Our Mission
To create safe, inclusive spaces where young people can explore their love for Asian pop culture, develop leadership skills, and build lasting friendships.
We're not just a fan club. We're a movementโbuilding confidence, connection, and cultural pride through the shared language of K-Pop, J-Pop, and anime.
Knox Pop Con is a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit celebrating Asian pop culture in East Tennessee. Founded in 2025, we serve 500+ youth through annual K-Pop/J-Pop/anime festivals, weekly dance classes, monthly POPtivity community events, and the Knox Pop Creators Academy youth leadership program. Based in Knoxville, TN, we build confidence, connection, and cultural pride through shared passion.
Three pillars that guide everything we do
To create safe, inclusive spaces where young people can explore their love for Asian pop culture, develop leadership skills, and build lasting friendships.
A Tennessee where every fanโregardless of backgroundโhas access to community, creativity, and celebration of the culture they love.
Inclusivity, authenticity, youth empowerment, cultural appreciation, and the belief that shared passions can transform lives.
From a dream to a movementโour journey so far
Knox Pop Con was founded as a dream to bring K-Pop culture to East Tennessee.
Over 1,500 fans gathered for our inaugural festival at Bridgewater Place.
Weekly K-Pop dance classes began, creating a home for dancers of all skill levels.
Our youth leadership program launched, empowering the next generation of community leaders.
Expanded to monthly POPtivity events, serving 500+ youth across the region.
Real stories from our KPC family
My confidence has skyrocketed and I feel like I'm around others who get me. I feel more open to talk to people and I think outside the box more, now. It has given me more opportunities to become friends with others and build those relationships. I genuinely believe this team is a family and we are all there for each other. We grow together and have fun. I also believe I have found myself, my style, my personality, honestly everything.
What inspired me the most was how accepting everyone was of me and how caring everyone is.
I've built so many friendships being apart of this team. It has so many benefits as well as boosting my confidence a lot and letting me see things from different perspectives.
They are my family they have been there more for me than anyone
It means family, a place where people with similar interests can come together, a group that helps each other and grows in their abilities, a safe place.
I've been learning a lot about life the past couple years, and this year's lesson has been to really try to live in the moment and make memories ๐ฅน getting back into kpop has really helped and I'm so thankful for it ๐ซฐ๐ผThank you for helping make the community here ๐ซถ๐ผ
I'm amazed every time we go how confident she is, even if most kids are older than her. It's such an inviting and easy place to be for her.
I think it's a great place for all ages to learn the dances to the songs they love. Fun for everyone. KPop brought my daughter and I closer and this is one more thing to add to that.
Everything you need to know about KPC
Knox Pop Con is a Tennessee 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization celebrating Asian pop culture through annual festivals, K-Pop/J-Pop dance education, monthly POPtivity community events, and the Knox Pop Creators Academy youth leadership program. We serve 500+ youth in East Tennessee.
Knox Pop Con events are open to everyone! Our programs welcome youth, teens, and families of all backgrounds who share a love for K-Pop, J-Pop, anime, and Asian pop culture. Most events are free or low-cost to ensure accessibility.
Yes, Knox Pop Con is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Tennessee (EIN: 33-4120670). All donations are tax-deductible. You can verify our nonprofit status on Candid (GuideStar).
Knox Pop Con is based in Knoxville, Tennessee and serves the East Tennessee region. Our events are held at various venues throughout Knoxville including community centers, convention facilities, and partner locations.
Knox Pop Con offers: An annual K-Pop/J-Pop/Anime festival, weekly dance classes and workshops, monthly POPtivity community events, Knox Pop Creators Academy (KPCA) youth leadership program, and cultural education workshops on Korean and Japanese traditions.
Whether you want to dance, volunteer, donate, or just be part of something biggerโthere's a place for you in the KPC family.