3. BronyCon

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This is one you may have heard of since it’s been featured in television news broadcasts a few times. For those not familiar with “Bronies,” they are a very specific group of fans of a cartoon called My Little Pony, which features – as you might suspect – a little pony. The show is known for its feel-good themes and colorful, masterfully-created animation, and was originally intended to appeal to an audience comprised primarily for young girls. What has likely surprised the creators of the show, and the rest of us along with them, is the show’s appeal to boys and men. Yes, we said men. An unexpected number of men, who are mostly in the 18 to 35 age group, became devoted fans of the program and were dubbed “Bronies” – a play off of the words “bro” and “pony.” The latest BronyCon attracted more than 10,000 attendees and was held in Baltimore, Maryland. Unlike MerCon, this one looks like it will be going strong into the future. The reason for that escapes us.