Ontario
Anime North
"Anime North is an anime convention located in Toronto, Canada that celebrates anime, manga, music, games and all other forms of Japanese Culture!"
Artspace Book and Zine Fest
(Peterborough, Ontario)
Has been held in Toronto, Vancouver, Winnipeg (along with the Anarchist Bookfair), and Calgary
Please note: Hal Niedzviecki ended Broken Pencil Magazine and Canzine in 2024. Accurate information about the situation can be found in this article by Great alternatives on this page.
Cartoon Foundry
"The Cartoon Foundry is a not for profit art-focused event. It’s intent is to promote and celebrate the art of cartooning in Hamilton--especially its Hamilton connections and history."
ComicFEST Innisfil ideaLAB
"ComicFEST showcased and celebrated pop culture, with local vendors, Cosplayers, artists, gaming, making and more!"
Free Expo
Presented by Toronto comic, collectible, and pop culture staple Silver Snail and The Combine.
Hamilton Comic Con
"features exhibitors, comic books, movie cars, cosplay contests, celebrity autographs and photo-ops, so much more!"
(Not a free event)
Hamilton Zineposium
Zine Fair in Hamilton Ontario at the Hamilton Central Public Library.
Indigenous Comics Symposium
"The UTSC English Department, in collaboration with the University of Manitoba and Indigenous publishers Highwater Press and Kegedonce Press, are excited to present an all-day symposium on Indigenous Comics."
Kazoo! Festival
"Supporting emerging musicians and building community by creating inclusive and diversely curated experiences that connect artists and audiences." (Guelph, Ontario)
KW ZineTopia
Monthly zine meetup on the third Tuesday every month to talk & make zines together! 
Annual zine fair Dec 13th 12-4pm (Kitchener)
London Comic Con
Takes place at RBC Place, London Ontario Canada. "London Comic Con is the largest Pop Culture celebration in SW Ontario showcasing Hollywood Celebrities, Comic Books and Creators and fandom genres of Cosplay, Sci-Fi, Anime, Horror and Gaming."
PaperJam: A Zine Fair
Presented by the Toronto Zine Library! and located at the TRANZAC (292 Brunswick Ave)
Rock / Paper / Scissors Book + Print Fair with PS Guelph
This annual event is devoted to small-scale publishing and the social life of the book. This year, zinesters, printmakers, poets, and publishers from across Ontario will join us for a print media lover’s dream.
Toronto Asian Zine Fair
Created to provide Asian Artists a space to showcase their work and voice.
TCAF: Toronto Comic Arts Festival
Every springtime at the Toronto Reference Library
Toronto Comicon
"Located in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the show will be boasting unique exhibitors, presentations, workshops, and many celebrity guests."
(Not a free event)
Toronto Queer Zine Fair
"Seeks to make space for traditionally marginalized voices in the zine community."
Windsor Zine Fair
"Zines, Papercraft & DIY Culture in Windsor, Ontario."
Instagram
The Word On The Street:
Toronto Book and Magazine Festival
Not exclusively for comics, but nevertheless celebrates literature, literacy, and community, and features several Canadian comics publishers and cartoonists.
Zine Devils
"On a rain-soaked mid-December 2024 evening, Houndstooth, on the southern border of Toronto’s Little Italy, trades its gloomy red glow for warm house lights. Zine Devilsis the self-made print market taking up the cafe and bar’s front stoop for the weekend."
Zine Dream: Small Press Art Fair
Takes place in Toronto, Ontario
Zine Dump
Zine Dump is a new Toronto zine fair that aims to provide a venue for the open expression for independent publications, radical art and ideas. The purpose of Zine Dump is to: present a venue to foster alternatives to the traditional and commercial press, provide local and international zinesters with a forum in which they can inclusively contribute to public dialogue, foster a sense of community by encouraging zinesters to self-publish and share their work, create economic and trading opportunities for writers, artists and makers
British Columbia
Canzine Vancouver
https://brokenpencil.com/category/canzine-vancouver-news/
CCAF - Camosun Comic Arts Festival
Each year, students in the Comics & Graphic Novels Certificate program at Camosun College complete their studies by crafting their own comic books. This marks a significant milestone in their artistic journey, and the culmination of their hard work is celebrated at the highly anticipated Camosun Comic Arts Festival (CCAF)...bringing together students, professionals, and fans to celebrate the vibrant world of comics and graphic novels."
Capital City Comic Con
(Victoria, BC)
Fan Expo Vancouver
"three day pop culture event in Vancouver, BC, running in the Fall. The event is brought to you by the same team that produces the long-running FAN EXPO Canada event in Toronto."
(Not a free event)
Small Press Fest
Small Press Fest is an annual celebration of printed matter, independent publishing, and art writing which features a tabling fair with some of your favourite vendors!
VanCAF: Vancouver Comic Arts Festival
Vancouver Art Book Fair
Zine Harvest
Started by local artists in 2023, the Zine Harvest is a semi-annual event described as, “A zine fair featuring a bounty of fresh hot zines from local artists in “Vancouver BC.”
Alberta
Canzine Calgary
https://brokenpencil.com/category/canzine-calgary-news/
Calgary Expo
"a place for fans from every corner of the nerd universe to gather and celebrate what makes them geeky in a positive, safe, and elevating environment – science fiction, comic books, film, television, horror, fantasy, animation, pop culture, and so much more!"
(Not a free event)
Edmonton Expo
"a three-day pop-culture convention held in annually in Edmonton, Alberta at the Expo Centre. Attendees can shop hundreds of vendors and exhibitors, check out panels and workshops, meet their favourite stars and creators, and celebrate what makes them geeky with thousands of other fans in cosplay."
(Not a free event)
Panel One Comics Creators Festival
A festival that showcases Canadian cartoonists, and includes children's programming for families! (Calgary)
Zine Party
"hosted by Shelf Life Books in partnership with PinBar featuring local makers, artists, & vendors selling zines, books, prints, pins, art, stickers, tee, cards, totes & more!"
(Calgary)
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo
"We are bringing in exciting North American television and movie entertainers, as well as pop culture and comic book creators to provide a cultural experience in Saskatchewan that has yet to be attempted on this scale."
(Not a free event)
Manitoba
Canzine Winnipeg
https://brokenpencil.com/canzine-winnipeg/
Filipino Canadian Comics Symposium
Took place March 18, 2022 and included a free online event with creator panels, giveaways, and more.
Prairie Comics Festival
Lovely comics festival that takes place at Winnipeg’s Millennium Library.
Winnipeg Comic Con
"Winnipeg Comiccon was launched in the fall of 2019. While this will be our first venture in Central Canada, over the last 15 years, our organization has hosted over 40 pop culture conventions in Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City."
(Not a Free Event)
Quebec
Expozine
"Montreal’s annual small press fair, is Canada’s largest and one of North America’s largest too! Over the course of one weekend each fall, some 270+ different vendors and creators of all kinds of publications (in both English and French) present and sell their works to some 15 000 visitors."
FBDM: Festival BD de Montréal (Montreal Comic Arts Festival)
Montreal Comic Con
"Interested in participating? Pop-culture fan convention that showcases sci-fi, horror, anime, video games, tabletop games and comic books, everything is there
(Not a free event)
Quebec City Comic Con
"Over the past five years, Quebec City Comiccon has evolved into the capital’s most anticipated destination for fans of bandes dessinées, comics, video games, movies and television, anime and everything related to world of fantasy fiction."
(Not a free event)
Nova Scotia
Dartmouth Comic Arts Festival
"a FREE all-ages event celebrating comics & cartooning! Come meet dozens of artists and vendors as they display and sell their wondrous wares at this annual event."
Hal Con
Since 2010, this community-focused conference has brought some of the biggest names in the sci-fi, fantasy and gaming world to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
(Not a free event)
New Brunswick
East Coast Comic Expo
"East Coast Comic Expo is an all-ages convention organized by dedicated Fanboys and Fangirls to celebrate comic books and comic book culture. We'll have industry professional writers & artists joining us to celebrate, along with local vendors and many talented local creators and artisans as well." (Moncton, NB)
SappyFest
"a community-run organization led by a volunteer Board of Directors. We promote art and culture in Sackville, New Brunswick, and Atlantic Canada, focusing on the organization and presentation of Sappyfest, a three-day music and arts festival. The annual festival brings the community together to experience a multi-disciplinary program of regional, national, and international artists. Built on a foundation of non-hierarchical programming, Sappyfest facilitates meaningful conversations and lasting connections between artists and audiences of all ages and backgrounds. We provide employment and volunteer opportunities for students and young people, creating valuable experiences within the arts and cultural sector."
More resources for comics festivals across Canada and elsewhere
Angoulême International Comics Festival
(Angoulême, France)
Bluestockings Digital Comics Fest
"Join us for our Digital Comics Fest spotlighting zines, comics, panel discussions, and workshops from queer and trans people and sex workers!"
Canada Comic Con
"Your key to access geeky fandom across the provinces"
(Generally, not a free event)
Canadian Fan Cons
Schedule of various Canadian comic conventions and expos
(Generally, not a free event)
Indie Comix Fest
(Mumbai, India)
Fan Expo Canada
"The largest Comics, Sci-fi, Horror, Anime, and Gaming event in Canada and the 3rd largest Pop Culture event in North America."
(Not a free event)
Festival Workers Association
"a group of artists, publishers, festival organizers/staff, and their allies. We want to make festivals better by identifying the challenges they pose for art workers. Our focus is to build solidarity, and ultimately create more transparent, inclusive systems for vending events. We believe in the future and better alternatives. We're non-hierarchical, anti-racist, and queer-friendly. We welcome your thoughts, participation, and support."
USA Festivals
ABQ Zine Fest
"the oldest organized zine event in New Mexico. ABQZF is community-accountable and fosters a non-competitive, diverse, queer-friendly, creative environment for zinesters in the city of Albuquerque, and beyond. ABQZF is a Black woman-founded, co-conspirator-supported, people-powered, queer-minded literary festival."
CAKE Chicago Alternative Comics Expo
(Chicago)
Cartoon Crossroads Columbus
(Columbus, Ohio)
Comic Arts LA
a curated festival of independent comic artists
Comic Arts Richmond VA
(Richmond, VA)
DECAF, Denver Comics and Arts Festival
"The Colorado Comics Collective (CoCoCo) is a group of artists, publishers, and vendors working to support alternative comics in Colorado. The Collective aims to establish a series of comics- and art-related events throughout our colorful state."
(Denver, Colorado)
FLUKE
(Athens, Georgia)
Genghis Con
Cleveland, Ohio’s much loved Small Press and Independent Comic Convention returns to bring together so many prolific practitioners of independent print media! Cartoonists, zinesters, printmakers, authors, illustrators, small press publishers, educators and advocates converge to exhibit their work, converse about their processes and celebrate the independent print community thriving throughout the greater rust-belt region and beyond!
Ice Cream
The Iowa City Expo for Comics and Real Eclectic Alternative Media
Indie Comic & Art Expo
(Denver, Colorado)
Indigenous Comic Con
(Abq,NM, Nov., 2018)
MAGE
The Mission Art and Comic Expo celebrates the rich zine culture of San Francisco, highlighting artists of color and within the LGBTQ community. MACE is committed to uplifting comic artists in the Mission and beyond.
Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo
(Boston, MA)
MOCCA Arts Festival
(New York, NY)
Norfolk VA’s Original Indie Comix Expo
Permanent Damage
(Los Angeles, CA)
Philly Comics Expo
Presented by Partners and Son, the 5th annual Philly Comics Expo took place in 2025 at Old Pine Community Center, 401 Lombard St, Philadelphia, PA 19147. Over 160 artists/publishers, a full day of comics fun!
Pictobeach
At the Rockaway Beach Amphitheater, Queens NY
Portland Zine Symposium
"an organization that hosts, among other events, a yearly free conference and zine social exploring facets of independent publishing and DIY culture. This event has been held in Portland, Oregon every summer since 2001 and hosts over 150 zinesters from around the world each year, as well as many free workshops, panels, and discussions."
(Portland, Oregon)
Richmond Indie Comics Festival
RICE is a student run indie comic expo featuring local artists, current and past students, guest speakers, and more! It is free to attend, including all panels. We hope to see you there!
Short Run Comix and Arts Festival
(Seattle)
Rochester Indie Comics Expo
based in Western New York
SLICE
The St. Louis Independent Comics Expo (SLICE) is an exposition of zines, chapbooks, lit mags, poetry, comics, small press authors, indie publishers, and print culture.
Small Press Fair
"SPF Small Press Fair is an event for local and regional artists, printers, booksellers, publishers, authors, poets, bookmakers, designers, zinesters and cultural workers to share ideas and showcase new work related to print making, book making and zine creation."
SPACE
Small Press Alternative Comics Expo held in Columbus, Ohio
STAPLE
The Independent Media Expo is the premiere event in the Southwest celebrating independently created comics, zines, art, crafts, games and more, held annually in Austin, Texas!
SPX
(Bethesda, Maryland)
Trans Art Bazaar
"We are New York City's first all trans market, with trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people from the 5 boroughs and beyond!"
(Brooklyn, New York)
Tuscon Zine Fest
Tucson Zine Fest is a show for self-publishers of printed art and word. Meet zine makers, independent comic book creators, and small handmade book distributors. This fest brings together local artists from Tucson and the Southwest.
(Tuscon, Arizona)
Submit festival resource!