Nova Open Tabletop Wargaming Convention

01/15/2026

Big news and even bigger thanks from the NOVA Open team! 👋

Did you know that every two years, we hold elections for our Board, Directors, and key staff? We've just welcomed some new and returning faces to the leadership team! A massive THANK YOU to the incredible leaders and volunteers who have poured their hearts into this convention. We're so excited for them to get a well-deserved break and finally enjoy the fruits of their labor as attendees this year! 👏

Now, a new team is ready to throw their hats in the ring to continue building a wonderful, family-friendly, and inclusive safe space for everyone to enjoy our amazing hobby. Want to be part of the magic? ✨

If you've ever wanted to help make NOVA Open even better, this is how! Join our volunteer team and get amazing perks like:
🎟️ Free convention passes & event tickets
🍕 On-site snacks & drinks
🤝 A chance to support the best wargaming convention on the East Coast!

Ready to get involved? Learn more and sign up in the link below!

01/10/2026

This is incredible to see. A huge thank you to our friends at Away Games for running so many fantastic events in the lead up to NOVA. We are thrilled to be partnering with them and to see the community come together across all of these amazing gatherings.

At NOVA, we pride ourselves on being a family friendly event where everyone is truly welcome. You will also be able to find some of our team at our sister cons Richmond Open Tabletop Gaming Convention and Captaincon. Be sure to come say hello while you are there and support these events as we continue to grow and strengthen this incredible community together.

The Road to NOVA is back and bigger than ever! This year we have added more Organizers than ever before.

We can’t wait to have these event lead players to the Nova Open Tabletop Wargaming Convention.

Just like before, Premiere Events will award winners a ticket to 40K plus swag and other Events will award winners just tickets to either 40K or AoS.

We also want to thank all the sponsors an organizers that are part of this years Road. We cannot name them all but thank you to; Best Coast Pairings, ATC Warhammer American Team Championship, Captaincon, Frontline Gaming, Sabre Games and Cards, Battle to End Alzheimer's , Richmond Open Tabletop Gaming Convention, Mayhem 40k GT, Warzone: Events, Huzzah Hobbies, Onslaught Gaming, HMGS, Inc. - Historical Miniatures Gaming Society, Inc., along with the National Tabletop League "NTL".

Hope to see you at a Road to NOVA Event!

01/08/2026

We’ve always been proud of where NOVA Open sits in the tabletop convention landscape.

As Goonhammer recently pointed out in their Big Big Three comparison, we’re the middle ground and honestly, that’s exactly where we like to be.

NOVA Open is where competitive play and casual gaming live side by side. Where world class tournaments happen in the same halls as narrative events, hobby classes, charity raffles, late night pick up games, and first time convention experiences. You don’t have to be a hardcore tournament grinder or a first time painter. You can be both, or anywhere in between.

What makes NOVA special isn’t just the size or the schedule. It’s the balance.

Serious, well run events for competitive players
A welcoming environment for new and casual gamers
A strong focus on hobby, community, and charity
A convention that feels big, but still personal

We work hard to be the convention where everyone belongs. Players, hobbyists, families, veterans, newcomers, and long time friends of the community.

Huge thanks to Goonhammer for including us in the conversation. If you’re looking for a convention that brings the whole hobby together, we’d love to see you at NOVA.

Check out the article here!

To kick off the year and with Adepticon approaching, Stillman and RagnarokAngel look at the Big 3 US wargaming conventions and which might be most right for you.

01/06/2026

Howdy and welcome to the NOVA OPEN 2026 HYPE TRAIN!!!

Our team is waking up from post con hibernation and today we start getting YOU, the community, pumped and ready for NOVA this year.

NOVA Open 2026 will take place at the Washington Hilton September 2nd to 6th, 2026. Be sure to mark your calendars!

Tickets and hotel block are estimated to go live in April! Be sure to be ready to grab your badges and event tickets as many events sell out fast.

NOVA Open 2026 is adding even more events, improvements, and fun activities, based on YOUR survey feedback! So pull out your paint brushes, dust off your game books, and take your dice out of the trash bin! Its time to get HYPED for NOVA 2026!

We want to hear from YOU! Post what you have been working on, looking forward to, or your favorite NOVA Open memory below! We look forward to hearing from you now and seeing you in the summer!

12/29/2025

As the end of 2025 draws to a close, we’ve finalized our numbers and are incredibly proud to share our charitable contributions for the year. From day one, our mission has been bigger than just putting on an event. It’s about giving back and reinvesting in the community that supports us. Our goal is always to donate at least 30% of all profits, and this year we didn’t just meet that goal. We exceeded it in a big way.

Total donated in 2025: $70,768.19

These contributions represent real meals served, real families supported, and real lives impacted. This year, we were honored to support the following organizations.

So What Else $40,000
So What Else is a local charity providing critical hunger relief services to individuals and families in need across the DMV, ensuring no one in our community goes without a meal.

MHCprograms $17,786.19
MHCP is a veteran focused charity dedicated to mental health support by raising awareness and providing resources for the challenges faced by our veterans and active duty service members.

TABLEWARCharities $10,000
TABLEWAR Charities supports children and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder by providing Autism Advocates who work directly with families and schools. Their advocacy ensures students receive the services, accommodations, and understanding they deserve while empowering parents through the process.

Loudoun Hunger Relief $3,000
A local food bank supplying much needed food to our community. This donation was made possible through our great friends at NOVA FoodMachine, helping extend our impact even further.

None of this would be possible without our incredible team of volunteers. Thousands of hours were donated behind the scenes setting up, breaking down, problem solving, and showing up with passion every single time. Your dedication is the backbone of NOVA, and we are endlessly grateful.

And just as important is the community that continues to believe in what we do. With nearly 4,500 attendees, this year became the largest NOVA in our history. Your presence, energy, and support are what turn hard work into real impact.

As we close out 2025, we’re already looking ahead with bigger goals, deeper community partnerships, and an even stronger commitment to giving back.

If you believe in what we’re building, follow along, share our mission, and join us in 2026 as we continue to grow and give back.

Thank you all for an incredible 2025. We can’t wait to see you in 2026.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the NOVA family to you and yours!

12/15/2025

On Saturday, our friends at NOVA FoodMachine held their annual event at Huzzah Hobbies to raise money and collect food for local food banks.

Two of our team members, Kyron and Jess, were there to deliver our $2,000 donation and help our friends fill the U-Haul! 🚚

Thanks to the incredibly generous local community, they’ve nearly reached their $15,000 goal and were able to load the U-Haul to capacity.

It was so much fun to support such an amazing cause, and we can’t wait to come back next year.

👉 Link below if you’d like to donate and help them reach their goal!

10/29/2025

10/03/2025

Step into the magic of Fae Courts!

Featured at the NOVA Open Demo Hall, this enchanting new skirmish miniature game is now live on Kickstarter—pledge before October 31 to claim your place in the Courts!

You play a troop of monsters that you customize against other players. This miniature skirmish game is full of shenanigans.

09/20/2025

Some more memories from !

09/19/2025

Congratulations to Raphael Boyon for winning the Best in Sculpting Award at NOVA Open 2025 for his piece "Chaos Dwarf Scorcer on Lammasu"!

Sponsored by Kimera, this award is given to the best original sculpted entry in the Capital Palette. Entries can be hand-sculpted or 3D printed.

Want to stay informed ahead of next year's Capital Palette competition? Make sure to sign up for our NOVA Open newsletter! Link in comments.

09/18/2025

EVENT SPOTLIGHT - STAR WARS SHATTERPOINT AT NOVA OPEN 2025!

NOVA Open was proud to host Star Wars Shatterpoint as one of it's premiere events this year. With over 40 players, this was the largest Shatterpoint tournament in North America!

Congratulations to our winners!
1st Place - Samuel Sweeten
2nd Place - Duncan Bilz

Want to be ready to play in next year's Shatterpoint tournament? Be sure to sign up for our newsletter to see when tickets go on sale. Link in comments.