"All about the Bronies!" Milwaukee plays host to state's inaugural "My Little Pony" convention

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- 600 "My Little Pony" fans filled the Hyatt Regency in downtown Milwaukee this weekend as part of "Ponyville Ciderfest" -- Wisconsin's inaugural "My Little Pony" fan convention. Originally a television show geared toward young girls, "My Little Pony" has developed a much broader appeal, and now counts fans of all ages, including male fans called "Bronies" among its fan based.

Corey Wood helped to organize the event -- planned for November 7th through 9th in Milwaukee.

"Right now there is about 650 people here for their first year," Wood said.

Attending the convention was a surprise for seven-year-old Andrea and nine-year-old Savana Crivello.

"I freaked out and got excited," Savana Crivello said.

But not all the fans were little girls.

"There is a lot going on.  It really is all about the Bronies.  It`s really bringing everything here for them to enjoy the whole weekend. Bros, ponies -- mix the two and that's where you get Bronies," Wood said.

The "Bronies" culture has exploded since the show relaunched in 2011.

Steve Schertz is from Illinois. He has been a Brony for two years.

"My character is from a fourth generation 'My Little Pony' -- the name is Flash Century. My work does not know about it. I separate my personal life from my professional life. When I come here, I can be something that I'm not in everyday life -- a pony," Schertz said.

Wearing his handmade costume, Schertz mingled with other fans during the weekend convention.

"We are adults -- but we ended up really enjoying the stories -- what the stories gave back to us," Schertz said.

"The show is all about friendship is magic, and that's the main theme of the show.   So all the Bronies, all the fans of the show come here because they love the theme of the show, they love the message.  So it`s all about love, tolerance, and acceptance," Wood said.

It's an event that may seem unusual, but it was able to bring a surprising amount of people together.

Donations were collected for Children's Hospital of Wisconsin during the weekend event.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the Ponyville Ciderfest convention.