DES MOINES, Iowa – A marvelous weekend is in store for fans of superheroes.

Des Moines Con opens Friday at the Iowa Events Center in downtown Des Moines. It’s a celebration of comics, TV, movies, video games, cosplay, and generally all things nerdy.

Some big names are making an appearance at the event. That includes Daredevil – Charlie Cox, Luke Cage – Mike Colter, and Iowa’s own Superman, Brandon Routh.

The owners of a Minnesota-based anime store say conventions like these make a world of difference for their small business.

“It’s everything. It’s like, where can you go where you have so many like-minded people in one spot, and it’s honestly, we do it because it’s a lot of hard work in the beginning. It’s a lot of chaos in the beginning. But, as soon as the door is open, everyone is so happy,” said Cristina Perez of Tenshi Toys.

As part of Des Moines Con, you can participate in a video game tournament and a cosplay contest.

It all starts at noon on Friday and runs through Sunday. You can find more information on who will be there and the schedule of events here.