Fursuiting opportunities and activities around Anthrocon and Pittsburgh
Author: Kijani Lion
Reading time: ~8 minutes
Your plane ticket is booked, your hotel is reserved, and your brand new fursuit is safely packed for its journey to Anthrocon. If it’s your first time, or first time in a while, figuring out how to best maximize your fursuiting time can be daunting. The con space, even just in the DLCC, encompasses a very large area, and the Downtown area itself has many prime locations too. If you were wondering about some of the best places to fursuit for interactions, scenic spots for photographs, or just plain fun things to do cavorting as a giant Anthro animal, this guide is for you!
I was fortunate to interview two friends of mine who are experienced Anthrocon fursuiters, CooperTom and Gale Frostbane, who will provide their input and suggestions on their recommended experiences at Anthrocon. Additionally, the city of Pittsburgh is home to many furries and many unique fursuiting opportunities, and we’ve gotten some additional tips from locals Sebastian Silverfox, Johann Faust, and Goku the Fox.
Fursuiting around Anthrocon
DEALER’S ROOM
CooperTom says his personal favorite place to fursuit is the Dealer’s Room. “I like strolling the aisles, making a mental note of things I'd like buy when I return later not dressed as a cat,” he said. “You get to meet all the amazing artists and it’s also a great place to meet up with people. I think one of the best spots to fursuit is in the large open space near the entrance, plenty of room to perform and there is always a steady flow of people coming in. I have taken so many pictures in that one spot!”
DLCC ROOFTOP
This is one of my personal favorite locations in all of the convention space, as it provides an amazing view of the Allegheny River and the three bridges that span it across from the DLCC: Rachel Carson, Andy Warhol and Roberto Clemente. The rooftop also offers stunning sunset views during that time of day. It is easily accessed on Floor 4 by the glass elevators located in the DLCC. You can also access the rooftop by taking the escalator up from the area near the main ballroom and exiting out the doors, or by taking the lengthy ramp near the walkway crossing between Halls A and B.
FURSUIT PARADE/ANTHROCON BLOCK PARTY
While many other conventions have done away with their Fursuit Parade, Anthrocon’s is here to stay, and for good reason. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to walk the furry fandom equivalent of the “red carpet” with thousands of people cheering, taking photos and video of you, that’s the experience of the Anthrocon Fursuit Parade. What makes it unique is that since it goes outdoors, outside of convention space, local Pittsburghers come down in droves to witness this spectacle!
Beginning last year, Anthrocon began a tradition of hosting a Block Party on Penn Avenue in front of the DLCC after the Fursuit Parade. It’s a chance for fursuiters to interact with the hundreds of locals that come down watch the parade. . It’s a rare opportunity to share the creativity, fun and magic of our fandom with others and part of what makes the Anthrocon experience special.
“If you are a fursuiter, the parade and block party are must-do events,” Gale noted, adding that it’s important to eat a healthy meal and hydrate beforehand. “The best part about Anthrocon is the city and getting to interact with the people of Pittsburgh.”
For the Block Party, Penn Avenue is completely blocked off between Ninth and Eleventh Streets. There are temporary headless zones for fursuiters to cool off, and there are refreshments and food trucks available. If the weather is good, the party will run into the early evening, so stay out as long as you like and enjoy!
WATERFRONT
If there’s an outdoor “party” space at the con, it would be the waterfront area along the Allegheny River underneath the DLCC. The easiest way to access it is to take the path down underneath the convention center, located in the median on Tenth Street near the parking garage. The path is illuminated by a water feature.
“Check out the Waterfront late at night to experience an amazing social gathering,” Gale suggests.
It’s kind of an unofficial party and hangout space, usually with great music!”
Besides the fun, energetic atmosphere at night, the waterfront is a great spot for a variety of fursuit photos during the day.
Other areas that are good for interactions include the Westin Lobby (lots of foot traffic, but can get very crowded around check-in time and at night), or any area that has a long queue line of people standing around and waiting, such as entry into the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom for a main stage event, or the Dealer’s Room just before it opens for the day. It’s fun to interact with people in the line who look otherwise bored, and you’ll often get quite a few requests for photos and hugs!
Interacting in fursuit
CooperTom also offered some more general advice for performing in fursuit in con space, which may feel more cramped than usual this year with the anticipated number of attendees.
“As a fursuiter, I like to be animated and I move around a lot which can get tricky at times in crowded areas of convention,” he said. “When I’m out in con space fursuiting, I like to scope out areas off to the side that are near foot traffic, but are not directly in the way of where people are walking. This allows me to perform and not worry about bumping or smacking into anyone. Plus we can take all the pictures we want and not be in the way. I will generally hang out in one of these spaces for about 10 minutes and then move on to another open space in the convention. I have been using this method for years and it works out really well.”
Fursuiting around Pittsburgh
Why stop the fun at just the convention center and the surrounding areas? Pittsburgh is a diverse and beautiful city that has plenty in store for fursuiters (or just congoers) looking for new sights to see! Some of the local Pittsburgh furries have provided a great list both closer and farther from the convention.
Sebastian Silverfox shares: “There are plenty of interesting places to go for photoshoots downtown, but here are some easy wins:”
Agnes R Katz Plaza - Just a couple blocks south of the Westin on the corner of 7th and Penn. This is a public surrealist art installation with eyeball shaped benches and a large amorphous mountain-shaped bronze fountain at the center. There are frequently public performances held here and even if there aren’t any events going on, you probably need a couple photos posing on a stone eyeball chair.
Allegheny County Courthouse - This doesn’t sound all that exciting, but it’s a very short walk from the Penn Omni hotel and it looks like several blocks of medieval castles in the middle of town. On the weekend there won’t be any busy government employees bustling around and you’ll pretty much have all the turrets and gothic doorways to yourself. When the locals see fursuiters posing for photos here it draws a crowd of fascinated onlookers pretty quickly. And there you go, you’ve created a fun space to interact with the public.
Federal Reserve Vault (In the Drury Hotel) - No secret to any fur who has visited the Drury, the basement of this hotel (which used to be part of the Pittsburgh Federal Reserve) has a vault that is open during normal business hours, great for a few shots before heading to the convention center for a full day.
Point State Park - This is a bit of a walk from most of the downtown hotels, but it’s a go-to location for us Pittsburghers who want to get out and do some public suiting. You have the magnificent fountain, amazing views of the bridges and stadiums, and even a little bit of nature and history to see.
If you’re looking for a little more adventure, and are willing to take a longer trip out of the convention area, Johann Faust and Goku the Fox also have a few recommendations:
4th Avenue Historic District - For fursuiters or photographers who like the architecture of the Steel City’s heyday, this promenade has some of the oldest, pristine examples of vintage buildings from places of worship, business, and other hallmarks of the city.
Art Museums - Pittsburgh boasts a large number of art museums and while some of them like the Carnegie Museum of Art or the Andy Warhol Museum might not be best for fursuiting indoors, a couple are popular spots for photos. Randyland is an outdoor museum that is a psychedelic experience! It's a very eclectic and colorful "found art" museum that is very popular for wacky, cartoony, and just fantastical photos. Another example is The Mattress Factory, which is an indoor museum but has a lot of weird and contemporary installations. One of the most popular pieces to take photos with is in a room full of mannequins with spots painted on them.
Color Park and Sly Fox Brewing - Located at the intersection of South 4th St where it intersects with the Heritage Bike Trail on the South Side. This is an absolute favorite destination for local fursuiters. You have Sly Fox Brewing which is a great destination by itself for obvious reasons, but around the corner on the trail is Color Park, which is a local street art open canvas.
Duquesne Incline - One of the tourist hallmarks of Pittsburgh, riding this vernicular is an inexpensive, fun ride that is a must for anyone who hasn’t experienced it, that leads to one of the most breathtaking points in the city.
Frick Park - I’ve always loved suiting in Frick Park because of how incredibly woodsy it gets while still very much in the City Limits. This is another location where it’s very easy to get epic photos and engage with fascinated park goers. You might also get a glimpse of the real foxes and deer that call the park home.
Garrison Canal - This is a local favorite spot to photograph cars. It's a tunnel that has had lighting installed and turned into a piece of art. While this would be perfect for any car furry to show off their fine rides, it would also be perfect for fursuit photography, either solo or with groups. The tunnel looks best at night because the lights shimmer.
Market Square - This is for more social fursuiters but Market Square is a nice spot to fursuit around and interact with people, without the fear of getting hit by a car! The square offers many restaurants to get food, and the square center usually hosts seasonal events or pop up markets and is the perfect place for getting photos and letting Pittsburghers see your suit!
Mt Washington - You will have to drive or take public transportation (or the incline) to get here, but fursuit photos on Mount Washington just can't be beat! You get a beautiful view of the entire city and rivers from up on this ridge. The city looks beautiful both during the day, and at night! There are designated lookout spots that are perfect for photos. If you aren't from Pittsburgh but want to show off your trip to the city this photo spot is a must!
PPG Plaza - One of my personal favorite fursuit photos ever was taken here in this plaza. Not only is there a beautiful fountain with colored lighting, but you get an amazing view of the huge PPG "glass castle" building. The plaza is a short walk from the con center, right next to market square. There are no cars here so it is safe for suiting where you might have blind spots. There are also many people who come here to relax and enjoy the plaza, as well as bring their children so this is a perfect opportunity to get some photos with the locals and interact with people.
Randyland - Located in the Mexican War Streets, Randyland is a truly eclectic display of ones home (sidewalks and backyard) being turned into an art display for the city to enjoy. Colorful, ever changing, and so many opportunities to exercise your imagination for photographers and fursuiters.
These are just a fraction of the ever-fantastic sights and scenes that Pittsburgh has to offer. If you’ve got any more tips and ideas, let us know!
Hopefully these suggestions help you, and who knows, maybe you’ll discover your own favorite place to fursuit while attending Anthrocon. We also would like to remind everyone to fursuit safely, as the hot summer heat can catch many newer fursuiters off-guard (we’ve got some good tips on how to stay cool in our Fursuiting In The Summer article). Most areas of the DLCC are air-conditioned and kept cool for everyone’s comfort - if the temperatures rise outside, try to fursuit indoors as much as possible. Be safe out there and most importantly, have fun!
Banner photography: Randorn