What to know
- The Mississauga Comic Expo is being held on Friday, Nov. 6 from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Hazel McCallion Central Library.
- 2026 is the festival’s 11th year, with over 130 exhibitors, hands-on workshops, panels, tabletop games, crafting sessions, and more.
- Similar to Toronto’s Comic Arts Festival, MCX has become a safe and welcoming space for those who may feel like they don’t belong.
For one weekend each November, Mississauga brings together the city’s pop culture and comic lovers for a free all-ages celebration of comic books, gaming, cosplay, and fandom known as the Mississauga Comic Expo (MCX).
The festival was founded 11 years ago by Haider Rizvi and Jason Loo, two staff members at Hazel McCallion Central Library who wanted to spotlight local community talent while also promoting literacy.
What started as a small gathering of graphic novel authors and artists has now become a beloved annual tradition. MCX 2026 — held this Friday, Nov. 6 and Saturday, Nov. 7 — will have over 130 exhibitors, panels, workshops and opportunities to play Dungeons and Dragons and other board games with fellow attendees.
To learn more about what programming MCX has to offer this weekend and why comic festivals are still so important in this era of political and cultural division, Now Toronto reached out to Irene McCutcheon at the City of Mississauga.
What’s on at MCX?
This year’s MCX will be held at Hazel McCallion Central Library in Mississauga’s Celebration Square, where the festival was first founded. This is MCX’s third year back at the library post-renovations.
Friday’s programming will feature group activities like tabletop games, crafting sessions, superhero trivia and a movie screening and will run from 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Saturday runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature exhibitors of all types, from book publishers, to local clothing companies, to illustrators across five floors. Once attendees have checked out the vendors, they can pop over to one of the dozen hands-on workshops, panels, and displays.
One of the panels will feature Adriano Ariganello, a Toronto-based comic artist and author whose work includes crowdfunded comics Snip, From Parts Unknown, and Crazy Latte Thing Called Love.
McCutcheon recommends attendees dress in their best cosplays.
A safe and welcoming space
Similar to TCAF, Toronto’s Comic Arts Festival, held annually each spring at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, MCX has become a safe and welcoming space for those who may feel like they don’t belong.
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In a time that’s more politically and culturally divided than ever before, McCutcheon says it’s easy to see “each other as opponents.” But she says festivals foster a sense of community because people get to bond around “stories, creativity, and shared experiences.”
“Festivals create spaces where people can connect as fans, readers, artists, and neighbours first.”
In a city as diverse as Mississauga, she says events like MCX provide opportunities for people whose backgrounds and experiences differ to connect, strengthening a sense of belonging.
“These interactions foster understanding and create space for attendees to explore different perspectives, build empathy, and have conversations they might not otherwise have,” she explains.
At the end of the day, McCutcheon says she hopes attendees leave feeling like “there is a place for them here,” whether that’s powered by cosplay, reading and collecting comics, or by curiosity for the arts.
“We want them to leave inspired by the creativity around them and reminded of the power of stories to connect us.”
