Arisia

You don't have to be a Star Wars-quoting, Asimov-obsessed über-nerd to have fun at Arisia (though that certainly doesn't hurt). For this annual science-fiction convention, the largest of its kind in New England, the science fiction-loving hordes (often with kids in tow) flock to the Westin Boston Waterfront for four days of speaker panels, workshops, art exhibits and movie marathons. The gala event of the weekend is the masquerade ball, where professional and amateur costumiers alike get to show off their mindblowing handiwork: entries run the gamut from outrageously ornate period gowns to towering minotaur suits.