 |
| 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 | 2024 |
| Attendance | 15,021 in 2024 |
| 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.
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. [4]
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. [5]
 |
| Year | Dates [6] | Location [6] | Attendance [6] | Charity Donation | Charity | Theme [6] | Guests of Honor [6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | February 13–15 | Holiday Inn Atlanta | 270 | — | Ellijay Wildlife Rehabilitation Sanctuary | — |
|
| 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 |
|
| 2010 | March 25–28 | Hilton Atlanta | 1,564 | $4,600 | Conservator's Center | Carnaval! |
|
| 2011 | March 17–21 | Sheraton Atlanta Hotel | 1,621 | $8,000 | Conservator's Center | Furries in Wonderland |
|
| 2012 | March 15–19 | Sheraton Atlanta Hotel | 1,902 | $18,000 | Conservator's Center | Furries at the Moulin Rouge |
|
| 2013 | March 14–17 | Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | 2,396 | $18,400 | Conservator's Center [7] [8] | Still in Love |
|
| 2014 | March 20–23 | Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel | 2,488 | $20,000 | Conservator's Center | Furry University |
|
| 2015 | April 9–12 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 3,252 | $28,000 | Conservator's Center | Shangri La: Furgotten Orient |
|
| 2016 | March 31 – April 3 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 3,431 | $28,922 | Conservator's Center | Camp Furry Weekend |
|
| 2017 | April 6–9 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 4,274 | $35,000 | Conservator's Center | Game On! |
|
| 2018 | April 4–8 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 5,193 | $50,000 | Conservator's Center | Galactic Gunslingers |
|
| 2019 | May 9–13 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 5,645 | $50,000 | Conservator's Center | Pirates |
|
| 2020 | Cancelled [9] Originally scheduled for May 7–11 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | — | — | Conservator's Center | The Enchanted Forest |
|
| 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 |
|
| 2023 | May 11–14 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta | 10,328 | Unreleased | Conservators Center | The Lost City |
|
| 2024 | May 9–12 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | 15,021 | $100,000 | Lost N Found Youth | Furry University: Homecoming |
|
| 2025 (Upcoming) | May 8–11 | Atlanta Marriott Marquis | — | — | — | FuturePunk |
|
A fandom is a subculture composed of fans characterized by a feeling of camaraderie with others who share a common interest. Fans typically are interested in even minor details of the objects of their fandom and spend a significant portion of their time and energy involved with their interest, often as a part of a social network with particular practices, differentiating fandom-affiliated people from those with only a casual interest.
Science fiction fandom or SF fandom is a community or fandom of people interested in science fiction in contact with one another based upon that interest. SF fandom has a life of its own, but not much in the way of formal organization.
The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry fandom" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at furry conventions.
Cosplay, a portmanteau of "costume play", is an activity and performance art in which participants called cosplayers wear costumes and fashion accessories to represent a specific character. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture, and a broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role-playing in venues apart from the stage. Any entity that lends itself to dramatic interpretation may be taken up as a subject. Favorite sources include anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, television series, rock music performances, video games and in some cases, original characters. The term is composed of the two aforementioned counterparts – costume and role play.
Anthrocon is an annual furry convention that takes place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, each June or July. It caters to furries, which are fans of fictional anthropomorphic animal characters in art and literature. The convention was first held in 1997 in Albany, New York, and moved multiple times before settling at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. Since moving to Pittsburgh in 2006, the convention has drawn millions in financing to the local economy.
ConFurence was the first exclusively furry convention, held annually in southern California from 1989 to 2003. The large furry presence at the BayCon science fiction conventions instigated Mark Merlino and Rod O'Riley to throw "furry parties" at Westercon, Baycon, and other west coast sci-fi conventions in the late 80's. This led to the test gathering in 1989, ConFurence Zero.
Fursuits are custom-made anthropomorphic animal costumes owned and worn by cosplayers and members of the furry fandom, commonly known as "furries"; a furry who wears a fursuit is called a fursuiter. The term is believed to have been coined in 1993 by Robert King. Unlike mascot suits, which are usually affiliated with a team or organization, fursuits represent an original character created by their wearer, and are often better-fitting and more intricately crafted, with features such as a moving jaw. Fursuits are made in a wide range of styles, from cartoonish to highly realistic.
Dragon Con is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. As of 2017, the convention draws attendance of over 80,000, features hundreds of guests, encompasses five hotels in the Peachtree Center neighborhood of downtown Atlanta near Centennial Olympic Park, and runs thousands of hours of programming for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other elements of fan culture. It is owned and operated by a private for-profit corporation, with the help of a 1,500-member volunteer staff. Dragon Con has hosted the 1990 Origins Game Fair and the 1995 North American Science Fiction Convention (NASFiC).
Anime Weekend Atlanta (AWA) is an annual four-day anime convention held during December at the Georgia World Congress Center, Building C in Atlanta, Georgia.
MomoCon is a fan convention held in March or May in Atlanta, Georgia.
I-CON began as a (roughly) annual fan convention, held on various college campuses in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. First held in 1982 on the campus of Stony Brook University, I-CON became a very eclectic convention. The programming included things normally found at different types of convention, like speeches by and talks with science fiction authors, extensive gaming, anime fandom, comics fandom, furry fandom, multiple movie showings, and medieval programming, as well as live performances. There was also a science track discussing recent developments in various branches of science and exploring the real science behind science fiction technologies. I-CON was jointly held by ICON Science Fiction, Inc., a tax-exempt educational foundation, and the I-CON Campus Chapter of Stony Brook.
Frederick Walter Patten was an American writer and historian known for his work in the science fiction, fantasy, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he gained great distinction through a substantial contribution to both print and online books, magazines, and other media.
A furry convention is a formal gathering of members of the furry fandom – people who are interested in the concept of fictional non-human animal characters with human characteristics. These conventions provide a place for fans to meet, exchange ideas, transact business and engage in entertainment and recreation centered on this concept. Originating in California, United States, during the mid-1980s, as of 2016 there are over 50 furry conventions worldwide each year.
Samuel Charles Conway is an American researcher in the pharmaceutical, biomedical and agrochemical fields of organic chemistry. He holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from Dartmouth College. Aside from his scientific career, Conway is known for his activities in the furry fandom, having served since 1999 as chairman and chief organizer of Anthrocon, one of the top largest furry conventions in the world. He is a published author, and has acted as a volunteer emergency coordinator, entertainer, and auctioneer.
Midwest FurFest (MFF) is a furry convention that takes place in Rosemont, Illinois, usually on the second weekend after Thanksgiving. MFF is presented by Midwest Furry Fandom Inc, an Illinois Educational Not-For-Profit Corporation that exists primarily for the purpose of holding an annual convention to facilitate education in anthropomorphic literature and art. It also facilitates the donation of funds to non-profit institutions, mainly of which promote the well-being of humans and/or animals. The convention was first held in 2000 and has grown to draw 15,547 attendees in 2023. As of December 2023, the 2023 event is the most attended convention in fandom history.
The Atlanta Fantasy Fair (AFF) was a multigenre convention which took place once each summer in Atlanta, Georgia from 1975 to 1995. Organized by A.C.F.F., Ltd., the convention was a nonprofit entity designed to promote the fantasy genre in the American Southeast. Over its two-decade run, the AFF featured hundreds of guests, encompassed hotels in downtown Atlanta and ran thousands of hours of programming for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, and other elements of fandom.
Magnum Opus Con (MOC) was an annual multigenre convention which generally took place each spring in various cities in the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina from 1986 to 2001. Organized by comics retailer Roland Castle, the convention was designed to attract science fiction fans of all stripes. Over its 16-year run, MOC featured hundreds of celebrity guests and ran hundreds of hours of programming for fans of science fiction, fantasy, comic books, gaming, and other elements of fandom.
GalaxyCon, LLC, formerly known as Super Conventions or Supercon, is a privately owned company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that organizes comic book and anime conventions in the United States. Events currently include GalaxyCon Raleigh in Raleigh, North Carolina, GalaxyCon Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, GalaxyCon Columbus in Columbus, Ohio and GalaxyCon Austin in Austin, Texas.
Florida Supercon is an annual comic book convention held in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale metro areas of Florida. The event takes place in early July. Florida Supercon is a subsidiary of ReedPop, located in Norwalk, Connecticut, acquired in March 2019. It was originally part of Super Conventions, or Supercon, which also had included events now branded as GalaxyCon.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)