Centraltoanyfurryconventionisthewidevarietyoffursuiters,orfurrieswearingcostumesoftheiranimalcharacters.Fursuitsrangeinappearancefromfluffyandcartoonytosportingsciencefiction-likemechanicalpartsandlightdisplays,andincludeeverythingfromaheadandhandpawstofull-bodyconstructionswithrealisticdigitigradelegsthatrunforthousandsofdollars.Becauseofthesteepcostandpracticaldifficultiesoffursuiting,rangingfromlimitedvisiontooverheating,someconventiongoerscreatetheirownsuitpartsorbuildelementslikecoolingpacksandwaterdispensersintotheirsuits.Othersoptforcosplayorlightanimalaccessorizingoverfursuiting.Hicksworeapartialsuitofhercharacter,Anby,aredandwhiteweasel,toTFF,andGerhartwentashischaracterLyam,ablueandgreyfennecfox.
Theconventionspannedmultiplefloorsacrossthehotelanditsneighboringconventioncenter.ThefirstflooroftheconventioncenterhousedtheDealer’sDen,wherewell-knownfurrycreatorssoldmerchandiseincludingjewelry,artwork,tailsmadeoffakefurandfurrytabletopgamingsystems.Theadjacentartistalleyprovidedarotatingarrayoflesser-knownfurryartiststhechancetoselltheirwares.
“Ianticipategoingintoothercons,takingroadtripsforitinthefuture,”Hickssaid.“It’sabiginvestmentwithmoney,Iwillsay.Youdon’thavetospendmoneytobeafurry,butifyouwanttogotoallthesebigconventions,ohyes,youwillneedtospendsomemoney.”
Eventsbroughtattendeestogether,includingadancecompetitionwhereonlookerscheeredonparticipantswearingeverythingfromfullfursuitstodailyattire,aswellasdozensofinformationalpanelscoveringtopicslikefurrydemonology,fursuitconstruction,metallurgy,neurodivergenceandmediaanalysis.Hickssaidthatdespitefacingsocialostracismwhenshewasyounger,furryconventionsprovidedaspacetoexistwithoutjudgmentandmakefriends.
BecauseofTFF’snearbylocationinDallas,UTDhasdevelopedalargeandactivefurrycommunitywhichfrequentlyholdsmeetupsandsocialevents.Large-scaleconventionssuchasTFF,however,arevitaltoUTD’sfurriesbyprovidingmorefreedomandopportunitiesthanlocalgatherings.
“Ilovethefurmeetsthatwehave,it’susuallyjustacloseknitgroupofpeoplewhoreallyknoweachother,andwejusthangout,dorelativelynormalstuff,”Hickssaid.“Furryconsaredifferentbecausethisiswhereallthecoolstuffis.Ifyouwannagetallyourcoolfurrymerch,youwanttogotobigravesatthenighttime,youwannaseesomeofthecraziestsuitersyou’veeverseen…Thisiswhereyou’dseethem,iftheygotmoneyforthatfursuit,they’vegotmoneytotravelhere.”
Gerhartsaidhisjourneyintothefurrycommunitybeganinhighschool,whereafriendhelpedhimcreatehisfursona,oranimalcharacterpersona.HebeganattendingUTDin2019,joiningitsfurrycommunitybeforebecomingoneofitsunofficialleaders.
Alongwiththejudgment-freespaceconventioncommunitiesprovide,GerhartsaidheappreciatesconventionslikeTFFforbringingtogetherpeoplefromallwalksoflife.
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