For the vast majority of New York City’s inhabitants, Sept. 24, 2011 was a typical Saturday in early autumn. The morning air was muggy, and although the overcast sky seemed pregnant with the possibility of rain, people thronged the streets north of Chinatown on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, browsing at the local fishmongers’ displays, watching their children play soccer in the park, or simply out enjoying a stroll while the weather was tolerable. However, for nearly 300 fans of the cartoon series “My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic,” this congested but charming urban neighborhood was the place to be, a gleaming Jerusalem at the end of a pilgrimage that had drawn some of them from as far away as California. This was the location of BroNY Con, a much-anticipated gathering of Bronies hosted by Purple Tinker and her New York City area Meetup group. For the pony fans streaming out of the subway station at Grand Street, that Saturday promised an experience like no other: a chance to geek out with fellow Bronies, shop for custom-made fan art, and meet the show’s supervising director, Jayson Thiessen, who had flown in from Vancouver to host a screening and a Q&A. In the words of Rainbow Dash, it was going to be SO AWESOME!
(More gushing about ponies after the break)