WINDSOR, ONT: AUG 23, 2025. Dominic Cascapera, right, and Brett Wilhelm are immersed in Warhammer 40000 match at 'The Summoning' Windsor's Collectors and Esports Convention at St. Clair College's main campus on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Photo by Madeline Mazak Collectors and gamers have been summoned.
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Hundreds attended the second annual The Summoning Windsors Collectors and Esports Convention on Saturday at St. Clair Colleges Saints Esports Nexus Arena for a day of esports, trading card games, and robotics.
Its all about growing this community, said The Summoning co-host Jeremy Richard.
Its all about having fun, its all about getting new people into it. If I had this experience as a kid, it would have been amazing. We never had experiences like this, so now its my chance because I have four kids to make this happen for them.
A participant competes in a virtual game at The Summoning Windsors Collectors and Esports Convention at St. Clair Colleges main campus on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Photo by Madeline Mazak Richard said Windsor is quickly becoming a destination for tabletop and virtual gamers, some even competing for hefty cash prizes at the national level.
Windsor is definitely a very large hub for tradable card games and video games, said Richard.
We can rival cities like London in size with how many people are at the high level that our players play at.
He estimated around $11,000 in prizes were awarded for Trading Card Games (TCGs) on Saturday.
Beyond competitions, Richard said event creates an inclusive space for enthusiasts to gather and curious newcomers.
We want families to come in, said Richard.
We want families to experience the robotic side of it. We want to want them to see the Vikings. We want them to see the other parts. So even if theyre not involved in video games or TCGs (Trading Card Games), theres a lot to offer to anybody that walks through that door.
The convention offered an array of gaming experiences, from video games and board games to robotics and trading card games.
Visitors could participate in esports tournaments and enter cosplay contests.
There were also opportunities to explore new gaming technology and robotics. New to this years event were interactive robot coding challenges hosted by Genio Tech Robotics and FIRST Robotics.
When entering the event space, visitors were met by members of the Essex Medieval Heritage Society and the R�sstad Norsefolk Viking group offering an immersive historical experience.
Members of local Viking group R�sstad Norsefolk form a shield wall during. Photo by Madeline Mazak 
R�sstad Norsefolk Viking Jarl Ingvar Ragnarson, whose mundane name is Micheal Reeve, prepares for combat with sword and shield. Photo by Madeline Mazak
