This weekend the eighth annual StocktonCon invades the Stockton Arena. The two-day event begins Saturday, Aug. 3 and concludes Sunday evening. Stockton native Mike Millerick has put the show on for nearly a decade and recalls how the inaugural event went.

“I was amazed how the first event went. Back then it was a one day event and it was held at University of Pacific inside the Spanos Center,” he explained. “We were expecting 700 people or so and over 4,000 people showed up. I was amazed.”

In 2014 StocktonCon extended to a two-day event.

Millerick lives in Stockton and wanted to give back to his community.

“To me, there is nothing more important than giving back to the community. I want to give back. Stockton is my home; it’s where I work and where I went to college,” he noted. “Stockton means so much to me and this is just a small token of my appreciation towards the community.”

StocktonCon teams up with Saint Mary’s Dining Room and the United Way to benefit them and other charities in the area as well.

StocktonCon has had many impressive celebrities and talents appear over the years and this year will be no different. Those scheduled to appear this year include: Kurt Angle, Austin St. John, Carey Means, Leslie David Baker, Oscar Nunes, Brian Baumgartner, Sam Jones, Mary Gibbs and Stockton’s own Nakia Burrise.

This year there will be over 250 vendors, booths, panels and guests. There will also be a video game area, board game area, cosplay and more.

“It’s a great family event, with lots of different things for everyone to do and see,” Millerick said.