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| Furry Weekend Atlanta | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Furry |
| Venue | Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta |
| Location(s) | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Country | United States |
| Inaugurated | 2004 |
| Most recent | 2023 |
| Attendance | 10,328 in 2023 |
| Organized by | Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc. |
| Website | www |
Furry Weekend Atlanta (FWA) is a furry convention held annually in Atlanta, Georgia. [1] [2]
Furry Weekend Atlanta started as an outgrowth of a local furry meetups often held in Atlanta at the homes of various members of the furry fandom. As the gatherings became larger, the idea of formally holding a convention was raised. After several unsuccessful attempts, a plan was made to hold a convention in February 2004. The name Furry Weekend Atlanta was chosen to echo the name of the anime convention held in the city, Anime Weekend Atlanta. The name became a federally registered trademark on December 2, 2008. [3] Originally held around Valentine's Day, the convention was rescheduled to be held mid-March in 2009. In January 2022, Furry Weekend Atlanta's Twitter announced they have partnered with the Hilton Atlanta hotel nearby as a ‘overflow hotel’ for their upcoming convention later this year. [4]
Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc., is the 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation which organizes the Furry Weekend Atlanta convention. Furry Weekend Atlanta Inc. is headed by an executive committee and in addition to operating the annual convention, promotes the acceptance of the furry fandom in the southeast United States. Furry Weekend Atlanta, Inc. retains only the funds necessary for the organization of the Furry Weekend Atlanta convention, and donates the rest to charities. [5]
From 2005 to 2006, Furry Weekend Atlanta supported the Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary, a state and federally licensed wildlife rehabilitation center located in Ellijay, Georgia. Furry Weekend Atlanta attendees donated almost $4,000 to the Sanctuary in 2006, and almost $3,000 in 2005. From 2007 to present, Furry Weekend Atlanta has supported the Conservator's Center, a nonprofit organization working to preserve threatened species. [6]
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| Year | Dates [7] | Location [7] | Attendance [7] | Charity Donation | Charity | Theme [7] | Guests of Honor [7] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | February 13–15 | Holiday Inn Atlanta | 270 | — | Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary | — |
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| 2005 | February 11–13 | Holiday Inn Atlanta | 500 | $3,000 | Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary |
| |
| 2006 | February 17–19 | Holiday Inn Atlanta | 563 | $4,000 | Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary |
| |
| 2007 | February 16–18 | Sheraton Gateway Hotel | 762 | — | Conservator's Center |
| |
| 2008 | February 15–17 | Sheraton Gateway Hotel | 1,046 | $5,001 | Conservator's Center |
| |
| 2009 | March 19–22 | Hilton Atlanta | 1,371 | $5,054 | Conservator's Center | On Safari |
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| 2010 | March 25–28 | Hilton Atlanta | 1,564 | $4,600 | Conservator's Center | Carnaval! |
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| 2011 | March 17–21 | Sheraton Atlanta Hotel | 1,621 | $8,000 | Conservator's Center | Furries in Wonderland |
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| 2012 | March 15–19 | Sheraton Atlanta Hotel | 1,902 | $18,000 | Conservator's Center | Furries at the Moulin Rouge |
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| 2013 | March 14–17 | Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | 2,396 | $18,400 | Conservator's Center [8] [9] | Still in Love |
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| 2014 | March 20–23 | Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | 2,488 | $20,000 | Conservator's Center | Furry University |
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| 2015 | April 9–12 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 3,252 | $28,000 | Conservator's Center | Shangri La: Furgotten Orient |
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| 2016 | March 31–April 3 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 3,431 | $28,922 | Conservator's Center | Camp Furry Weekend |
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| 2017 | April 6–9 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 4,274 | $35,000 | Conservator's Center | Game On! |
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| 2018 | April 4–8 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 5,193 | $50,000 | Conservator's Center | Galactic Gunslingers |
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| 2019 | May 9–13 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 5,645 | $50,000 | Conservator's Center | Pirates |
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| 2020 | Cancelled [10] Originally scheduled for May 7–11 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | — | — | Conservator's Center | The Enchanted Forest |
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| 2021 | Convention moved online May 7–8 | At Home | — | — | Conservator's Center | The Enchanted Forest | — |
| 2022 | May 5–9 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 7,212 | $50,000 | Conservator's Center | The Enchanted Forest |
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| 2023 | May 11–14 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta | 10,328 | Unreleased | Conservators Center | The Lost City |
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| 2024 | May 9–12 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | Unreleased | Unreleased | Conservators Center | Furry University: Homecoming |
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