San Diego Comic-Con 2025: ‘Dexter: Resurrection,’ ‘King of the Hill’ Cookout & More TV Activations

While some fans flock to celebrity panels or blow their budget on the convention floor, savvy TV lovers know that one of the true highlights of San Diego Comic-Con is the explosion of over-the-top brand activations that transform downtown into a full-blown fandom playground. Whether it’s stepping inside your favorite sitcom, wandering through a beloved sci-fi universe, or exploring a set you’ve only seen on the small screen, Comic-Con offers immersive experiences that no other event can match.

Over the years, these activations have taken over more and more of the Gaslamp Quarter, growing in both size and popularity. Now you can attend a neighborhood block party hosted by your favorite fictional school or grab a bite at a backyard BBQ with an animated TV family you’ve known for years.

Here are just a few of the must-see TV activations popping up at San Diego Comic-Con 2025.

The Arlen Cookout (FX’s King of the Hill)

Where: Next to Parking Lot A behind the Convention Center

Welcome the return of Hank Hill and the gang the right way—with a full-on Texas-style cookout. To celebrate the show’s August 4 debut, Hulu is going big with a backyard bash featuring classic BBQ fare, ice-cold drinks, lawn games, and photo ops that put you right in the heart of Arlen. It’s a fitting tribute to the Hill family and a fun way for fans to kick back and say, “Yup.”

A Very Abbott Block Party (ABC’s Abbott Elementary)

Where: The blacktop behind the Convention Center

ABC throws a neighborhood block party complete with rides, games, junk food, and prizes from Abbott Elementary’s lost and found. Cool off with “authentic Philly water ice” and enjoy the sights from the Ferris wheel. Completely free and completely fun.

#AbbottElementary is ready to FUN-raise at San Diego Comic-Con, inviting attendees to experience A Very Abbott Block Party. From authentic Philly water ice and a sky-high Ferris wheel to exclusive premiums from the school’s Lost and Found, it is sure to be the hottest party on… pic.twitter.com/bwqfeQKPmP

— Abbott Elementary (@AbbottElemABC) July 8, 2025

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Alien: Earth – The Wreckage (FX’s Alien: Earth)

Where: Hilton Bayfront Lawn

FX brings Alien: Earth to Comic-Con by allowing attendees to explore the wreckage of the USCSS Maginot. During the day, fans can roam the remains of the ship, but at night, the activation takes a spooky turn as it becomes “The Wreckage: Code Red,” becoming a terrifying walk-thru complete with alien intruders and jump scares.

Paramount+’s The Lodge

Where: Happy Does Bar, 340 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101

For a third year in a row, Paramount+ offers Comic-Con goers a change to explore The Lodge, a unique immersive experience that allows TV fans of all ages to experience their favorite shows while enjoying themed drinks. This year, The Lodge offers a change to enter the world of Dexter: Resurrection with a vault filled with “a chilling collection of relics, case files, and twisted keepsakes,” cosmic cocktails from the Intergalactic Love Lounge of Star Trek: Brave New World, The Landman Patch Cafe, a stripped-down safehouse inspired by Tony and Ziva’s journey in NCIS, and much, much more. Admission is free, but on a reservation system. Sessions can be booked via this link.

Paramount+ Nerd Out

Where: Omni Hotel lawn

Related

San Diego Comic-Con 2025: Full List of TV Panels

What’s up, nerds? Paramount+ is giving fans a chance to indulge their inner geek with a tented activation packed with games, DIY activities, contests, and fun featuring their favorite Paramount shows and movies. Considering their catalog features everything from Star Trek: Discovery to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the activation should be a great time for geeks in attendance. No badge necessary to enjoy the festivities.

The Percy Jackson Experience (Disney+’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians)

Where: Fifth Ave and L St.

To promote Percy Jackson & The Olympians: Sea of Monsters, Disney is creating an interactive experience where guests can explore the Mist, discover if they’re a demigod, and grab some exclusive merch, all in anticipation of the upcoming season.

UNIT’s Black Archive (BBC Studios’s Doctor Who)

Where: The Harbor Club in the Gaslamp District (100 E Harbor Dr)

Enter the fan-favorite episode “The Day of the Doctor” as you’re recruited into UNIT to help the Doctor defeat classic Whovian adversaries, including the mad Daleks, the savage Cybermen, and the eerie Silence. The experience also serves as an archive, a photo op, and a chance to grab some merch to remember it by (if you manage to defeat the Silence, that is). UNIT’s Black Archive display will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday, July 24 through Saturday, July 26, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. The activation will be first come/first serve, with no reservations.