Even though my first local anime con got cut in half, this library-themed gem delivered plenty of surprises—stuff I never would’ve imagined!

2026 has started with a massive bang for me! I’ve already attended a total of five anime conventions since the beginning of the year. Sadly, the weeks after Ocala Anime-Fest haven’t been kind. I missed SwampCon due to personal issues, and then I had to skip day 2 of ACEcon—even though it was my first local con. Because of this, I won’t be able to do a full review of ACEcon 2026 like I have for the previous anime cons I’ve attended. That’s a huge shame because ACEcon was so darn fun… I’m still pretty sad about missing day 2—even two weeks later. I really hope 2027 will be different.

Putting the negativity aside, my expectations for ACEcon—like all the previous anime cons—were filled with massive hype. However, due to ACEcon’s limited social media presence, this library-based Palm Harbor anime con remained a huge mystery to me. I heard very little info about it and struggled to find much general hype surrounding the event. In fact, I think ACEcon has been the least advertised con I’ve come across. Despite that, I was still excited as heck, and the lack of info only made the hype even stronger for me.

For a quick synopsis: ACEcon is a public library anime convention held in Palm Harbor, Florida. It runs for two days and is completely free to attend (admission-free con). First inaugurated in 2014, ACEcon has been going strong for over a decade and hopefully will continue for many more years. It’s another great example of an anime convention run purely by dedicated fans with the support of passionate otakus. Even though it’s a library con, it was packed with fun panels to attend. My only regret is that I could only experience one day of it. Either way, buckle up and join me on this quick recap of my time at ACEcon 2026!