Furry Weekend Atlanta takes over Downtown
Disregard that 'CSI' episode and witness a weekend of panels, dance-offs, and hugs
Fursuiters. That's the community term for the folks who don those fluffy, cartoon-eyed anthropomorphic costumes. Maybe you think of them as "furries." Maybe you see them and think "mascots." But it's fursuiters.
"One word, no hyphen," says Tiger Nick, the COO of Furry Weekend Atlanta. "If you get that wrong, they'll call you out on it."
Thousands of fursuit enthusiasts flew, bused, and subjected themselves to traffic to meet up for this year's camp-themed FWA at the Marriott Marquis over the weekend. The three days were filled with panels ranging from Basic Fursuit Construction to Composing Music and gaming of the video and tabletop variety. In addition, vendors sold everything from leashes to original art, attendees made popufur sightings (that's a celebrity fursuit), and fursuiter DJs led dance parties. Of course, there were plenty of hugs.
"It's a very online group, so this is an opportunity to get out from behind the screen," Tiger Nick says.
Beyond putting faces to screennames, FWA is a chance for a niche group of people to meet more like-minded individuals.
"It's friendlier here," says Riptide, a hyena/shark hybrid, adding that she had already made five or six new friends. And not all of those friends are furry. FWA estimates that only between 10 and 15 percent of those attending the con wear a fursuit. No fur, no problem.
Saturday night peaked with The Fursuit Dance Competition where fursuiters strutted their choreographed stuff to music mashups. The crowd erupted in applause for their splits and flips as well as, on a couple of occasions, their dabs.
Badge sales were up this year at FWA, and it now takes a staff of more than 100 people to make the weekend run smoothly. That's impressive for any growing event, but that's especially true for one catering to attendees that describe their fandom as "misunderstood." Organizers say the family-friendly event includes no more after-hours adult panels and escapades than any other con, despite assumptions and one particularly "laughable and wrong" sensational "CSI" episode featuring freaky fursuiters.
And so as fursuiters gain more acceptance in science fiction and other con communities, FWA continues to grow, along with the fursuiter community at large.
"We've passed the tipping point," Tiger Nick says.
Those who have watched the adorable serenity of a blue wolf slow dancing with a white rabbit under the swirling pink lights of a fursuiter rave understand.
Check out more images from Furry Weekend Atlanta here.
Editor's Note: This post has been updated to reflect the number of attendees at Furry Weekend Atlanta.