Revelers poured into the Marriott lobby Wednesday night at 11PM for “Onesie Wednesday.” The celebration began in 2021 as an informal meeting of pajama-clad friends and has become an official Dragon Con event, attracting hundreds.

The event started small. Dragon Con volunteers Chris Hamilton (pinata) and Brenda Huapaya (hamster) planned to reunite the Wednesday before Dragon Con in 2021. Huapaya recounts, “Chris jokingly asked if wearing a onesie counted as cosplay, and I told him, ‘Of course it does!’”

Convening in onesies became a tradition for the group. And the group began to grow as word spread among volunteers. In 2024, Huapaya accidentally made the recurring event public on Facebook. As RSVPs began to pour in, she knew the cat was out of the bag. The next year, Onesie Wednesday saw even higher engagement. Huapaya credits Onesie Wednesday’s continued success to its attendees: “Give them a fun idea, and they’ll run with it wholeheartedly, with pride in one hand and a rum bucket in the other!”

Onesie Wednesday does not strictly require traditional footed pajamas. Some wear kigurumis, some wear footies, and some even wear athleisure. Huapaya remarks that the only requirement is that the clothes are comfortable.

As Dragon Con Thursdays grow busier, so do the preceding Wednesdays. Huapaya opines, “So many people arrive on Wednesday to beat the rush that, ironically, the rush now starts on Wednesday. For those who aren’t volunteering, it’s a chance to decompress from the stresses of life, reconnect with friends, and enjoy a little calm before Dragon Con officially starts.” Gathering in the Marriott lobby is convenient for host hotel guests, but Onesie Wednesday is for all. In Huapaya’s own words: “We’ve all been away for almost a year, caught up in our everyday lives, so the feeling when we finally return is simple: ‘Welcome home.’”