FWA?

Yeah!! FWA! I thought about making a FWA thread myself a couple days ago but got kind of busy.

I love FWA! I've been going since 2019, and for the past couple years have been able to room with a bunch of my friends from middle school, high school and college. I've got a lot of thoughts about it, so sorry if they end up kind of disorganized here

I always have a good time, but I will say, this year was very crowded and I anticipate 2025 is going to be even more so, so be ready for that. It seems to me that it might be reaching the upper limits of what's feasible for a "traditional" furry con-- for example, they had to adjust the room layout for the dance competition to accommodate more viewers, but after the first ten rows or so, you're sitting so far back you're only looking at the giant TVs they have showing the camera/livestream of the event so you might as well not be there in person, you know? The dance competition was always my MOST FAVORITE thing, along with Battle Zoo (another dance event), so this realization made me a little sad to think about. If you want to go see that kind of stuff in person, show up at least an hour early.

That being said, the caliber of dancers that make it into FWA's dance comp is always absolutely stellar! This year they had a drag show that I also really enjoyed, if you're into that-- it was the first one I'd ever actually seen. Likewise, the Moonlight Festival is also a fun prowl if you're into adult stuff, but I can't get into more detail for that here, obviously. But like the dance comp, it's a VERY popular event, so expect a crowd right at the start of it. I remember the line going through the skybridge (later was adjusted because there's not supposed to be a lot of people just standing around in the thing), and through the skybridge window we could see people running across traffic from one hotel to the next to avoid going through the skybridge (don't do that). There was such a rush, even the FIRE ESCAPE STAIRWELLS were crowded with people using them instead of the elevators. The elevator situation will depend on which hotel you're in, be prepared for that too.

Like many of the bigger cons right now, FWA is going through a huge post-covid growth spurt, and while I trust the folks who run it will eventually figure it out (because Dragoncon has been in the same hotels for years and is a much bigger con), the growth is a lot to happen all at once and there will be some growing pains there, I think. Given the arrangement of the hotels, I think they have a better shot than most of getting it right, but as I pointed out with the logistics of viewing the dance comp, I think FWA and cons like it are outgrowing the old traditional furry convention model...

But if the "main events" are something you can take or leave, there's plenty of other fun stuff to do. The video game room always has a fun selection of arcade games, and their board game room has grown a whole lot too. And if you like furbies, there's a group that always does a themed Furby meetup. In 2023 it was a Furby Rodeo, this year it was a Furby Circus. Haven't heard yet what 2025's theme will be, but I think Furbies are nostalgic and cute and always like to show up, even if it's just to people-watch or browse the custom Furbies attendees show off.

Lots of great places to eat nearby, too. I always make it a point to try and eat at Gus's Chicken at some point over the weekend. The Bull Gogi in the food court has large and affordable portions as well.


If enough people are going, maybe we should try to have a Furry Corner meetup? :3