This may be a month after the con, but I think that it’s still alright to talk about it, right?

I was rather anxious and nervous prior to this con. Mainly, admittedly, if I would have to deal with any con staff. Last year I was on staff. And getting a bit of a peek behind the curtain, without just relying on vague stories told third-hand without including names reinforced some things that made me stop going to the con many years ago. There are still people involved who focus more on themselves than on the community that forms around them, and there are still people who cover for illegal or immoral activity because it suits them better.

That’s a story for a whole other post! One that I keep debating if I’ll ever post publicly. Don’t worry, I don’t have juicy details that I’m keeping secret or anything, I just have my own experience and viewpoint.

This year I took the con a lot less seriously while there due to all of this. Most of the folks that I know went with their own groups, or didn’t attend this year. I had one friend come to visit during the con so that we could go together. Beyond that, I didn’t try to get a hotel room, had no plans to stay late, and mainly wanted to be in Artist Alley.

I spent a lot of time stressing over merch that I was making to be in Artist Alley. I wanted to make this a better year than last year, which I already was happy with. But alas, it was not to be. All of that stress, all of that work, all of that time taken away from life for this pursuit. To have a very poor first day, enough that I chose not to table on day two, but instead spend time with my friends and attend panels.

I am not alone in this. Several vendors in Dealer’s Den that I know expressed how this year was great for their business, and the increased attendance of 12,500 furries certainly helped. But everyone who I talked to in Artist Alley shared the same as me: much more foot traffic, and far fewer sales. At least I’m not alone?

A lot of things went better than the year before. Which isn’t hard, with what a shit-show it was for me personally in 2025. To be clear, I’m not trying to say that the con itself is all bad. It’s a wonderful place for furries to find themselves and to find one another. And there are a lot of great things to do and people to meet! All I’m saying is that I’m going to pause before going next year, and certainly will continue to side-eye anyone who appears to be more focused on personal gain than on bolstering a community.

Anyway, onto the pictures!

Some Fabulous Fursuits

Dealer’s Den Interesting Finds