What is Anthrocon? The furry convention is expected to bring thousands to Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- When Anthrocon comes to town each summer, the streets of Pittsburgh quickly become The Fast and "Furriest," full of people in interesting costumes and with deep pockets.
First off: the furry convention, aka Anthrocon, is derived from the word anthropomorphic, which according to Webster's Dictionary, means "ascribing human characteristics to nonhuman things."
Technically the Pirate Parrot and Iceburgh the penguin are anthropomorphic and while people love our mascots, other people love dressing up as mascots and coming to Pittsburgh every summer to be with other like-minded furriers.
Now that we've cleared that up, let's talk furry turkey.
Anthrocon is set to hit Pittsburgh July 4-7 this summer and already huge blocks of hotel rooms in the city are sold out. In fact, according to Visit Pittsburgh, they sold out in 12 minutes.
"All of the individuals who come in want to be as close as they possibly can to the convention center, which is where all the activity is taking place," said Jerad Bachar, president and CEO of Visit Pittsburgh. "So they want to be as close as they can, so they try to make their reservations quickly."
Visit Pittsburgh estimates over a $16 million economic impact to the city each year from this convention and this year a record 14,000 convention-goers are set to attend. So, it is no wonder that we put out the furry red carpet for these folks.
"I think when they first came to the city, people didn't know what they were all about. Didn't understand what the furriers were," said Bachar. "Who were these individuals in these really elaborate costumes? And over those 18 years, the city really has warmed up to the furries and everybody across the community really gets excited, genuinely excited that the furries are coming back."
Again, Anthrocon runs July 4-7th at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, and there are still hotel rooms that you can get, but you better get them now, while the getting is good. You can find more information about Anthrocon online.
