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| Midwest Furfest Mac n Cheese in a dog bowl |
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| Midwest Furfest Mac n Cheese in a dog bowl - They have chafing dishes! |
First off, I was only able to attend on Friday which really sucked ass. I had some other issues with work and had to fly back to Texas Saturday and ended up back in Chicago a few days later so it was a real mess. But i'm glad I at least was able to make it for one day. Luckily, they do sell daily passes at the door so it's an option if you just want to peek into the furry fandom.
I have been into the furry fandom for many years. I think there are more furries out there than most people think. Being that my mom lives in Chicago, I have certainly known about MFF for several years but was not like wanting to go to one until this year. Certain life changes with work and other aspects have led me down a different path and now I want to explore my furry side for awhile. I plan on selling some products I make so I really just needed a primer, just need to see what the cons were all about.
Coming from downtown, the Hyatt O'Hare is within a 5 minute walk from the CTA Blueline Rosemont stop.
I arrived about 15 after 11 am to an overwhelming amount of people. Some in suits, some in quasi costumes like pajamas, hoodies with ears, others with just a tail and the people who looked like they were not part of the convention and were frightened to death. Once I got inside, it took a few minutes to locate the day of registration line which I of course saw coming in. It was long. By the time I found the end of the line which was probably 300 deep, I was already giggling with glee. It was so nice to see others who were into my "thing".
One of the big things is everyone seems to know everyone... except me, but that'll change one day! You can't just help but smile every time you see people embrace or high five. While many people attend many cons, a lot just know about the fandom from online sites such as furaffinity or just searching for random photos like "fursuit airport KFC". You do not want to look at my search history.
The line moved slow, a few feet every so often. It took 3 hours to get to the front of the line where I paid my dues and got my badge. I finally felt like I belonged. Having missed two panels I wanted to see, I headed over to the Starbucks in the convention center and had lunch. I had not planned on being in line so long so I was starving. I did attend one panel I was hoping to see. It covered how to deal with the media which I find important. There were only 9 or 10 people so I guess people were too busy partying or didn't find interest in the topic but it was nice to get away from the crowds for awhile.
After the panel, I headed to the dealer's den. This was the main room I wanted to see so I could size up my competition. Long story short, I'm good. I'm currently working on getting into my first convention but I did not realize the lead time to register was so far out so it's likely that I won't get into one for a few months.
I'm not really into live music but for some reason, it seemed like fun. There were two performances by apparently "well-known" musicians who are also furries. Again, really learned a lot. i was bummed that they did not perform in costume... but I digress. The first guy was Matthew Ebel who does piano rock and was quite entertaining. It really gave me more insight into the people who love the fandom enough to create and perform. That was followed by Fox and PepperCoyote who did great set with a full band. Again, really enjoyed the lyrics and the backstories.
By the end of the music, it was pushing 9 pm. I went to the lobby to grab a quick bite to eat. There was a stand selling personal pizzas or mac n cheese in a dog bowl. With my slight embarrassment of being at a fur con, I erred on the safe side and got the pizza however now I totally regret not just letting go and getting the mac n cheese. Sure i can get that bowl at the dollartree, not that I was shopping for one, but I allowed myself to be tied up in societal convention and that will not happen again! I saw many people enjoying their meals out of their dog bowls. Next time, it's already on my calendar.
I finished the night off at the dance. I stayed off to the side but enjoyed seeing everyone let loose. I think this kind of convention is great because it's one of those that people want to go to. It's not one they have to go to for work. I was pretty bummed leaving but am excited to go to more cons as an attendee and or dealer.
A snippet of the dance!
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All photos taken by Paul Clough.
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