Midwest FurFest 2011

Midwest FurFest 2011 was the 12th consecutive Midwest FurFest. It was held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois, from November 18-20, 2011. The theme for the convention was Route 66.

[edit] Attendance

2,600 attended the event, a 14% increase over the previous year. This number included 50 Shiny Sponsors and 188 Sponsors. 574 fursuiters were in the Fursuit Parade, a 40% increase over the previous year.

[edit] Guests of Honor

There were two guests of honor for Midwest FurFest 2011: Rick Griffin, the author of the webcomic "Housepets", and anthropomorphic artist Thornwolf.

[edit] Charity

The charity for the year was the Lake County Animal Education and Rescue humane society. $19,574.79 was raised from the charity auction (~$2000), 2 the Ranting Gryphon and Uncle Kage's charity performance, the charity poker tournament ($620), miscellaneous donations and a $12,500 donation from the convention's parent corporation, Midwest Furry Fandom.^[1]

[edit] Events

There were a few new events that year including stand-up comedy, a performance by special guest Colson Grainger, and a panel for non-furs, discussing their experiences at furry conventions. Another new event was the Furry Smackdown, in which everyone's favorite cartoon villains were placed in a 16-seed tournament bracket and the victor of each battle was debated. Many old favorites also returned as well, including the Furry Variety Show, Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind, and a dance each night that went into the wee hours. A big shift in 2011 was the relocation of the Artists Alley to the International Level of the hotel, just outside of the Dealers Room.

[edit] References

1. ↑ MFF 2011 Closing Ceremonies: Charity (22 November 2011)

[edit] External links

• Photos, videos, reports: Midwest FurFest 2011 resources