel Power Logos from ThunderCats and GI Joe
3:00 pm - ‘80s Cartoon Shrinky Dinks - Color, shrink, and take them home!

Star Wars Zone and Activities

Photo-ops all day with the 501st Legion, Saber Guild Endor Temple, and Rebel Legion Echo Base.

11:30 am - Padawan Training with Saber Guild Endor Temple
1:00 pm - Lion Dance with Authentic Shaolin Kung Fu and Shifu Gregg Zilb
2:00 pm - Padawan Training with Saber Guild Endor Temple
3:00 pm - Adult Lightsaber Choreography with Saber Guild Endor Temple

The Cosplay Zone and Cosplay Stage

Saturday in the Cosplay Zone

Fallout with Pros and Cons Industries - Enter Vault 5 and check out their Armors
NY Avengers - Meet Earth’s mightiest heroes, featuring giveaways and a charity raffle
Long Island Tardis - Take a photo in Doctor Who’s time and space traveling police box
USS Iwo Jima - Meet the New York-based Star Trek Fan Group
Find our featured cosplayers roaming the cosplay zone and stage area

The Cosplay Stage (Saturday and Sunday, 10-5)

Cosplay Showcase
Karaoke (open mic in between scheduled performances)
Performances
Trivia
Photography
Book some time here!

Please check the box office screens and poster signage for the Cosplay Stage schedule!

Sunday Panels & stuff to do!

Theater - Main Stage

12:00 pm - GI Joe with Larry Hama
1:00 pm - Celebrity Death Match with Carl Paolino
1:30 pm -Cosmic Comic History presents Weird Superheroes of the Golden Age with Tom Tormey
2:30 pm - Kolchak the Night Stalker with Jim Chambers
4:00 pm - Kids Cosplay Contest (ages 17+) $250 first place prize! Pre-judging at 11 am and 1 pm

Panel and Activity Room

11:00 am - The History Behind the History of Star Trek with cosplay group USS Iwo Jima
12:00 pm - Perler Beads, make Pixel Power Logos from ThunderCats and GI Joe
1:00 pm - ‘80s Cartoon Shrinky Dinks - Color, shrink, and take them home!
2:00 pm - Perler Beads, make Pixel Power Logos from ThunderCats and GI Joe
3:00 pm - ‘80s Cartoon Shrinky Dinks - Color, shrink, and take them home!

Star Wars Zone and Activities

Photo-ops all day with the 501st Legion, Saber Guild Endor Temple, and Rebel Legion Echo Base.

11:00 am - Padawan Training with Saber Guild Endor Temple
1:00 pm - Kung Fu demo with Authentic Shaolin Kung Fu
2:00 pm - Padawan Training with Saber Guild Endor Temple
3:00 pm - Adult Lightsaber Choreography with Saber Guild Endor Temple

The Cosplay Zone

Sunday in the Cosplay Zone

Fallout with Pros and Cons Industries - Enter Vault 5 and check out their Armors
WICKED - Meet Elphaba and Glinda, take a photo, and check the schedule for a sing-along
Robot Cosplayers and Rebels of Cybertron - Meet some ‘HumanFormers’ and big robot builds
Long Island Tardis - Take a photo in Doctor Who’s time and space traveling police box
USS Iwo Jima - Meet the New York-based Star Trek Fan Group
Find our featured cosplayers roaming the cosplay zone and stage area

The Cosplay Stage (Saturday and Sunday, 10-5)