Level up this year’s Cherry Blossom Fest experience at gaming, anime convention CBF Isekai

In 2021, Air Force veterans and Warner Robins residents Jason and Samantha Clarke hosted a gaming tournament during the Cherry Blossom Festival. They wanted to bring something they loved to Macon: nerd culture.

The event was hosted in Fatty’s Pizza, and the turnout blew their expectations out of the water. 

“We had to essentially shut Fatty’s Pizza down because so many people came,” Jason said. “We were actually really concerned about the fire marshal coming and shutting us down.”

Since then, CBF Isekai has been hosted at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and expanded to include vendors, cosplay events and panels, making it a full-fledged anime convention. They expect this year’s to be larger than ever. Cherry Street Plaza, the space between the Tubman Museum and the Sports Hall of Fame, will be blocked off for the convention.

“It’s going to be so explosive, so exciting, so energetic,” he said. 

Jason is the founder and CEO of Swagged Out Nerds, an esports organization and agency, and his wife Samantha is the chair of the convention. The two of them also work with Swagged Out Nerds COO John Robinson to put on the event. 

What’s happening

This year, Isekai will feature a wide range of events in an attempt to appeal to as many people as possible. 

“I’m trying to build the Coachella of gaming and eSports and anime conventions here in Macon, Georgia,” Jason said.

The esports tournaments — the headlining events for the convention — will include Street Fighter 6, Tekken 8, Guilty Gear, Under Night and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Cash prizes of $300 or more are at stakes for the first four games, and Smash Bros. will have its own crowdfunded prize pot based on number of entries. 

In addition to the tournament component, there will be opportunities for more casual gameplay and side tournaments.

Convention attendees are welcome to sport their cosplay costumes, but there will also be a cosplay contest for those who wish to show off their skills. That contest starts Saturday at 3 p.m. and offers $300 to first place, $100 for second and $50 for third. Contestants will be judged on detail, craftsmanship, presentation and creativity. 

For attendees who aren’t itching for competition, there are other opportunities for fun. Isekai’s schedule includes anime trivia, karaoke, a cosplay dance party and a wrestling match. 

A handful of special guests will be in attendance for panels and performances, including Alyson Leigh Rosenfeld, a voice actress traveling from New York, to host a voice acting workshop for beginners. Her voice can be heard in franchises like Pokémon, Barbie, Strawberry Shortcake, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Polly Pocket, Gundam and more. Ariel Jade, a Twitch streamer, cosplay artist and singer, will have a performance and host the cosplay competition.

The event will feature vendors — such as Hello Boba Café — and an artist alley for local artists to sell their creations.

After Saturday’s events, there will be an afterparty at Reboot Retrocade & Bar starting at 8 p.m.

Linking Macon and Japan

Planning Isekai around the Cherry Blossom Festival was perfect, Clarke said. Not only did it guarantee an audience but it also links Macon’s festival to a large segment of American “nerd culture” — Japanese video games, comics and anime.

Macon’s connection to Japan goes beyond just the cherry blossom, also known as sakura. In 1977, Macon and Kurobe City became sister cities to establish exchange programs, create commercial relationships, develop healthcare interchange programs and foster good will between the people of the two cities. Zipper manufacturer YKK, which operates out of Japan and has plants in Middle Georgia, facilitated the partnership. 

Now, middle- and high-school students from Macon and Kurobe City periodically participate in exchange programs to spend time across the world and learn more about their sister city’s culture.
“This absolutely needs to be an emphasis within Cherry Blossom,” Clarke said. “When people are coming here from Japan to look at [the festival], what else are we doing to kind of show them that, yes, there’s cherry blossoms here, but we actually understand the culture as well, and we’re welcoming it.”

Tickets and event registration

CBF Isekai will take place March 22 and 23 at the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame at 301 Cherry St. The convention lasts from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days.

The early-bird rate for two-day general admission is $10 until March 15 and can be purchased at sonesports.net. After that, tickets are $15.

Esports competition entries vary based on game, and the venue fee is $40 until March 15, increasing to $55 until March 22. Late registrations can take place up to one hour before the event starts with a venue fee of $60. The spectator fee is $10 online and $15 at the door. Attendees 12-years-old and younger can spectate for free unless they are competing in an event.