Perris Con
By Mia Rotell
Attention Perris residents! Cruella, Art the Clown, and the Phantom were sighted prowling around the City Hall grounds Saturday, Aug. 15.
R2-D2 and C1-10P, “Chopper,” along with other out-of-this-galaxy characters and soldiers, were posted inside the Bob Glass Gymnasium. They were seen from 1 to 6 p.m., interacting with wandering civilians and passersby.
Perris Con 2026 encouraged people of all ages to let their creativity shine through intricate cosplays, a variety of trading card games, and even a Mario Kart 8 tournament.
Cassady Beck attended the event with her 6-year-old son, Aaron, for the first time to encourage his creativity and interests.
“(Aaron) loves to dress up; he has costumes at home,” Beck said.
Aaron cosplayed as a skinwalker, which is a fictional witch that disguises itself as anything, and ran around the event — sneaking up on unsuspecting attendees and waiting for the opportunity to scare.
“Everyone here is so nice, and he’s having fun — which makes me so happy,” Beck said.
The City Hall lawn held the cosplay competition and Mario Kart 8 tournament, while the gymnasium housed collectors, vendors and builders.
Rachel Pinedo, City of Perris community services supervisor, said the city hosts Perris Con as an effort to bring different cultures and forms of art to the community — like James Henley, who has been a Star Wars fan since the first movie in 1977.
“(We) want to just bring fun and activities to the community,” Pinedo said. “We make adjustments and cater to the community and what they’re expecting.”
Over the years, Henley cultivated his fandom from an interest into a hobby by making replicas of different Star Wars droids — including Chopper, who made his debut in the animated Disney+ series “Star Wars Rebels.”
“I stood in line for two showings to see the first film,” Henley said. “And I fell in love with it.”
Chopper was built to serve as a navigator and mechanic. The droid later became an important member of the Ghost crew during the fight against the Galactic Empire.
Henley’s Chopper has full mobility and a variety of programmed commands, including moving its arms in different ways, using its buzzsaw — and even doing the YMCA.
“It’s just a big puppet,” Henley said. “I love doing this.”
The fourth annual Perris Con offered a space for people like Beck and her son, as well as Henley, to share their interests, express their creativity, and become more involved in the community. The fifth annual Perris Con will take place in August 2027.
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