The Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art was transformed into Wonderland for the 8th annual Mad Hatter’s Tea Party and Cosplay Dance on Sunday.
The event is put on each year to not only give people around Great Falls a chance to dress up, but so they can enjoy vendors, games for kids, and of course, a tea party.
Cosplay is a form of performance art where participants dress up as fictional characters that inspire them.
One organizer said the event is a way for people of all ages to become confident with themselves.
“When I got into cosplay, I was extremely an introvert and I didn’t like being around people and as soon as I put a costume on, I changed into a different person—I got really confident and I love being around people,” said Marlesa Popp.
Popp said in a message to KRTV after last year’s Tea Party:
I started the tea party as a way to bring people of like minded interests together. I feel it’s extremely important to have a safe and creative outlet for people of all ages. Cosplay helped me "break out of my shell" so to speak. It’s amazing to see young adults that are too shy to speak put a costume on and get positive attention. You see them become confident. Really young kids love dressing up for any reason and when they see an adult in costume they fully believe they are meeting the real character. There is a simple wonder that gets lost in the bustle of day to day life. The tea party brings that wonder alive even if for just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.
About 100 people turned out for the Cosplay Dance last year.
The 2018 dance will run from 7 to 10 p.m. and all ages are welcomed.
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