(UPDATE -- reports are by Saturday the crowds returned, and lines were longer. Sunday had some unexpected morning rain! Another observation -- even though the crowds returned on Saturday, WonderCon continues to be a convention that is particularly well-designed to accommodate folks with mobility issues/devices. There are special automated entry doors w/ attendants for ease of access to the exhibition hall. The size of the hall means wider aisles and more open areas in general. San Diego Comic Con and WonderCon have always made sincere and effective efforts to be disability friendly.)
With just one day attending WonderCon on Friday, I was busy making the rounds to see artists and colleagues who are also longtime friends. Sadly, I didn't take many photos. I was visiting their booths and tables during moments when they weren't busy with customers. Which is a good problem to have. No one takes on the expenses of a convention -- housing, transport, food and exhibitor space -- hauls in merch, and works long days far beyond show hours, just to sit there.
I was especially glad to see vendors busy because of the unusual, ample open space in the aisles most everywhere on Friday. The sales I saw happening indicated there was a buying public at this show. But not the aisles jammed with crowds I expected to encounter. When the first day of a convention falls on a weekday, naturally attendance will be lower. Peak days will always be Saturday and Sunday. Still, the space in the hall aisleways on Friday made this WonderCon very attendee friendly. It was rare to see lines in areas that are usually packed.... for coffee, food, restrooms etc. There were only a few times I encounter bottlenecks in the aisles.

This year... I even saw empty booths and tables. Towards the end of the day, some spare chairs were placed near the supporting columns in the exhibition hall. A place for attendees to sit down inside the hall... especially at the end of the day... is a rare treat!
We've been exhibiting at cons since 1998, and attending even before that. I've seen the conventions grow.. and then explode into a pop culture fixture. There are still comic book dealers at shows, but over the decades the demographics of con attendees and exhibitors have changed.
A trend I watched grow over the years was attendees clamoring for "con exclusives" -- usually a plastic toy or collectible that you had to stand in line to get a wristband for.. then stand in another line to get. (Many times, these Con Exclusives are purchased only be sold later at premium prices online). That trend was followed by the popularity of "mystery boxes" -- paying a set fee for a box of unknown items. Obtaining these trend-driven purchases kept people in lines for hours... an all day commitment that prevented them from attending programming or shopping the other vendors. Another factor that drew attendees away from the exhibition hall floors was the increase in star power at industry-sponsored panels. This WonderCon lacked any of those lines from what I observed. The longest line I saw was for an artist signing. Below is a very large booth selling mystery boxes (photo below was taken on Friday before the show opened to the public).

This next photo near one of the entrances to the exhibition hall shows a legacy convention interest (the National Cartoonists Society Booth on the right) across the aisle from a recent trend (another booth from the "mystery box" vendor)
Artist signings continue to be popular. Friday is a great day to see artists as the lines aren't as long, so there's a chance to have more time for fan visits. Artists and publishers will post appearances online. For crowd control, the line will often be against a wall, or down the middle of an aisle, with fans advancing to the table/signing area in smaller groups.

Cosplay is the con staple that has captured the public's imagination. I always look forward to the creative artistry on display in this fandom. WonderCon attracts lots of marvelous cosplayers! I've always appreciated the research, talent and time commitment re-creating costumes requires. These fans have an infectious respect for and delight in the characters they pay homage to. After every con, you can usually find wonderful galleries of cosplay photos online. Saturday is always the best day to see the most elaborate cosplay. I see a lot more cosplay than I can ever capture.. but here are a few fun photos...
I wish I got a better photo of this cosplayers elaborate "Glinda" costume from "Wicked" -- wow, the detail, and the volume of the skirt!
Below is a popular pairing -- young Anakin with Darth Vader..
Sometimes cosplayer groupings are intentional..
Sometimes they are fun random encounters...
While not exactly cosplay, groups that build and operate remote control droids are fan favorites too..
I didn't realize until the end of the day on Friday that one of my favorite actors from The Mandalorian was making a personal appearance at WonderCon!
Emily Swallow brings so much gravitas to The Armorer. (She is the voice and performance actor. Lauren Mary Kim does the stunts). The Armorer is a wise female warrior character -- a figure of moral and cultural authority the other characters look up to. We got so few female role model characters when I was a young Star Wars fan. Seeing many of them take on their own franchises now, or be vital supporting players, makes me grateful. I didn't get a chance to get any closer than this to Emily (she's the one wearing a hat) ... but I was glad to see fans appreciating her.
Actor autographs and meet-and-greets are a very popular attraction at conventions.