I didn’t do enough event highlights last year – I tried one month to get a running calendar of events going, and then those plans fell apart. This year, I’ll go for something not quite as ambitious – most people are able to search and find their local clubs, after all. Instead, I’ll start off just by naming the high-profile events in the hobby for the first part of the year. Given currently available information, of course.
Note there will be some obvious bias in the events I select (living in the eastern United States).
January
January marks the start of Toy Fair Season! These events obviously do not apply to the average Nerfer, but there’s always news coming out of these events, whether it be from Hasbro, Zuru, or other companies. This week sees The Toy Fair in London, England (Jan. 21-23), followed by the largest international show, the Nuremburg Toy Fair in Germany (Jan. 29 – Feb. 2).
February
The obvious big event for Nerf News is Toy Fair in New York, from Feb. 22-25. Count on myself and other prominent outlets in the hobby to be there, seeing the new stuff up close for the first time.
Meanwhile, the opposite side of the globe is seeing a giant, free stadium game. If you’re going to be in Singapore on Feb 23, see this post and contact the moderator for more info.
March
If Humans v Zombies is more your flavor…
April
…then be at the largest spring game, the Penn State University Urban Gaming Club’s 2020 Spring Invitational. It’s the first weekend of April…which it turns out is also the same weekend as other traffic-heavy events, so get on those hotel rooms fast. Expect a Dungeons and Dragons theme, and lots of people turning into the undead. See the Facebook event page for more info as it gets updated (rules, etc).
If you’re in the US and haven’t looked for local games, you probably should be by this point in time. Just saying!
May
June
Finally, big Nerf things return to Penn State University June 26-28 for Endwar 2020. Event details are still pending, but for now, assume a similar schedule to 2019, with Foamcon on Friday, Humans v Zombies play Friday night and Saturday, and the Foam Pro Tour on Sunday. Keep an eye on the official Facebook page for future updates.