SOUTH PORTLAND — Hundreds of children and parents converged on the DoubleTree hotel on Saturday for Kids Con Portland 2019, a chance to trade comics, test video gaming skills and meet superheroes come to life.

Captain America and Batwoman wandered the hotel halls, greeting kids in character and taking the occasional selfie. Children donned costumes, too. Late in the afternoon, a tiny Link from the “Zelda” series held an adult’s hand and pored over comic books from Portland’s Casablanca Comics, an Old Port fixture with a booth at the New Englandwide convention.

Though the main floor buzzed with energy, quieter spaces were available, too. In a side room, Calm Passion, a nonprofit for convention fans with sensory processing conditions such as autism and ADHD, set up several long tables with puzzles, building blocks and toys.

Scads of other events were on offer: face painting, a sketching competition, robotics demonstrations and “Jedi Training” – an opportunity for kids to learn the lightsaber-wielding, Force-bending ways of the “Star Wars” series.

The convention was one of two annual events hosted by Kids Con New England; another convention is scheduled for June 2020 in Nashua, New Hampshire.

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