WikiFur - User contributions [en]

Harvest Snowpaw

2011-01-08T23:52:55Z

Swift fox: Person asked for their birth date to be removed and new aquisition of Kodiak added. -Swift Fox

'''Harvest Coyote''' (previously known as '''Krasnayath Frostfang'''is a [[fursuiter]] who lives in [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], U.S.A. His [[fursona]] is a [[coyote]].

Harvest owns several fursuits:
* '''Kodiak''', a [[Siberian Husky]] built in 2009 by [[Akorn Studios]].
* '''Charlie''', a [[German Shepherd]] built in 2007 by [[Noble Productions]].<ref>[http://db.fursuit.org/?c=viewsuit&id=401 Charlie fursuit] on [[the Fursuit Database]]. Retrieved April 11, 2008</ref>
* '''Harvest''', a coyote built by [[RedXIX]], who debuted at [[Further Confusion 2005]]<ref>[http://db.fursuit.org/?c=viewsuit&id=263 Harvest fursuit] on the Fursuit Database. Retrieved April 11, 2008</ref>
* '''Nugget''', a [[wolf]] built by [[Java]] whose first appearance was at [[Further Confusion 2007]].<ref>[http://db.fursuit.org/?c=viewsuit&id=574 Nugget fursuit] on the Fursuit Database. Retrieved April 11, 2008</ref>
* '''Snowshoe''', a [[bobcat]] built by [[Lacy]], who debuted at [[Midwest FurFest 2007]].<ref>[http://db.fursuit.org/?c=viewsuit&id=760 Snowshow fursuit] on the Fursuit Database. Retrieved April 11, 2008</ref>

Harvest is a regular attendee and fursuiter at [[Anthrocon]] and [[Midwest Furfest]]. The suits appearing vary from year to year depending on state of repair and availability.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* [http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvestcoyote/ Harvest's Photostream] (Flickr)
* [http://krasnayath.livejournal.com/ ''Kras' Splots''] - Krasnayath on [[LiveJournal]]

{{person-stub}}
[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Coyote characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:New Jersey]]

TOS

2011-01-08T23:48:04Z

Swift fox: I was asked to remove references to his work place and add information on new suit aquisitions and his help with WPAFW. - Swift Fox

[[Image:FC 2004 Red Wolf.JPG|right|thumb|120px|Red Wolf at [[Further Confusion 2004]]]]'''TOS''' is a [[fursuiter]] from Pennsylvania, U.S.A. TOS owns a red [[wolf]] costume made by [[Arend Studios]]. TOS is an avid [[fursuiter]] who also costumes as Dingo made by [[Scribble Fox]] and Cali Husky made by [[Kodi Wolf]]. He worked closely for several years with the [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] where he filled the role as Technology Chairperson from 2006 until 2009.

{{person-stub}}

[[Category:People]][[Category:Fursuiters]][[Category:Ohio]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2010-01-08T18:36:06Z

Swift fox: /* Event Committee */

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2010-01-08T18:35:28Z

Swift fox: /* Event Committee */ Edited Staff Listing.

Swift Fox (person)

2010-01-08T18:33:16Z

Swift fox:

[[Image:AC 2007 Ashes.JPG|right|thumb|Ashes at [[Anthrocon 2007]].]]
'''Swift Fox''' is a [[furry]] who lives in [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].

Swift, as his friends call him, is an avid [[fursuiter]], performing as "Ashes" not only at [[convention]]s, but also in a public relations role with the [http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/ Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department], of which he also fills the role of lieutenant, secretary and training officer.

Since October of 2001, Swift has been the host and now director of the growing [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] which is held annually the first full weekend in October. This event brought 96 registered attendees in for a weekend of fun and fellowship in 2009 and raised $1200 in donations for their charity the Beaver County Humane Society.

He is known through the fandom as a high profile member of the [[babyfur]] community who, with the help of others, has worked tirelessly over the years to better integrate the babyfur community into the [[furry fandom]]. This they have done by developing a set of Public Behavior Guidelines which have worked to improve its public image.

Since 2001, he has been coordinating monthly fur meets and activities in the Pittsburgh area. He was Programming Director for [[Morphicon]] in 2009. He served in Operations at [[Anthrocon]] from 2006 to 2008 and currently assists with [[convention]] programming as Table-top Gaming Track lead in 2009 and 2010.

Swift stepped down as co-moderater of the Babyfur [[LiveJournal]] Community with [[TF Baxxter]] in 2010 after a decade of service in similar roles to that community.

Swift Fox's [[species]] is the [[Cross Fox]], a color variant of the [[Red Fox]]. He has held his furry name consistently since 1992, pre-dating his involvement in the fandom by five years.

== References ==
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/stories/bio.htm Swift Fox, an abridged autobiography]

== External links ==
{{Contributor|Swift fox}}
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/ Swift's Home Page]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western PA Furry Weekend Home Page]

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Babyfurs]]
[[Category:Convention staff]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Puppeteers]]
[[Category:Milfurs]]
[[Category:Red Fox characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]

Swift Fox (person)

2010-01-08T18:28:32Z

Swift fox: Revised reference to co-moderation of the Babyfur LJ Community to reflect current involvement.

[[Image:AC 2007 Ashes.JPG|right|thumb|Ashes at [[Anthrocon 2007]].]]
'''Swift Fox''' is a [[furry]] who lives in [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].

Swift, as his friends call him, is an avid [[fursuiter]], performing as "Ashes" not only at [[convention]]s, but also in a public relations role with the [http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/ Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department], of which he also fills the role of lieutenant, secretary and training officer.

Since October of 2001, Swift has been the host and now director of the growing [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] which is held annually the first full weekend in October. This event brought 108 registered furs in for a weekend of fun and fellowship in 2008 and raised $1200 in donations for their charity the Beaver County Humane Society.

He is known through the fandom as a high profile member of the [[babyfur]] community who, with the help of others, has worked tirelessly over the years to better integrate the babyfur community into the [[furry fandom]]. This they have done by developing a set of Public Behavior Guidelines which have worked to improve its public image.

Since 2001, he has been coordinating monthly fur meets and activities in the Pittsburgh area. He was Programming Director for [[Morphicon]] in 2009. He served in Operations at [[Anthrocon]] from 2006 to 2008 and currently assists with [[convention]] programming as Table-top Gaming Track lead in 2009 and 2010.

Swift stepped down as co-moderater of the Babyfur [[LiveJournal]] Community with [[TF Baxxter]] in 2010 after a decade of service in similar roles to that community.

Swift Fox's [[species]] is the [[Cross Fox]], a color variant of the [[Red Fox]]. He has held his furry name consistently since 1992, pre-dating his involvement in the fandom by five years.

== References ==
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/stories/bio.htm Swift Fox, an abridged autobiography]

== External links ==
{{Contributor|Swift fox}}
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/ Swift's Home Page]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western PA Furry Weekend Home Page]

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Babyfurs]]
[[Category:Convention staff]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Puppeteers]]
[[Category:Milfurs]]
[[Category:Red Fox characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]

Babyfur

2010-01-08T18:19:20Z

Swift fox: Revised my current description on the "Notable Babyfurs" section to reflect my current contributions.

A '''babyfur''' is a member of the [[furry fandom]] who enjoys roleplaying younger characters. They may also be an Adult Baby and/or [[Wikipedia:Diaper Lover|Diaper Lover]] (collectively known as AB/DLs), or is otherwise involved in [[Wikipedia:Infantilism|Infantilism]]. There are many different types of furs in the babyfur community, each focusing on different aspects and roles. Like [[furry]] in general, babyfur culture involves a good amount of [[role-playing]] (either light or heavy), both online and in the real world.

The community has been growing more and more popular since the mid- to late 90's. While the community itself is still part of the furry fandom as a whole, it is large enough to present sufficient leaders, politics and drama to give the community a nearly independent feel to it.

Role playing babyfurs will most often take on the role of a furry character in his/her infancy or childhood. Common roleplaying themes include "cute" [[clothing]] (onesies, footy pajamas, overalls, diapers) and a child's environment such as a nursery or day care center, complete with cribs, high chairs and babyish decor. A few babyfurs lucky enough to afford the privacy and devotion will set up adult nurseries to role play as children in real life. A sexual subset of this type of roleplaying is known as [[ageplay]].

[[Image:Rieva-little.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Babyfurs in a Nutshell.<br\>Art by [[LoupGarou]] [http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/LoupGarou], character by [[Rieva]]]]

==Terminology==
===Babyfur roles===
There are a few sub-groups within the babyfur community which are often described with the following terminology :

*'''Babyfur''' : Used to describe the group as a whole, however, specifically it refers to someone who roleplays as younger characters—up to the human equivalent of toddler age. Baby paraphernalia is likely to be involved for this group and roleplay speech is often either in gibberish or very basic speech.
*'''Lilfur (littlefur, kidfur)''' : This is a person who roleplays as a child character. Characters identified as lilfurs tend to be between their toddler and teen ages. Diapers and other baby paraphernalia may or may not be involved. Role played speech is usually more refined at this point, but still somewhat juvenile.
*'''Diaperfur''' : This is a person who roleplays as an adult character who still either requires or chooses to wear diapers. Role played speech and actions are consistent with an adult. The person may also roleplay an adult character who has mentally regressed back to a younger state, but still has an adult physical form.
*'''Sissyfur''' : This is commonly misunderstood as a person who roleplays a [[male]] character, either adult or child, who is forced to dress and act as a young [[female]] character. Truthfully, a sissyfur is anyone, male or female, who enjoys regression, leaning toward a very feminized and sissified look and attitude.
*'''Caretaker''' : As the name suggests these are the people who roleplay caretaker characters, a 'mommy' or 'daddy' figure for other babyfurs.
*'''Ironic Babyfur''' : A babyfur who aims to make other babyfurs feel bad about themselves. Ironic babyfur behavior often manifests as a bully or older sibling in babyfur/littlefur roles, or as an abusive parent in caretaker roles.

Many people don't identify with one single group, but can change roles depending on the situation and who they are interacting with. It's also not uncommon for complex lineages (for example siblings, parents, etc.) to be set up among other babyfurs so that roles can be defined.

==Definition of AB/DLs==
These are general non-furry terms but are useful to understand in this context.

*'''Adult Baby''' (AB) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby. Beyond regressing using physical or environmental changes (such as diapers, clothing, and settings), they also mentally regress, taking the mentality of a baby. These are the equivalent to 'babyfurs' or 'lilfurs' when crossed with [[furry]]. Teenagers who are Adult Babies will sometimes refer to themselves as Teen Babies (TBs).

*'''Diaper Lover''' (DL) : A person feels a strong desire to wear or use diapers, usually without physiological necessity. These people, unlike AB's, will usually not regress physically (adopting a baby form) or mentally. These tend to be the equivalent of 'diaperfurs' in the babyfur community. For some DLs, but not all of them, there is a fetish connection to the diapers. They will sometimes take the submissive role to a caretaker in sexual play, and the caretaker will take a dominant role.

*'''Infantilist''' : Essentially, [[Wikipedia:infantilism|infantilism]] regards any person who enjoys regressing to the mental age of an infant or toddler, and may or may not involve diapers and other baby paraphernalia.

==Baby things (and why)==
From the Adult Baby (AB) angle of AB/DL, regressing individuals prefer to behave and be treated as much like a baby or toddler as possible. To do so successfully achieves in many babyfurs a comforting, secure or blissful feeling. Various paraphernalia help to satisfy these preferences:

===Clothing===
Many babyfurs enjoy wearing all sorts of clothing. Some say the cuter it looks, the better it is. Such articles of clothing include the following :
*[[Wikipedia:Overalls|Overalls]]
*[[Wikipedia:Shortalls|Shortalls]]
*[[Wikipedia:Booties|Booties]]
*[[Wikipedia:Dresses|Dresses]]
*[[Wikipedia:Onesie|Onesies]]
*[[Wikipedia:Pajamas|Pajamas]]
*[[Wikipedia:Pants|Pants]]
*[[Wikipedia:Footed sleeper|Footed sleepers]]
*[[Wikipedia:Mittens|Mittens]]
*[[Wikipedia:Bows|Bows]]

Many male babyfurs find they enjoy being dressed as little girls as well, and are sometimes called ''sissyfurs''. The classic baby bonnet (seen frequently in certain [[Looney Toons]] episodes) is not very common among babyfurs, which might be attributed to the fact that modern society doesn't find real babies wearing them either.

===Plushies and toys===
Just like clothing, interacting with [[plush toy|plushies]] and toys is very contributive to the cub experience. Toys range in age from baby toys to toy cars and action figures. As long as cubs get to interact with one another though, toys are not always the focus in a roleplay.

===Objects===
A toddler's life is not complete without items such as [[Wikipedia:Infant bed|cribs]], [[Wikipedia:Baby transport|walkers]], [[Wikipedia:Stroller|strollers]], [[Wikipedia:High chair|high chairs]], [[Wikipedia:Car seat|car seats]]/[[Wikipedia:Infant car seat|booster seats]], [[Wikipedia:Pacifier|pacifiers]], [[Wikipedia:Baby bottle|baby bottles]]/[[Wikipedia:Sippy cup|sippy cups]], [[Wikipedia:Baby powder|talcum powder]] and [[Wikipedia:Bubble bath|bubble baths]]. Many babyfurs use these objects in online roleplay and would love to be able to use them in the real world.

As well as physical objects, some babyfurs find a keen interest in actions like [[wikipedia:blowing a raspberry|blowing a raspberry]], being held, or watching old television shows that are no longer available on TV. Many old children's shows such as 80's and early 90's cartoons on [[Wikipedia:Nickelodeon|Nickelodeon]] were the same shows some babyfurs watched when they were little, and reminiscing about them leaves a nostalgic warmth.

===Diaper usage (and why)===
Diapers are an item frequently used while "cubbing out". Like other aspects of babyfur, this can be done in the virtual world, the real world, or both. There are many babyfurs, however, that while they will wear diapers in online roles, do not in real life. Many babyfurs will wear diapers in real life for a feeling of security and comfort, but will not use them for their intended purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some babyfurs that, either by choice or by necessity, wear and use diapers all the time.

Why babyfurs wear, and possibly use, diapers in the real world is varied. For some, they are forced to wear them because of a medical condition and have no choice in the matter. These people have often blended their real life situation with that of their furry persona. For others, it is a way they can regress into their [[fursona|furry persona]]'s age. Some others see the diapers as a connection to their furry persona, paralleling a [[tail]] or [[fursuit]] in the general furry community.

The wearing (and especially the use) of diapers in the real world are at the heart of many issues that some members of the furry community in general have with the babyfurs. For example, it is not generally considered appropriate for a diaper user to soil themselves at a [[convention]] in the presence of other [[furry fan]]s - or to put themselves in a situation where this is likely to happen - yet individuals have been known to do this, to the detriment of the group's reputation.

==Babyfur behavior==
When cubbing out in both the real world and in online roleplaying, the level of connection to the role will vary between each player. Some babyfurs will become so involved and yearn for such an authentic childish mentality that they will use speech impediments and [[Wikipedia:baby talk|baby talk]] to communicate. Very few babyfurs make a habit out of using babytalk in the real world, similar to a [[Wikipedia:gay lisp|gay lisp]]. Depending on the situation, a babyfur could even develop a habit of whining or crying to get what he/she wants from a caregiver or another roleplayer.

In light online [[role-playing]], babyfurs may toddle, crawl and wag their tails playfully while the sounds of crinkling diapers abound. Pouncing, giggling, cuddling, [[snug]]gling and tummy rubbing ensue with the maximum possible level of cuteness.

Child-like behaviour, baby animal sounds and an emphasis on [[cuteness]] are widespread among [[furry fans]] when among themselves, even those who don't call themselves babyfurs and who don't participate in other babyfur activities described here, such as diapers or baby clothing.

While most babyfurs are closely attached to the development of young [[human]]s, a different approach can be found in online [[role-play]], where newborn [[zoomorphic]] and [[anthropomorphic]] [[characters]] often grow up at a similar pace as wild animals, doing without accessories such as diapers and learning to walk in a short time. This has the practical advantage of sooner getting into an age that allows interesting role-play even for non-babyfurs when playing a character since birth. As in nature, opinions on when a character can be considered adult vary greatly.

===Cubbing Out===
"Cubbing Out" is a general term used by the community to describe roleplaying as a babyfur character. This can either be roleplay in the virtual world or the real world. Usually it will involve one or more regressed characters or people interacting with each other or with a caregiver.

"Padding" and "Getting Padded" may also refer to cubbing, in particular regarding to being diapered.

===The caregiver's role===
Caregivers (or caretakers) are the 'mommy' and 'daddy' figures in the roleplay. For the most part, they interact with other babyfurs as a mother or father would with their child. This can include playing with, cleaning or disciplining the younger character.

===Babyfurs at furry conventions===
Just like furries in general, babyfurs go to [[convention]]s to spend time with friends and express their [[furriness]]. For many, that includes their babyfur aspects too. One may see many babyfurs dressed in juvenile clothing and with various paraphernalia because that is part of how they choose to express themselves. To some babyfurs, dressing in such a way is no different than other furries wearing ears, tails or fursuits.

At many [[convention]]s, hotel rooms are set up as gathering places for babyfurs to socialize privately, and many conventions now have unique babyfur rooms/parties available, instead of relying on the same people to run the same parties at every con. Two of the most notable are the [[C'ubhouse]], run by [[LilPup]], as well as the [[Cub Hub]], a new room run by any of its core members ([[Fox_Cub]], [[Natasha Softpaw]], and [[Scritchwuff]], currently) who show up for a particular con.

===[http://www.swiftsden.net/bfpbg_v1_2.pdf Babyfurs Public Behavior Guidelines v1.2a]===

==History of the babyfur community==
*'''1995''' - [[Proxima Centauri]] opens [[The Nursery]] on [[FurryMUCK]].
*'''1995-01-13''' - Proxima Centauri runs the first official "AB/DL Furry" convention gathering at [[ConFurence 6]], though unsuccessful.
*'''1995-08-04''' - [[BitterGrey]] opens [http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism], then known as "BitterGrey's Den," a website for ABDLs and Furries.
*'''1996-09-09''' - Proxima Centauri officially opens [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails].
*'''1997''' - [[Snuggems]] opens the FurryMUCK DayKare and Bottoms-Up Diaper Company.
*'''1998-01-15''' - Snuggems runs ''The Nursery'', the first successful convention gathering for babyfurs, at [[ConFurence 9]]. The Nursery has been held at 18 furry conventions.
*'''1998-07''' - [[Chipper]] and [[OshKoshFox]] create [[babyfurs (IRC)|#babyfurs]] on [[YiffNet]].
*'''2000-05-20''' - [[Kasi Frost]] and OshKoshFox create the Babyfurs mailing list on One Groups.
*'''2000-05-18''' - [[Ray_Ferret]] creates #littlepaws on YiffNet after heated disagreements on #babyfurs.
*'''2000''' -[[OzzyFox]] creates #nowhere_grotto on YiffNet as an alternative to #babyfurs and #littlepaws. The new channel grows to rival the size of #babyfurs, but falls before #babyfur is created in 2004.
*'''2001-07''' - [[LilPup]] runs the first [[C'ubHouse]] at [[Anthrocon]].
*'''2002-11-02''' - [[TF Baxxter]] officially opens the [http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community] on [[LiveJournal]].
*'''2004-07''' - [[Ludwig]] creates #babyfur as an alternative to #babyfurs, now on [[FurNet (IRC)|FurNet]], to allow users to chat with fewer rules and regulations.
*'''2004-09-13''' - The Babyfurs mailing list, having moved to Yahoo! Groups, is deleted by Yahoo! and is revived as "Babyfurs_part2."
*'''2004-12-11''' - Yahoo! again deletes the mailing list, and the group moves to [http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=2982050 Babyfurs on Smartgroups].
*'''2006-11-30''' - SmartGroups ceases service. Babyfurs mailing list ceases to exist after over six years. The Babyfur LJ community eventually replaces mailing lists as a central babyfur community center.
*'''2009-02-14''' - #babyfur is removed from furnet for making fun of a recently dead furry.
*'''2009-02-24''' - [[Ludwig]] moves #babyfur to anthrochat after being banned from furnet along with the other owners of #babyfur

==Notable babyfurs==
{{Dubious}}
The following babyfurs are among the most known and respected in the furry fandom, recognized here for their contributions and devotion to the babyfur community:
*[[BabyTiger (person)|BabyTiger]] has been a member of the babyfur community since 1998, A Canadian Babyfur who has a strong presence at the Canadian conventions such at [[C-ACE]] and [[Anthrofest]], and organizing and hosting BabyFur gatherings. He also works and helps out with newer babyfurs in the community, making them feel welcomed and lending a hand to any who need the help. He also attends many furry gatherings in the USA, such as AC. In the furry fandom he is also the technical director at [[Anthrofest]].

*[[Fox Cub]] founded the Cub Hub mixer parties held at furry cons, which have been well-received by the babyfur community and the furry community alike. He's organized numerous local babyfur parties in the Pittsburgh area, and has been directly involved with most of the babyfur parties held at furry cons for the past decade. Recently, he began building high-quality cribs, high chairs, and other AB furniture, providing samples of his work at babyfur room parties at Anthrocon.

*[[Karis]] owns and maintains [[Karis' Playground]] [http://karisplayground.com/], featuring a large collection of babyfur and AB/DL comics by artists of all rank. Karis was the first person to make babyfur/diaper art available at furry conventions, thus pioneering the community known today as "Babyfurs."

*[[LilPup]] and [[Lil Kitt]] run and manage the [http://babyfur.com/cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse] at furry conventions for babyfurs to get together and have fun. LilPup also runs the [http://babyfur.com/ Online Babyfur Community], a central website that features the [http://babyfur.com/bfpl/ Babyfur Proximity Locator] (BFPL) for babyfurs to locate one another around the world. Like Swift and Orca, LilPup works to improve the relationship between babyfurs and non-babyfurs at conventions and to help babyfurs maintain a positive reputation in the furry fandom.

*[[Ludwig]], though not as prominant now as he has been in the past, is often credited with the concept of 'Ironic Babyfurs'. His channel, #babyfur, was once a major lifeline for the Ironic Babyfur community. He is often connected with anti-babyfur sentiment and is a known troll, however, his impact on the babyfur community at large is still notable.

*[[Orca (person)|Orca]] is a former moderator for the Babyfurs mailing list. He maintains an external file archive for the mailing list. He routinely reports links to interesting or humorous online articles relating to AB/DLs. Orca is also the famed inventor of the [http://orcinus.dynip.com/AB_DL/Orca_Stack/index.html "Orca Stack."]

*[[Proxima Centauri]]'s name is perhaps the first name known to newcomers to the babyfur community as they search to satisfy their newly found interests. Proxima runs [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails], one of the longest running AB Furry pages, dating back to 1997 (before the term "babyfur" had existed) and featuring thousands of babyfur art, fiction and multimedia files. Though it is in dire need of a new layout, the webpage still runs strong today.

*[[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] has been a member of the babyfur community since its inception in the mid to late 90's. He writes babyfur fiction, was owner and moderator of several iterations of the Babyfurs mailing list. ([http://www.swiftsden.net Swift's Den])

==Babyfur art and literature==
A few of the authors and artists in the babyfur community are:

===Artists===
*[[Marci McAdam]] is the most popular [[artist]] in the babyfur community. Although she is not a babyfur herself, her professional abilities and open-mindedness make her one of the best artist around. It is often said that a babyfur isn't officially a babyfur until he has purchased a badge or commission from Marci McAdam. Her babyfur art can be found for sale at her husband's website, Karis' Playground, and her other art is located at [http://furries.frithcat.com/ Marci McAdam's Furries]. Due to her time constraints in doing professional art, Marci is unable to take fandom-related commissions anymore.

*[[BushyCat]] appears at several furry conventions and is well known for her humorous-yet-innocent take on babyfurs as well as other alternative genres of furry art. Some of her creations have more human-like qualities than other artists tend to portray in their characters.

*[[JadeFox]] is one of the more active babyfur artists in the community, offering special contests and events for fans to participate in. The majority of his work is based on his own character or other babyfurs' characters. His drawings are especially creative and imaginative, bringing out only the most treasured aspects of childhood, as well as very innovative clothing design (featuring several brands and companies of his own devising). [http://www.furryjadefox.com/ Furry Jade Fox]

*[[Kelvin the Lion]] is a fairly popular artist whose current endeavors include (among others) the progressive webcomic ''[[Nivlek]]'', about the adventures of Nivlek the [[snow leopard]] who enjoys wearing diapers and eating. Nivlek remains to be one of the more amusing "weird" furry comics out there, and his talent does not go unnoticed. [http://www.geocities.com/kelvinthelion/index.html Kelvin's Furry Den]

*[[OzzyFox]], a student of animation at the Art Institute of Houston, consistently produces work on a regular basis that ranges from cuddly-cute to controversial and mature. [http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib]

*[[IkazuchiFox]] (commonly known by friends as "Ikajuicy") is found in the definition for "ubercute" listed in UrbanDictionary. He is one of the few amateur babyfur artists with work unique and notable enough to be recognized by the fandom. Although Ikazuchi has not done a sketch for a long time, it is the hope of many furs that he will start drawing again.

*[[Astolpho]], also known to his friends outside the furry community as [[rootdown]], has a technique characterized by light, open outlines, bright pastel colors, and innocent expressions. Some of Astolpho's work is now available at Karis' Playground.

*[[Cargo Weasel]]'s art leans strongly toward the "DL" side of "AB/DL," showing off mature diaper-related concepts that fit perfectly with his coloring and shading style. His art was featured on a now-defunct mailing list, but can still be found on his website: [http://www.cargoweasel.com/ Cargo Weasel: Art Complex]

*[[Familliar]], a relatively new artist to the scene is a regular at the Blue Furry [[Oekaki]] board run by [[Guppy]]. Already a fan favorite within the babyfur community, Familliar regularly draws pictures of both his own character creations as well as that of his commissioners in his own charmingly creative and endearing way. His artwork can be found at: [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/familliar/ Familliar's FA website].

*[[Aramitz]]'s artwork focuses almost exclusively on the "DL" side of commissions for the babyfur community. His unique style is characterized with bold, thick and prominent inking lines set against the subtle use of cell-shaded coloring. Aramitz currently maintains galleries at all the major prominent furry art websites such as: [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/aramitz/ Aramitz's FA website].

*[[TaviMunk]] is an artist, both traditional and digital whose artwork reflects the joys and fun of childhood and babyhood, using bright colors and warm, innocent expressions and actions. Specializing in pictures, badges, and other artsy designs, Tavi keeps his art at a G-PG level, and takes [[commission]]s.

===Art ''about'' babyfurs===
Some [[furry fandom]] artists have covered the topic of babyfurs, typically taking the same line as [[:Category:Media coverage|external commentators on the entire fandom]]:

*''[[West Corner Of the Park (comic)|West Corner Of the Park]]'''s coverage has been [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051002 generally] [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051016 negative], although they did make an exception for the [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20060521 Pink Panzer]

===Writers===
*[[CS Fox]], also known as Kit Fox and Cyprus Sygial, is possibly the best known babyfur writer in the community. His works are the biggest features in the stories section at Nursery Tails, and since his submissions to Proxima's site he has gone on to host his own website showing off babyfur fiction of his own and by newer babyfur writers. The latest rendition of CS Fox's site, [http://www.foxtalestimes.com/ Fox Tales Times], is being completed as this article is written. Its biggest feature is CS Fox's renowned AB/DL RPGM2K-based game, Weston Academy. The website also sports plenty of comics and art related to the RPG.

*[[Firemane]]'s fiction is prominently featured on CS Fox's fiction page.

*[[Fieval Mouse]]'s work is still favored by many furs. His stories are roughly 5 years old and are found on Proxima's Nursery Tails, featuring illustrations by Doodles.

*[[Athalon]] is another notable furry writer who has written the lightly famous [[The Milkshake Club]].

==Babyfur as a paraphilia==

===Babyfurs and pedophilia===

Like other furry fans, babyfurs often exhibit sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals by participating in [[TinySex]]. But because this usually involves adult players [[roleplaying]] sexual situations involving prepubescent characters, the question of whether babyfurs are [[Wikipedia:Pedophilia|pedophiles]] often arises.

Babyfurs generally assert that roleplaying as underage characters doesn't imply sexual attraction to such characters. For example, some roleplay as young furries due to a longing to be young again, and have no sexual element to their roleplay.

Of those that do participate in sexual activity, some are interested in (for example) the fantasy of submission to an adult figure. Those who have TinySex with other babyfurs sometimes argue that if there is no adult '''character''' involved, the activity is not pedophilia. Others may stress that since characters portrayed are not '''human''', it is not meaningfully pedophilia. Outsiders often disagree, since the activity still involves actual adults taking an interest in prepubertal persons depicted in sexual situations.

This debate applies equally to visual and written depictions of babyfurs in sexual relations, and disagreements are often intense, between those with concerns about pedophilia, those who feel babyfur is distinct from pedophilia (because of players' identification with characters or the species of those characters), and those who don't care who enjoys it just as long as they're not forced to see it.

===Babyfurs vs. non-babyfurs===
The concept of babyfurs is quite contentious with some members of the [[fandom]]. Some furries and non-furries who have identified themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs may have acted inappropriately at [[convention]]s in the past. Such contentious behavior has allegedly included wearing diapers in public without using proper hygiene and trying to push uninterested people into babyfur roleplay, including sexual roleplay. These behaviors are frowned upon by the babyfur community in general, and such incidents, if perpetrated by babyfurs, are done by a small number of babyfurs within a larger babyfur community. The community in general adopted guidelines of conduct for how to act in public after a rash of such alleged incidents at conventions in an effort to police themselves.

Furries who dislike babyfurs may do so for a variety of common points, including:

*Grossed out by the concept of diaper lovers (or, in the aforementioned cases, by the smell)
*Concern that some babyfurs may be pedophiles
*Previous negative experiences with those who identify themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs.
*Fear that babyfur behavior will be associated as a characteristic of the general fandom, especially in the media
*Past disputes with the low mental capacities of babyfurs.

While there is some conflict between babyfurs and the general fandom, such conflicts should not be overstated. The majority of babyfurs and non-babyfurs coexist quite well because the majority of babyfurs do not engage in the more extreme behaviors mentioned here.

==Babyfur online==
Babyfurs have a well established community full of art, resources, and as many modes of communication as the rest of the furry fandom.

==Websites==
====Informative pages====
Want to learn more about babyfurs, who they are, and why they are? These web pages may be helpful.

*[http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism] by [[BitterGrey]]
*[http://babyfur.com Online Babyfur Community] by [[LilPup]]
*[http://orcinus.dynip.com/AB_DL/Orca_Stack/index.html How to make an "Orca Stack"], which are useful diapers for babyfurs.

[[Image:sr_secondlife.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Two babyfurs hug in the world of [[Second Life]].]]

====Art and fiction pages====
*[http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails] by [[Proxima Centauri]]
*[http://www.foxtalestimes.com Fox Tales Times] by [[CS Fox]]
*[http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib] by [[OzzyFox]]
*[http://www.furryjadefox.com Furry Jade Fox] by [[JadeFox]]
*[http://www.karisplayground.com/ Karis' Playground] by [[Karis]]

====LiveJournal/Dreamwidth communities====
*[http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community on LJ]
*[http://babyfur.dreamwidth.org/ Babyfur Community on Dreamwidth]

===Mailing lists===
* [http://www.altbabyfur.org/mailman/listinfo.cgi/altbabyfur AltBabyfur]

===Internet Relay Chat / IRC===
*[irc://irc.furnet.org/babyfurs Furnet #babyfurs] (PG13 rating) - [http://www.babyfurs.org.uk website]
*[irc://irc.furnet.org/diaperfurs Furnet #diaperfurs] (Unrated) ([[diaperfurs]] WikiFur page)

===Bulletin Boards and Forums===
*[http://foxtalestimes.actifforum.com/index.forum Fox Tales Forum] (G rating)
*[http://www.adisc.org/forum/babyfur-littlefur/ Babyfur/littlefur forum] at ADISC.org

===MUCKs===
[[The Astonishing Treehouse of the Secret Moon|The Treehouse]] on [[Tapestries]] is a common meeting place for lilfurs and ageplayers. Just teleport to ''secretmoon'' and you're there.

===Second Life===
Many babyfurs can be found in [[Second Life]]. A major meeting place for babyfurs is the babyfur [[island (Second Life)|sim]] called [[Cub Conclave]], created and run by [[Raven Welesa]].

[[fr:Babyfur]]
[[pt:Babyfur]]

[[Category:Paraphilias]]
[[Category:Social groups]]

{{Featured article}}

Swift Fox (person)

2009-06-08T19:10:14Z

Swift fox: general updates.

[[Image:AC 2007 Ashes.JPG|right|thumb|Ashes at [[Anthrocon 2007]].]]
'''Swift Fox''' is a [[furry]] who lives in [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].

Swift, as his friends call him, is an avid [[fursuiter]], performing as "Ashes" not only at [[convention]]s, but also in a public relations role with the [http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/ Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department], of which he also fills the role of lieutenant, secretary and training officer.

Since October of 2001, Swift has been the host and now director of the growing [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] which is held annually the first full weekend in October. This event brought 108 registered furs in for a weekend of fun and fellowship in 2008 and raised $1200 in donations for their charity the Beaver County Humane Society.

He is known through the fandom as a high profile member of the [[babyfur]] community who, with the help of others, has worked tirelessly over the years to better integrate the babyfur community into the [[furry fandom]]. This they have done by developing a set of Public Behavior Guidelines which have worked to improve its public image.

Since 2001, he has been coordinating monthly fur meets and activities in the Pittsburgh area. He was Programming Director for [[Morphicon]] in 2009. He served in Operations at [[Anthrocon]] from 2006 to 2008 and currently assists with [[convention]] programming as Table-top Gaming Track lead in 2009.

He co-moderates the Babyfur [[LiveJournal]] Community with [[TF Baxxter]].

Swift Fox's [[species]] is the [[Cross Fox]], a color variant of the [[Red Fox]]. He has held his furry name consistently since 1992, pre-dating his involvement in the fandom by five years.

== References ==
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/stories/bio.htm Swift Fox, an abridged autobiography]

== External links ==
{{Contributor|Swift fox}}
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/ Swift's Home Page]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western PA Furry Weekend Home Page]

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Babyfurs]]
[[Category:Convention staff]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Puppeteers]]
[[Category:Milfurs]]
[[Category:Red Fox characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2009-06-08T19:00:26Z

Swift fox: Moved 2008 information into event history. Updated 2009 information.

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:39:49Z

Swift fox:

{{cleanup}}

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in early October. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of regional furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008===
*The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008 is scheduled to be held the weekend of October 3-5 at the Comfort Inn, Pittsburgh North and Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park. Our featured artist will be [[Mehndi X]].

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
''"The Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North is conveniently located near the downtown area, just 10 miles from the University of Pittsburgh and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This Pittsburgh hotel is also close to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium , PNC Park ballpark, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field football stadium and the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall."''[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===
Built in 1958 and dedicated on September 27th, 1987, Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park has a shelter, horseshoe pits, basketball hoop, sliding board, swings, gym equipment, grills and picnic tables.[http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/history1.shtml]
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

* In 2005, the Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend added a Friday night social event. This event was based off of a currently pre-planned monthly furmeet, but was moved in order to work with the Furry Weekend.

* This meet functioned as entertainment for furs who wished to arrive early, and has become a staple of later Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekends.

* This event had been held at Ashe's (Former Social Chair of the Furry Weekend) Apartment. However, as the event has grown a private residence is no longer feasible and the Friday Night Event, now under the direction Xavier Fox Shandi, Chairperson of Programming, at our Hotel location.

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefiting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for its charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
* The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend returned in 2007 to the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North from October 5 to 7. It attracted 92 attendees, 24 of which were [[fursuit]]ers. 2007 also introduced the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend's first Midnight Menagerie, which attracted 8 acts. The featured artist was [[Brendan Roo]] and Animal Friends was again the benefiting charity, which received $657 in donations from con-goers.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/447212.html]

==Event Committee==
* [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
* [[Xavier Fox Shandi]]: Operations Chairperson
* [[Javi Roo]]: Registration Chairperson
* [[Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson
* [[Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson
* [[CadpigJr]]: Hospitality Chairperson
* [[TOS]]: Website Administrator
* [[Firefox]]: Forum Administrator
* [[Lascivius]]: Security Chief
* [[Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
* [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]
* {{con resources}}

[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:38:33Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008 */ Updates

{{cleanup}}

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008===
*The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008 is scheduled to be held the weekend of October 3-5 at the Comfort Inn, Pittsburgh North and Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park. Our featured artist will be [[Mehndi X]].

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
''"The Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North is conveniently located near the downtown area, just 10 miles from the University of Pittsburgh and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This Pittsburgh hotel is also close to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium , PNC Park ballpark, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field football stadium and the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall."''[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===
Built in 1958 and dedicated on September 27th, 1987, Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park has a shelter, horseshoe pits, basketball hoop, sliding board, swings, gym equipment, grills and picnic tables.[http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/history1.shtml]
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

* In 2005, the Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend added a Friday night social event. This event was based off of a currently pre-planned monthly furmeet, but was moved in order to work with the Furry Weekend.

* This meet functioned as entertainment for furs who wished to arrive early, and has become a staple of later Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekends.

* This event had been held at Ashe's (Former Social Chair of the Furry Weekend) Apartment. However, as the event has grown a private residence is no longer feasible and the Friday Night Event, now under the direction Xavier Fox Shandi, Chairperson of Programming, at our Hotel location.

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefiting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for its charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
* The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend returned in 2007 to the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North from October 5 to 7. It attracted 92 attendees, 24 of which were [[fursuit]]ers. 2007 also introduced the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend's first Midnight Menagerie, which attracted 8 acts. The featured artist was [[Brendan Roo]] and Animal Friends was again the benefiting charity, which received $657 in donations from con-goers.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/447212.html]

==Event Committee==
* [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
* [[Xavier Fox Shandi]]: Operations Chairperson
* [[Javi Roo]]: Registration Chairperson
* [[Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson
* [[Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson
* [[CadpigJr]]: Hospitality Chairperson
* [[TOS]]: Website Administrator
* [[Firefox]]: Forum Administrator
* [[Lascivius]]: Security Chief
* [[Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
* [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]
* {{con resources}}

[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:34:42Z

Swift fox: /* External links */

{{cleanup}}

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2008. The featured artist will be [[Mehndi X]]. No date or further details have been released.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
''"The Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North is conveniently located near the downtown area, just 10 miles from the University of Pittsburgh and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This Pittsburgh hotel is also close to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium , PNC Park ballpark, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field football stadium and the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall."''[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===
Built in 1958 and dedicated on September 27th, 1987, Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park has a shelter, horseshoe pits, basketball hoop, sliding board, swings, gym equipment, grills and picnic tables.[http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/history1.shtml]
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

* In 2005, the Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend added a Friday night social event. This event was based off of a currently pre-planned monthly furmeet, but was moved in order to work with the Furry Weekend.

* This meet functioned as entertainment for furs who wished to arrive early, and has become a staple of later Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekends.

* This event had been held at Ashe's (Former Social Chair of the Furry Weekend) Apartment. However, as the event has grown a private residence is no longer feasible and the Friday Night Event, now under the direction Xavier Fox Shandi, Chairperson of Programming, at our Hotel location.

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefiting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for its charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
* The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend returned in 2007 to the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North from October 5 to 7. It attracted 92 attendees, 24 of which were [[fursuit]]ers. 2007 also introduced the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend's first Midnight Menagerie, which attracted 8 acts. The featured artist was [[Brendan Roo]] and Animal Friends was again the benefiting charity, which received $657 in donations from con-goers.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/447212.html]

==Event Committee==
* [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
* [[Xavier Fox Shandi]]: Operations Chairperson
* [[Javi Roo]]: Registration Chairperson
* [[Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson
* [[Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson
* [[CadpigJr]]: Hospitality Chairperson
* [[TOS]]: Website Administrator
* [[Firefox]]: Forum Administrator
* [[Lascivius]]: Security Chief
* [[Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
* [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]
* {{con resources}}

[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:33:28Z

Swift fox: /* Event Committee */ Updated for 2008

{{cleanup}}

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2008===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2008. The featured artist will be [[Mehndi X]]. No date or further details have been released.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
''"The Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North is conveniently located near the downtown area, just 10 miles from the University of Pittsburgh and the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. This Pittsburgh hotel is also close to the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium , PNC Park ballpark, Mellon Arena, Heinz Field football stadium and the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall."''[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===
Built in 1958 and dedicated on September 27th, 1987, Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park has a shelter, horseshoe pits, basketball hoop, sliding board, swings, gym equipment, grills and picnic tables.[http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/history1.shtml]
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

* In 2005, the Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend added a Friday night social event. This event was based off of a currently pre-planned monthly furmeet, but was moved in order to work with the Furry Weekend.

* This meet functioned as entertainment for furs who wished to arrive early, and has become a staple of later Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekends.

* This event had been held at Ashe's (Former Social Chair of the Furry Weekend) Apartment. However, as the event has grown a private residence is no longer feasible and the Friday Night Event, now under the direction Xavier Fox Shandi, Chairperson of Programming, at our Hotel location.

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefiting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for its charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
* The Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend returned in 2007 to the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North from October 5 to 7. It attracted 92 attendees, 24 of which were [[fursuit]]ers. 2007 also introduced the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend's first Midnight Menagerie, which attracted 8 acts. The featured artist was [[Brendan Roo]] and Animal Friends was again the benefiting charity, which received $657 in donations from con-goers.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/447212.html]

==Event Committee==
* [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
* [[Xavier Fox Shandi]]: Operations Chairperson
* [[Javi Roo]]: Registration Chairperson
* [[Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson
* [[Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson
* [[CadpigJr]]: Hospitality Chairperson
* [[TOS]]: Website Administrator
* [[Firefox]]: Forum Administrator
* [[Lascivius]]: Security Chief
* [[Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]
* {{con resources}}

[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Template:Convention resources/Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:30:33Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 */

== [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] ==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ WPAFW website] - [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ message boards] - [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry PA Furry LiveJournal community]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]],
[[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 96

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 71
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/47740.html WPAFW 2006 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://fursuit.timduru.org/view/FurryCon/WesternPennsylvaniaFurryWeekend/WPAFW2006 Timduru's Fursuit Archive]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2005====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm WPAFW 2005 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/26932.html WPAFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend 2005 (cancelled)====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm WPSFW 2005 cancellation notice]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/19551.html WPSFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm WPAFW 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/11798.html WPAFW 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-B-Que 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 42
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm WPSFBQ 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/4970.html WPSFBQ 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1rpt.htm Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que & Fur Meet 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 35
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031001191914/www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm PFFBQ 2003 mirror on Archive.org]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/1688.html PFFBQ 2003 announcement] and [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/2813.html relocation] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Pittsfurgh Spring Fur-B-Que 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 18
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/888.html PSFBQ 2003 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031203205144/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2002====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 15
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20030416204603/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2001====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 12
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20011021225750/http://www.swiftsden.net/picnic/thumbnails.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

<noinclude>[[Category:Convention resources|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>

Template:Convention resources/Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:28:42Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsfurgh Spring Fur-B-Que 2003 */

== [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] ==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ WPAFW website] - [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ message boards] - [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry PA Furry LiveJournal community]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 71
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/47740.html WPAFW 2006 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://fursuit.timduru.org/view/FurryCon/WesternPennsylvaniaFurryWeekend/WPAFW2006 Timduru's Fursuit Archive]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2005====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm WPAFW 2005 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/26932.html WPAFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend 2005 (cancelled)====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm WPSFW 2005 cancellation notice]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/19551.html WPSFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm WPAFW 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/11798.html WPAFW 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-B-Que 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 42
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm WPSFBQ 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/4970.html WPSFBQ 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1rpt.htm Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que & Fur Meet 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 35
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031001191914/www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm PFFBQ 2003 mirror on Archive.org]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/1688.html PFFBQ 2003 announcement] and [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/2813.html relocation] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Pittsfurgh Spring Fur-B-Que 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 18
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/888.html PSFBQ 2003 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031203205144/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2002====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 15
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20030416204603/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2001====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 12
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20011021225750/http://www.swiftsden.net/picnic/thumbnails.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

<noinclude>[[Category:Convention resources|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>

Template:Convention resources/Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:28:30Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2002 */

== [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] ==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ WPAFW website] - [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ message boards] - [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry PA Furry LiveJournal community]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 71
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/47740.html WPAFW 2006 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://fursuit.timduru.org/view/FurryCon/WesternPennsylvaniaFurryWeekend/WPAFW2006 Timduru's Fursuit Archive]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2005====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm WPAFW 2005 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/26932.html WPAFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend 2005 (cancelled)====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm WPSFW 2005 cancellation notice]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/19551.html WPSFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm WPAFW 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/11798.html WPAFW 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-B-Que 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 42
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm WPSFBQ 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/4970.html WPSFBQ 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1rpt.htm Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que & Fur Meet 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 35
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031001191914/www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm PFFBQ 2003 mirror on Archive.org]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/1688.html PFFBQ 2003 announcement] and [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/2813.html relocation] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Pittsfurgh Spring Fur-B-Que 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 15
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/888.html PSFBQ 2003 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031203205144/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2002====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 15
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20030416204603/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2001====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 12
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20011021225750/http://www.swiftsden.net/picnic/thumbnails.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

<noinclude>[[Category:Convention resources|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>

Template:Convention resources/Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2008-07-21T11:27:35Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2001 */

== [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] ==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ WPAFW website] - [http://www.lupinia.net/wpafw/ message boards] - [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry PA Furry LiveJournal community]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 71
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/47740.html WPAFW 2006 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://fursuit.timduru.org/view/FurryCon/WesternPennsylvaniaFurryWeekend/WPAFW2006 Timduru's Fursuit Archive]

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2005====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/en-US/html/HotelInfo?hotel=PA268 Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm WPAFW 2005 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/26932.html WPAFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend 2005 (cancelled)====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm WPSFW 2005 cancellation notice]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/19551.html WPSFW 2005 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 50
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm WPAFW 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/11798.html WPAFW 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-B-Que 2004====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 42
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm WPSFBQ 2004 website]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/4970.html WPSFBQ 2004 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1rpt.htm Swift Fox]
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que & Fur Meet 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Aspinwall, Pennsylvania|Aspinwall]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]] - [http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~njm1/thumba4.htm Volunteer Firefighters Memorial Park]
* Attendance: 35
* [http://web.archive.org/web/20031001191914/www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm PFFBQ 2003 mirror on Archive.org]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/1688.html PFFBQ 2003 announcement] and [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/2813.html relocation] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal

====Pittsfurgh Spring Fur-B-Que 2003====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 15
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/888.html PSFBQ 2003 announcement] on the [[Pennsylvania Furries]]' LiveJournal
* Con report: [http://web.archive.org/web/20031203205144/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)
* Photos: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2002====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: ?
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20030416204603/http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

====Pittsfurgh Fall Fur-B-Que 2001====
[[Image:USA.gif|USA]] [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]], [[Wikipedia:Pennsylvania|Pennsylvania]], [[Wikipedia:USA|USA]]
* Attendance: 12
* Photos: [http://web.archive.org/web/20011021225750/http://www.swiftsden.net/picnic/thumbnails.htm Swift Fox] (mirrored on Archive.org)

<noinclude>[[Category:Convention resources|{{PAGENAME}}]]</noinclude>

File:AC 2007 unknown fox.JPG

2007-08-01T19:27:01Z

Swift fox: Updated "Unidentified Fox" as "Circa Fox"

Circa Fox at [[Anthrocon 2007]]

{{Photo3D|[[RainRat]]}}

Swift Fox (person)

2007-08-01T19:21:05Z

Swift fox: Updated moderation of mailing list to LJ Community and other furs involved.

[[Image:AC 2007 Ashes.JPG|right|thumb|'''Ashes''' at [[Anthrocon 2007]]]]'''Swift Fox''' is a [[furry]] living in [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].

Swift, as his friends call him, is an avid [[fursuiter]], performing in costume not only at conventions, but also in a public relations role with the [http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/ Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department], of which he also fills the role of firefighter, secretary and training officer.

Since October of 2001, Swift has been the host and now director of the growing [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] which is held annually over [[Wikipedia:Columbus Day|Columbus Day Weekend]]. This event brought seventy registered furs in for a weekend of fun and fellowship in 2006 and raised $2000 in donations for their charity Animal Friends.

He is known through the fandom as a high profile member of the [[babyfur]] community who, with the help of others, has worked tirelessly over the years to better integrate the babyfur community into the furry fandom. This they have done by developing a set of Public Behavior Guidelines which have worked to improve it's public image.

Since 1997, he has been co-ordinating [[babyfur]] and [[ageplay]] parties in the Pittsburgh area.

He co-moderates the Babyfur LJ Community with [[TF Baxxter]].

Swift Fox's [[species]] is actually the [[Cross Fox]], a color variant of the Red Fox family. He has held his furry name consistantly since 1992, pre-dating his involvement in the fandom by five years.

== References ==

* [http://www.swiftsden.net/stories/bio.htm Swift Fox, an abridged autobiography]

== External links ==
{{Contributor|Swift fox}}
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/ Swift's Home Page]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western PA Furry Weekend Home Page]

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Babyfurs]]
[[Category:Convention staff]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Fox characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Greymuzzle]]
[[Category:Milfurs]]

Babyfur

2007-02-12T00:21:11Z

Swift fox: Added link to Babyfur Public Behavior Guidelines pdf which has been uploaded to www.swiftsden.net, my website.

A '''babyfur''' is a member of the [[furry fandom]] who enjoys roleplaying younger characters. They may also be an Adult Baby and/or [[Wikipedia:Diaper Lover|Diaper Lover]] (collectively known as AB/DLs), or is otherwise involved in [[Wikipedia:Infantilism|Infantilism]]. There are many different types of furs in the babyfur community, each focusing on different aspects and roles. Like furry in general, babyfur culture involves a good amount of [[role-playing]] (either light or heavy), both online and in the real world.

The community has been growing more and more popular since the mid- to late 90's. While the community itself is still part of the furry fandom as a whole, it is large enough to present sufficient leaders, politics and drama to give the community a nearly independent feel to it.

Role playing babyfurs will most often take on the role of a furry character in his/her infancy or childhood. Common roleplaying themes include "cute" [[clothing]] (onesies, footy pajamas, overalls, diapers) and a child's environment such as a nursery or day care center, complete with cribs, high chairs and babyish decor. A few babyfurs lucky enough to afford the privacy and devotion will set up adult nurseries to role play as children in real life. A sexual subset of this type of roleplaying is known as [[ageplay]].

[[Image:Rieva-little.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Babyfurs in a Nutshell.<br\>Art by [[LoupGarou]] [http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/LoupGarou], character by [[Rieva]]]]

==Terminology==

==Babyfur roles==

There are a few sub-groups within the babyfur community which are often described with the following terminology:

*'''babyfur''' : Used to describe the group as a whole, however, specifically it referrers to someone that roleplays as younger, up to the human equivalent of toddler age, characters. Baby paraphernalia is most likely to be involved for this group and role played speech is often either in gibberish or very basic speech.
*'''lilfur (littlefur)''' : This is a person that roleplays as a child character. Characters identified as lilfurs tend to between their toddler and teen ages. Diaper and other baby paraphernalia may or may not be involved. Role played speech is usually more refined at this point, but still somewhat juvenile.
*'''diaperfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as an adult character that still either requires or choose to wear diapers. Role played speech and actions are consistent with an adult. The person may also roleplay an adult character that is mentally regressed back to a younger state, but still has an adult physical form.
*'''sissyfur''' : This is a person that roleplays a male character, either adult or child, that is forced to dress and act as a young female character.
*'''caretaker''' : As the name suggests these are the people that roleplay caretaker characters, a 'mommy' or 'daddy' figure for other babyfurs.

Many people don't identify with one single group, but can change roles depending on the situation and who they are interacting with. It's also not uncommon for complex lineages (for example siblings, parents, etc) to be set up among other babyfurs so that roles can be defined.

==Definition of AB/DLs==

These are general non furry terms but are useful to understand in this context.

'''Adult Baby''' (AB) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby. Beyond regressing using physical or environmental changes (such as diapers, clothing, and settings), they also mentally regress, taking the mentality of a baby. These are the equivalent to 'babyfurs' or 'lilfurs' when crossed with [[furry]]. Teenagers who are Adult Babies will sometimes refer to themselves as Teen Babies (TBs).

'''Diaper Lover''' (DL) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby, but limits the regressing to an environmental change (such as wearing diapers or using baby paraphernalia). These people, unlike AB's, will usually not regress physically (adopting a baby form) or mentally. These tend to be the equivalent of 'diaperfurs' in the babyfur community. For some DLs, but not all of them, there is a fetish connection to the diapers and baby play. They will sometimes take the submissive role to a caretaker in sexual play, and the caretaker will take a dominant role.

'''Infantilist''' : Essentially, [[Wikipedia:infantilism|infantilism]] regards any person who enjoys regressing to the mental age of an infant or toddler, and may or may not involve diapers and other baby paraphernalia.

==Baby things (and why)==

From the Adult Baby (AB) angle of AB/DL, regressing individuals prefer to behave and be treated as much like a baby or toddler as possible. To do so successfully achieves in many babyfurs a comforting, secure or blissful feeling. Various paraphrenalia help to satisfy these preferences:

===Clothing===

Many babyfurs enjoy wearing all sorts of clothing. Some say the cuter it looks, the better it is. Such articles of clothing include the following:
*Overalls
*Shortalls
*Booties
*Dresses
*Onesies
*Pajamas
*Pants
*Footed sleepers
*Mittens
*Bows

Many male babyfurs find they enjoy being dressed as little girls as well, and are sometimes called ''sissyfurs''.
The classic baby bonnet (seen frequently in certain Looney Toons episodes) is not very common among babyfurs, which might be attributed to the fact that modern society doesn't find real babies wearing them either.

===Plushies and toys===
Just like clothing, interacting with plushies and toys is very contributive to the cub experience. Toys range in age from baby toys to toy cars and action figures. As long as cubs get to interact with one another though, toys are not always the focus in a roleplay.

===Objects===
A toddler's life is not complete without many of the following items. Many babyfurs use these objects in online roleplay and would love to be able to use them in the real world:

*Cribs
*Walkers
*Strollers
*High chairs
*Car seats
*Booster seats
*Pacifiers
*Baby bottles
*Sippy cups
*Talcum powder
*Bubble baths

In addition to physical objects, some babyfurs also find a keen interest in actions like [[wikipedia:blowing a raspberry|blowing a raspberry]], being held, or watching old television shows that are no longer available on TV. Many old children's shows such as 80's and early 90's cartoons on Nickelodeon were the same shows some babyfurs watched when they were little, and reminiscing about them leaves a nostalgic warmth.

===Diaper usage (and why)===

Diapers are an item frequently used while "cubbing out". Like other aspects of babyfur, this can be done in the virtual world, the real world, or both. There are many babyfurs, however, that while they will wear diapers in online roles, do not in real life. Many babyfurs will wear diapers in real life for a feeling of security and comfort, but will not use them for their intended purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some babyfurs that, either by choice or by necessity, wear and use diapers all the time.

Why babyfurs wear, and possibly use, diapers in the real world is varied. For some, they are forced to wear them because of a medical condition and have no choice in the manner. These people have often blended their real life situation with their furry persona. For others, it is a way they can regress into their [[fursona|furry persona]]'s age. Some others see the diapers as a connection to their furry persona, paralleling a [[tail]] or [[fursuit]] in the general furry community.

The wearing (and especially the use) of diapers in the real world are at the heart of many issues that some members of the furry community in general have with the babyfurs. For example, it is not generally considered appropriate for a diaper user to soil themselves at [[convention]] in the presence of other [[furry fan]]s - or to put themselves in a situation where this is likely to happen - yet individuals have been known to do this, to the detriment of the group's reputation.

==Babyfur behavior==

When cubbing out in both the real world and in online roleplaying, the level of connection to the role will vary between each player. Some babyfurs will become so involved and yearn for such an authentic childish mentality that they will use speech impediments and [[Wikipedia:baby talk|baby talk]] to communicate. Very few babyfurs make a habit out of using babytalk in the real world, similar to a [[Wikipedia:gay lisp|gay lisp]]. Depending on the situation, a babyfur could even develop a habit of whining or crying to get what he/she wants from a caregiver or another roleplayer.

In light online [[role-playing]], babyfurs may toddle, crawl and wag their tails playfully while the sounds of crinkling diapers abound. Pouncing, giggling, cuddling, [[snug]]gling and tummy rubbing ensue with the maximum possible level of cuteness.

Child-like behaviour, baby animal sounds and an emphasis on [[cuteness]] are widespread among [[furry fans]] when among themselves, even those who don't call themselves babyfurs and who don't participate in other babyfur activities described here, such as diapers or baby clothing.

While most babyfurs are closely attached to the development of young [[human]]s, a different approach can be found in online [[role-play]], where newborn [[zoomorphic]] and [[anthropomorphic]] [[characters]] often grow up at a similar pace as wild animals, doing without accessories such as diapers and learning to walk in a short time. This has the practical advantage of sooner getting into an age that allows interesting role-play even for non-babyfurs when playing a character since birth. As in nature, opinions on when a character can be considered adult vary greatly.

===Cubbing Out===
"Cubbing Out" is a general term used by the community to describe roleplaying as a babyfur character. This can either be roleplay in the virtual world or the real world. Usually it will involve one or more regressed characters or people interacting with each other or with a caregiver.

"Padding" and "Getting Padded" may also refer to cubbing, in particular regarding to being diapered.

===The caregiver's role===
Caregivers (or caretakers) are the 'mommy' and 'daddy' figures in the roleplay. For the most part, they interact with other babyfurs as a mother or father would with their child. This can include playing with, cleaning or disciplining the younger character. For those involved from a sexual standpoint, the caregiver may adopt the dominant role, while the regressed character adopts the submissive role.

===Babyfurs at furry conventions===

Just like furries in general, babyfurs go to [[convention]]s to spend time with friends and express their [[furriness]]. For many, that includes their babyfur aspects too. One may see many babyfurs dressed in juvenile clothing and with various paraphernalia because that is part of how they choose to express themselves. To some babyfurs, dressing in such a way is no different than other furries wearing ears, tails or fursuits.

At many [[convention]]s, hotel rooms are set up as gathering places for babyfurs to socialize privately. Two of the most notable are the [[C'ubhouse]] and [[Nursery]] run by [[LilPup]] and [[Snuggems]], respectively.

===[http://www.swiftsden.net/bfpbg_v1_2.pdf Babyfurs Public Behavior Guidelines v1.2a]===

==Facts and myths==
*Myth: Babyfurs publicly dress as a baby.
**Sometimes true. Some babyfurs dress as a baby to express their interest in being a babyfur unashamed, and a few are avid seekers of humiliation or embarrassment. However, most babyfurs do not engage in the public dress of infantile paraphernalia.

*Myth: Babyfurs are sexually attracted to children just as some furry fans are sexually attracted to furries.
**False. Being a babyfur is very different from being a pedophile. While a small number of babyfurs may be pedophiles, this is largely not the case. See section VII about the difference between babyfurs and pedophiles.

==History of the babyfur community==

*'''1995''' - [[Proxima Centauri]] opens [[The Nursery]] on [[FurryMUCK]].
*'''1995-01-13''' - Proxima Centauri runs the first official "AB/DL Furry" convention gathering at [[ConFurence 6]], though unsuccessful.
*'''1995-08-04''' - [[BitterGrey]] opens [http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism], then known as "BitterGrey's Den," a website for ABDLs and Furries.
*'''1996-09-09''' - Proxima Centauri officially opens [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails].
*'''1997''' - [[Snuggems]] opens the FurryMUCK DayKare and Bottoms-Up Diaper Company.
*'''1998-01-15''' - Snuggems runs ''The Nursery'', the first successful convention gathering for babyfurs, at [[ConFurence 9]]. The Nursery has been held at 18 furry conventions.
*'''1998-07''' - [[Chipper]] and [[OshKoshFox]] create [[babyfurs (IRC)|#babyfurs]] on [[YiffNet]].
*'''2000-05-05''' - [[Kasi Frost]] and OshKoshFox create the Babyfurs mailing list on One Groups.
*'''2000-05-18''' - [[Ray_Ferret]] creates #littlepaws on YiffNet after heated disagreements on #babyfurs.
*'''2000''' - #nowhere_grotto is created on YiffNet as an alternative to #babyfurs and #littlepaws. The new channel grows to rival the size of #babyfurs, but falls before #babyfur is created in 2004.
*'''2001-07''' - [[LilPup]] runs the first [[C'ubHouse]] at [[Anthrocon]].
*'''2004-07''' - [[Ludwig]] creates #babyfur as an alternative to #babyfurs, now on [[FurNet (IRC)|FurNet]], to allow users to chat with fewer rules and regulations.
*'''2004-09-13''' - The Babyfurs mailing list, having moved to Yahoo! Groups, is deleted by Yahoo! and is revived as "Babyfurs_part2."
*'''2004-12-11''' - Yahoo! again deletes the mailing list, and the group moves to [http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=2982050 Babyfurs on Smartgroups].
*'''2006-11-30''' - SmartGroups ceases service. Babyfurs mailing list ceases to exist after over six years.

==Community leaders and important babyfurs==

The following babyfurs are among the most known and respected in the furry fandom, recognized here for their contributions and devotion to the babyfur community:

*[[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] has been a member of the babyfur community since its inception in the mid to late 90's. He writes babyfur fiction, has been owner and moderator of several iterations of the Babyfurs mailing list, and hosts several furry and AB/DL events in the Pittsburgh area. ([http://www.swiftsden.net Swift's Den])
*[[Orca (person)|Orca]] co-moderates the Babyfurs mailing list with SwiftFox. He maintains the Babyfurs mailing list and an external file archive. He routinely reports links to interesting or humorous online articles relating to AB/DLs. Orca is also the famed inventor of the "Orca Stack."
*[[BabyTiger (person)|BabyTiger]] has been a member of the babyfur community since 1998, A Canadian Babyfur who has a strong presence at the Canadian conventions such at [[C-ACE]] and [[Anthrofest]], organizing and hosting BabyFur gatherings. He also works and helps out with newer babyfurs in the community, making them feel welcomed and lending a paw to any who need the help.
*[[LilPup]] and [[Lil_Kitt]] run and manage the [http://babyfur.com/cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse] at furry conventions for babyfurs to get together and have fun. LilPup also runs the [http://babyfur.com/ Online Babyfur Community], a central website that features the [http://babyfur.com/bfpl/ Babyfur Proximity Locator] (BFPL) for babyfurs to locate one another around the world. Like Swift and Orca, LilPup works to improve the relationship between babyfurs and non-babyfurs at conventions and to help babyfurs maintain a positive reputation in the furry fandom.
*[[Snuggems]] is most known for running the Nursery at Anthrocon, a room devoted to giving to those kids and cubs at heart who need to be cared for. Although it started up first and despite that the two meeting spots have different ratings and features, Snuggems' Nursery has been often been said to view the C'ubhouse as competition.
*[[Proxima Centauri]]'s name is perhaps the first name known to newcomers to the babyfur community as they search to satisfy their newly found interests. Proxima runs [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails], one of the longest running AB Furry pages, dating back to 1997 (before the term "babyfur" had existed) and featuring thousands of babyfur art, fiction and multimedia files. Though it is in dire need of a new layout, the webpage still runs strong today.
*[[Karis]] owns and maintains [[Karis' Playground]] [http://karisplayground.com/], featuring a large collection of babyfur and AB/DL images by artists of all rank. Karis' Playground also offers a store where visitors can purchase prints of babyfur art by various professional artists, including his wife Marci McAdam. Karis was the first person to make babyfur/diaper art available at furry conventions, thus pioneering the community known today as "Babyfurs."

== Babyfur art and literature ==
A few of the authors and artists in the babyfur community are:

=== Artists ===
*[[Marci McAdam]] is the most popular artist in the babyfur community. Although she is not a babyfur herself, her professional abilities and open-mindedness make her one of the best artist around. It is often said that a babyfur isn't officially a babyfur until he has purchased a badge or commission from Marci McAdam. Her babyfur art can be found for sale at her husband's website, Karis' Playground, and her other art is located at [http://furries.frithcat.com/ Marci McAdam's Furries]. Due to her time constraints in doing professional art, Marci is unable to take fandom-related commissions anymore.

*[[BushyCat]] appears at several furry conventions and is well known for her humorous-yet-innocent take on babyfurs as well as other alternative genres of furry art. Some of her creations have more human-like qualities than other artists tend to portray in their characters.

*[[JadeFox]] is one of the more active babyfur artists in the community, offering special contests and events for fans to participate in. The majority of his work is based on his own character or other babyfurs' characters. His drawings are especially creative and imaginative, bringing out only the most treasured aspects of childhood, as well as very innovative clothing design (featuring several brands and companies of his own devising). [http://www.furryjadefox.com/ Furry Jade Fox]

*[[Kelvin the Lion]] is a fairly popular artist whose current endeavors include (among others) the progressive webcomic ''[[Nivlek]]'', about the adventures of Nivlek the [[snow leopard]] who enjoys wearing diapers and eating. Nivlek remains to be one of the more amusing "weird" furry comics out there, and his talent does not go unnoticed. [http://www.geocities.com/kelvinthelion/index.html Kelvin's Furry Den]

*[[FangKit]] has been drawing babyfurs for most of this decade, and continues to improve his artistic talent. His unique style and knack for cuteness and humor combine to make him favored by babyfurs throughout the community. [http://www.babyfox.org.uk/foxnip/ FangKit's Pics]

*[[OzzyFox]], a student of animation at the Art Institute of Houston, consistently produces work on a regular basis that ranges from cuddly-cute to controversial and mature. [http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib]

*[[IkazuchiFox]] (commonly known by friends as "Ikajuicy") is found in the definition for "ubercute" listed in UrbanDictionary. He is one of the few amateur babyfur artists with work unique and notable enough to be recognized by the fandom. Although Ikazuchi has not done a sketch for a long time, it is the hope of many furs that he will start drawing again.

*[[Astolpho]] draws babyfurs and turns a steady trade in commissions involving them. His successes and sudden popularity following his appearance in the babyfur community in 2003 have sparked a number of ongoing controversies within it. Some of Astolpho's work is now available at [[Karis' Playground]].

*[[Cargo Weasel]]'s art leans strongly toward the "DL" side of "AB/DL," showing off mature diaper-related concepts that fit perfectly with his coloring and shading style. His art was featured on a now-defunct mailing list, but can still be found on his website: [http://www.cargoweasel.com/ Cargo Weasel: Art Complex]

===Art ''about'' babyfurs===
Some [[furry fandom]] artists have covered the topic of babyfurs, typically taking the same line as [[:Category:Media coverage|external commentators on the entire fandom]]:

*''[[West Corner Of the Park (comic)|West Corner Of the Park]]'''s coverage has been [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051002 generally] [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051016 negative], although they did make an exception for the [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20060521 Pink Panzer]

===Writers===
*[[CS Fox]], also known as Kit Fox and Cyprus Sygial, is possibly the best known babyfur writer in the community. His works are the biggest features in the stories section at Nursery Tails, and since his submissions to Proxima's site he has gone on to host his own website showing off babyfur fiction of his own and by newer babyfur writers. The latest rendition of CS Fox's site, [http://www.foxtalestimes.com/ Fox Tales Times], is being completed as this article is written. Its biggest feature is CS Fox's renowned AB/DL RPGM2K-based game, Weston Academy. The website also sports plenty of comics and art related to the RPG.

*[[Firemane]]'s fiction is prominently featured on CS Fox's fiction page.

*[[Fieval Mouse]]'s work is still favored by many furs. His stories are roughly 5 years old and are found on Proxima's Nursery Tails, featuring illustrations by Doodles.

==Babyfur as a paraphilia==

A phenomenon exists throughout the furry fandom where it appears that a large amount of its members find a sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals. As babyfurs are also furries, the phenomenon adheres to babyfurs as well. Because most babyfurs tend to enjoy roleplaying as children or toddlers, the question constantly arises: Are babyfurs pedophiles?

===Babyfur versus pedophilia===
Babyfurs are not inherently pedophiles. While babyfurs roleplay as underage characters, the vast majority are not sexually attracted to children.

As babyfurs are defined in section 1, most roleplay as young furries usually because of their longing to be young again; in fact, some babyfurs don't even include a sexual element in their interests (and some do). Babyfurs assert that an adult roleplaying a child should not be considered the same thing as a child. In fact, many Babyfurs despise pedophilia because often, they either had a happy childhood or want childhood to be a time of innocence and happiness and therefore do not want that picture to be destroyed by pedophilia.

As with the general population, however, a small subset of babyfurs may be pedophiles.

===Babyfurs vs. non-babyfurs===
The concept of babyfurs has grown quite contentious with some members of the [[fandom]]. Some furries and non-furries who have identified themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs have acted inappropriately at [[convention]]s in the past. Such contentious behavior includes wearing diapers in public without using proper hygiene and trying to push uninterested people into babyfur [[roleplay]], including sexual roleplay. These behaviors are frowned upon by the babyfur community in general, and such incidents, when perpetrated by babyfurs, are done by a small number of babyfurs within a larger babyfur community. The community in general adopted guidelines of conduct for how to act in public after a rash of such incidents at conventions in an effort to police themselves.

Furries who dislike babyfurs may do so for a variety of common points, including:

*Grossed out by the concept of diaper lovers (or, in the aforementioned cases, by the smell)
*False belief that all babyfurs are pedophiles
*Previous negative experiences with those who identify themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs.
*Fear that babyfur behavior will be associated as a characteristic of the general fandom, especially in the media

While there is some conflict between babyfurs and the general fandom, such conflicts are not widespread throughout the entire fandom nor are they very severe. The majority of babyfurs and non-babyfurs coexist quite well because the majority of babyfurs do not engage in the more extreme behaviors mentioned here.

==Babyfur online==

Babyfurs have a well established community full of art, resources, and as many modes of communication as the rest of the furry fandom.

=== Websites ===
====Informative pages====
Want to learn more about babyfurs, who they are, and why they are? These web pages may be helpful.
*[http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism] by [[BitterGrey]]
*[http://babyfur.com Online Babyfur Community] by [[LilPup]]

[[Image:sr_secondlife.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Two babyfurs hug in the world of [[Second Life]].]]

====Art and fiction pages====
*[http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails] by [[Proxima Centauri]]
*[http://www.foxtalestimes.com Fox Tales Times] by [[CS Fox]]
*[http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib] by [[OzzyFox]]
*[http://www.furryjadefox.com Furry Jade Fox] by [[JadeFox]]
*[http://www.karisplayground.com/ Karis' Playground] by [[Karis]]

====LiveJournal communities====

*[http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community]

===Mailing lists===

*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Babyfur_Cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubcargo/ Club Cargo]
*[http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=3103378 LilFursCubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MDBabyFurs/ Maryland Babyfurs]

===Internet Relay Chat===

*[http://www.babyfox.org.uk/babyfurs/ Furnet #babyfurs] (PG13 rating)
*[http://www.furnet.org/news/ Furnet #babyfur] (Unrated)

===Bulletin Boards and Forums===

*[http://foxtalestimes.actifforum.com/index.forum Fox Tales Forum] (G rating)

===MUCKs===

[[The Astonishing Treehouse of the Secret Moon|The Treehouse]] on [[Tapestries]] is a common meeting place for lilfurs and ageplayers. Just teleport to ''secretmoon'' and you're there.

===Second Life===

Many babyfurs can be found in [[Second Life]]. A major meeting place for babyfurs is the babyfur [[island (Second Life)|sim]] called [[Cub Conclave]], created and run by [[Raven Welesa]].
[[Category:Paraphilias]]
[[Category:Social groups]]
{{Featured article}}

Babyfur

2006-12-06T21:53:42Z

Swift fox: /* History of the babyfur community */ Added end of BF Mailing List on Smart Groups.

A '''babyfur''' is a member of the [[furry fandom]] who enjoys roleplaying younger characters. They may also be an Adult Baby and/or [[Wikipedia:Diaper Lover|Diaper Lover]] (collectively known as AB/DLs), or is otherwise involved in [[Wikipedia:Infantilism|Infantilism]]. There are many different types of furs in the babyfur community, each focusing on different aspects and roles. Like furry in general, babyfur culture involves a good amount of [[role-playing]] (either light or heavy), both online and in the real world.

The community has been growing more and more popular since the mid- to late 90's. While the community itself is still part of the furry fandom as a whole, it is large enough to present sufficient leaders, politics and drama to give the community a nearly independent feel to it.

Role playing babyfurs will most often take on the role of a furry character in his/her infancy or childhood. Common roleplaying themes include "cute" [[clothing]] (onesies, footy pajamas, overalls, diapers) and a child's environment such as a nursery or day care center, complete with cribs, high chairs and babyish decor. A few babyfurs lucky enough to afford the privacy and devotion will set up adult nurseries to role play as children in real life. A sexual subset of this type of roleplaying is known as [[ageplay]].

[[Image:Rieva-little.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Babyfurs in a Nutshell.<br\>Art by [[LoupGarou]] [http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/LoupGarou], character by [[Rieva]]]]

==Terminology==

==Babyfur roles==

There are a few sub-groups within the babyfur community which are often described with the following terminology:

*'''babyfur''' : Used to describe the group as a whole, however, specifically it referrers to someone that roleplays as younger, up to the human equivalent of toddler age, characters. Baby paraphernalia is most likely to be involved for this group and role played speech is often either in gibberish or very basic speech.
*'''lilfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as a child character. Characters identified as lilfurs tend to between their toddler and teen ages. Diaper and other baby paraphernalia may or may not be involved. Role played speech is usually more refined at this point, but still somewhat juvenile.
*'''diaperfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as an adult character that still either requires or choose to wear diapers. Role played speech and actions are consistent with an adult. The person may also roleplay an adult character that is mentally regressed back to a younger state, but still has an adult physical form.
*'''sissyfur''' : This is a person that roleplays a male character, either adult or child, that is forced to dress and act as a young female character.
*'''caretaker''' : As the name suggests these are the people that roleplay caretaker characters, a 'mommy' or 'daddy' figure for other babyfurs.

Many people don't identify with one single group, but can change roles depending on the situation and who they are interacting with. It's also not uncommon for complex lineages (for example siblings, parents, etc) to be set up among other babyfurs so that roles can be defined.

==Definition of AB/DLs==

These are general non furry terms but are useful to understand in this context.

'''Adult Baby''' (AB) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby. Beyond regressing using physical or environmental changes (such as diapers, clothing, and settings), they also mentally regress, taking the mentality of a baby. These are the equivalent to 'babyfurs' or 'lilfurs' when crossed with [[furry]]. Teenagers who are Adult Babies will sometimes refer to themselves as Teen Babies (TBs).

'''Diaper Lover''' (DL) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby, but limits the regressing to an environmental change (such as wearing diapers or using baby paraphernalia). These people, unlike AB's, will usually not regress physically (adopting a baby form) or mentally. These tend to be the equivalent of 'diaperfurs' in the babyfur community. For some DLs, but not all of them, there is a fetish connection to the diapers and baby play. They will sometimes take the submissive role to a caretaker in sexual play, and the caretaker will take a dominant role.

'''Infantilist''' : Essentially, [[Wikipedia:infantilism|infantilism]] regards any person who enjoys regressing to the mental age of an infant or toddler, and may or may not involve diapers and other baby paraphernalia.

==Baby things (and why)==

From the Adult Baby (AB) angle of AB/DL, regressing individuals prefer to behave and be treated as much like a baby or toddler as possible. To do so successfully achieves in many babyfurs a comforting, secure or blissful feeling. Various paraphrenalia help to satisfy these preferences:

===Clothing===

Many babyfurs enjoy wearing all sorts of clothing. Some say the cuter it looks, the better it is. Such articles of clothing include the following:
*Overalls
*Shortalls
*Booties
*Dresses
*Onesies
*Pajamas
*Pants
*Footed sleepers
*Mittens
*Bows

Many male babyfurs find they enjoy being dressed as little girls as well, and are sometimes called ''sissyfurs''.
The classic baby bonnet (seen frequently in certain Looney Toons episodes) is not very common among babyfurs, which might be attributed to the fact that modern society doesn't find real babies wearing them either.

===Plushies and toys===
Just like clothing, interacting with plushies and toys is very contributive to the cub experience. Toys range in age from baby toys to toy cars and action figures. As long as cubs get to interact with one another though, toys are not always the focus in a roleplay.

===Objects===
A toddler's life is not complete without many of the following items. Many babyfurs use these objects in online roleplay and would love to be able to use them in the real world:

*Cribs
*Walkers
*Strollers
*High chairs
*Car seats
*Booster seats
*Pacifiers
*Baby bottles
*Sippy cups
*Talcum powder
*Bubble baths

In addition to physical objects, some babyfurs also find a keen interest in actions like [[wikipedia:blowing a raspberry|blowing a raspberry]], being held, or watching old television shows that are no longer available for on TV. Many old children's shows such as 80's and early 90's cartoons on Nickelodeon were the same shows some babyfurs watched when they were little, and reminiscing about them leaves a nostalgic warmth.

===Diaper usage (and why)===

Diapers are an item frequently used while "cubbing out". Like other aspects of babyfur, this can be done in the virtual world, the real world, or both. There are many babyfurs, however, that while they will wear diapers in online roles, do not in real life. Many babyfurs will wear diapers in real life for a feeling of security and comfort, but will not use them for their intended purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some babyfurs that, either by choice or by necessity, wear and use diapers all the time.

Why babyfurs wear, and possibly use, diapers in the real world is varied. For some, they are forced to wear them because of a medical condition and have no choice in the manner. These people have often blended their real life situation with their furry persona. For others, it is a way they can regress into their [[fursona|furry persona]]'s age. Some others see the diapers as a connection to their furry persona, paralleling a [[tail]] or [[fursuit]] in the general furry community.

The wearing (and especially the use) of diapers in the real world are at the heart of many issues that some members of the furry community in general have with the babyfurs. For example, it is not generally considered appropriate for a diaper user to soil themselves at [[convention]] in the presence of other [[furry fan]]s - or to put themselves in a situation where this is likely to happen - yet individuals have been known to do this, to the detriment of the group's reputation.

==Babyfur behavior==

When cubbing out in both the real world and in online roleplaying, the level of connection to the role will vary between each player. Some babyfurs will become so involved and yearn for such an authentic childish mentality that they will use speech impediments and [[Wikipedia:baby talk|baby talk]] to communicate. Very few babyfurs make a habit out of using babytalk in the real world, similar to a [[Wikipedia:gay lisp|gay lisp]]. Depending on the situation, a babyfur could even develop a habit of whining or crying to get what he/she wants from a caregiver or another roleplayer.

In light online [[role-playing]], babyfurs may toddle, crawl and wag their tails playfully while the sounds of crinkling diapers abound. Pouncing, giggling, cuddling, [[snug]]gling and tummy rubbing ensue with the maximum possible level of cuteness.

Child-like behaviour, baby animal sounds and an emphasis on [[cuteness]] are widespread among [[furry fans]] when among themselves, even those who don't call themselves babyfurs and who don't participate in other babyfur activities described here, such as diapers or baby clothing.

While most babyfurs are closely attached to the development of young [[human]]s, a different approach can be found in online [[role-play]], where newborn [[zoomorphic]] and [[anthropomorphic]] [[characters]] often grow up at a similar pace as wild animals, doing without accessories such as diapers and learning to walk in a short time. This has the practical advantage of sooner getting into an age that allows interesting role-play even for non-babyfurs when playing a character since birth. As in nature, opinions on when a character can be considered adult vary greatly.

===Cubbing Out===
"Cubbing Out" is a general term used by the community to describe roleplaying as a babyfur character. This can either be roleplay in the virtual world or the real world. Usually it will involve one or more regressed characters or people interacting with each other or with a caregiver.

"Padding" and "Getting Padded" may also refer to cubbing, in particular regarding to being diapered.

===The caregiver's role===
Caregivers (or caretakers) are the 'mommy' and 'daddy' figures in the roleplay. For the most part, they interact with other babyfurs as a mother or father would with their child. This can include playing with, cleaning or disciplining the younger character. For those involved from a sexual standpoint, the caregiver may adopt the dominant role, while the regressed character adopts the submissive role.

===Babyfurs at furry conventions===

Just like furries in general, babyfurs go to [[convention]]s to spend time with friends and express their [[furriness]]. For many, that includes their babyfur aspects too. One may see many babyfurs dressed in juvenile clothing and with various paraphernalia because that is part of how they choose to express themselves. To some babyfurs, dressing in such a way is no different than other furries wearing ears, tails or fursuits.

At many [[convention]]s, hotel rooms are set up as gathering places for babyfurs to socialize privately. Two of the most notable are the [[C'ubhouse]] and [[Nursery]] run by [[LilPup]] and [[Snuggems]], respectively.

==Facts and myths==
*Myth: Babyfurs publicly dress as a baby.
**Sometimes true. Some babyfurs dress as a baby to express their interest in being a babyfur unashamed, and a few are avid seekers of humiliation or embarrassment. However, most babyfurs do not engage in the public dress of infantile paraphernalia.

*Myth: Babyfurs are sexually attracted to children just as some furry fans are sexually attracted to furries.
**False. Being a babyfur is very different from being a pedophile. While a small number of babyfurs may be pedophiles, this is largely not the case. See section VII about the difference between babyfurs and pedophiles.

==History of the babyfur community==

*'''1995''' - [[Proxima Centauri]] opens [[The Nursery]] on [[FurryMUCK]].
*'''1995-01-13''' - Proxima Centauri runs the first official "AB/DL Furry" convention gathering at [[ConFurence 6]], though unsuccessful.
*'''1995-08-04''' - [[BitterGrey]] opens [http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism], then known as "BitterGrey's Den," a website for ABDLs and Furries.
*'''1996-09-09''' - Proxima Centauri officially opens [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails].
*'''1997''' - [[Snuggems]] opens the FurryMUCK DayKare and Bottoms-Up Diaper Company.
*'''1998-01-15''' - Snuggems runs ''The Nursery'', the first successful convention gathering for babyfurs, at [[ConFurence 9]]. The Nursery has been held at 18 furry conventions.
*'''1998-07''' - [[Chipper]] and [[OshKoshFox]] create [[babyfurs (IRC)|#babyfurs]] on [[YiffNet]].
*'''2000-05-05''' - [[Kasi Frost]] and OshKoshFox create the Babyfurs mailing list on One Groups.
*'''2000-05-18''' - [[Ray_Ferret]] creates #littlepaws on YiffNet after heated disagreements on #babyfurs.
*'''2000''' - #nowhere_grotto is created on YiffNet as an alternative to #babyfurs and #littlepaws. The new channel grows to rival the size of #babyfurs, but falls before #babyfur is created in 2004.
*'''2001-07''' - [[LilPup]] runs the first [[C'ubHouse]] at [[Anthrocon]].
*'''2004-07''' - [[Ludwig]] creates #babyfur as an alternative to #babyfurs, now on [[FurNet (IRC)|FurNet]], to allow users to chat with fewer rules and regulations.
*'''2004-09-13''' - The Babyfurs mailing list, having moved to Yahoo! Groups, is deleted by Yahoo! and is revived as "Babyfurs_part2."
*'''2004-12-11''' - Yahoo! again deletes the mailing list, and the group moves to [http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=2982050 Babyfurs on Smartgroups].
*'''2006-11-30''' - SmartGroups ceases service. Babyfurs mailing list ceases to exist after over six years.

==Community leaders and important babyfurs==

The following babyfurs are among the most known and respected in the furry fandom, recognized here for their contributions and devotion to the babyfur community:

*[[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] has been a member of the babyfur community since its inception in the mid to late 90's. He writes babyfur fiction, has been owner and moderator of several iterations of the Babyfurs mailing list, and hosts several furry and AB/DL events in the Pittsburgh area. ([http://www.swiftsden.net Swift's Den])
*[[Orca (person)|Orca]] co-moderates the Babyfurs mailing list with SwiftFox. He maintains the Babyfurs mailing list and an external file archive. He routinely reports links to interesting or humorous online articles relating to AB/DLs. Orca is also the famed inventor of the "Orca Stack."
*[[BabyTiger (person)|BabyTiger]] has been a member of the babyfur community since 1998, A Canadian Babyfur who has a strong presence at the Canadian conventions such at [[C-ACE]] and [[Anthrofest]], organizing and hosting BabyFur gatherings. He also works and helps out with newer babyfurs in the community, making them feel welcomed and lending a paw to any who need the help.
*[[LilPup]] and [[Lil_Kitt]] run and manage the [http://babyfur.com/cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse] at furry conventions for babyfurs to get together and have fun. LilPup also runs the [http://babyfur.com/ Online Babyfur Community], a central website that features the [http://babyfur.com/bfpl/ Babyfur Proximity Locator] (BFPL) for babyfurs to locate one another around the world. Like Swift and Orca, LilPup works to improve the relationship between babyfurs and non-babyfurs at conventions and to help babyfurs maintain a positive reputation in the furry fandom.
*[[Snuggems]] is most known for running the Nursery at Anthrocon, a room devoted to giving to those kids and cubs at heart who need to be cared for. Although it started up first and despite that the two meeting spots have different ratings and features, Snuggems' Nursery has been often been said to view the C'ubhouse as competition.
*[[Proxima Centauri]]'s name is perhaps the first name known to newcomers to the babyfur community as they search to satisfy their newly found interests. Proxima runs [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails], one of the longest running AB Furry pages, dating back to 1997 (before the term "babyfur" had existed) and featuring thousands of babyfur art, fiction and multimedia files. Though it is in dire need of a new layout, the webpage still runs strong today.
*[[Karis]] owns and maintains [[Karis' Playground]] [http://karisplayground.com/], featuring a large collection of babyfur and AB/DL images by artists of all rank. Karis' Playground also offers a store where visitors can purchase prints of babyfur art by various professional artists, including his wife Marci McAdam. Karis was the first person to make babyfur/diaper art available at furry conventions, thus pioneering the community known today as "Babyfurs."

== Babyfur art and literature ==
A few of the authors and artists in the babyfur community are:

=== Artists ===
*[[Marci McAdam]] is the most popular artist in the babyfur community. Although she is not a babyfur herself, her professional abilities and open-mindedness make her one of the best artist around. It is often said that a babyfur isn't officially a babyfur until he has purchased a badge or commission from Marci McAdam. Her babyfur art can be found for sale at her husband's website, Karis' Playground, and her other art is located at [http://furries.frithcat.com/ Marci McAdam's Furries]. Due to her time constraints in doing professional art, Marci is unable to take fandom-related commissions anymore.

*[[Genesis Eve Whitmore]] is not as popular as Marci but just as talented. She dominates the babyfur art market at Pawpet Megaplex in Orlando, FL in March, and her regular furry art gets plenty of attention as well. (About as much as her dazzling pink hair!) [http://www.madcoyote.com/gen/ Gen's Webpage]

*[[BushyCat]] appears at several furry conventions and is well known for her humorous-yet-innocent take on babyfurs as well as other alternative genres of furry art. Some of her creations have more human-like qualities than other artists tend to portray in their characters.

*[[JadeFox]] is one of the more active babyfur artists in the community, offering special contests and events for fans to participate in. The majority of his work is based on his own character or other babyfurs' characters. His drawings are especially creative and imaginative, bringing out only the most treasured aspects of childhood, as well as very innovative clothing design (featuring several brands and companies of his own devising). [http://www.furryjadefox.com/ Furry Jade Fox]

*[[Kelvin the Lion]] is a fairly popular artist whose current endeavors include (among others) the progressive webcomic ''[[Nivlek]]'', about the adventures of Nivlek the [[snow leopard]] who enjoys wearing diapers and eating. Nivlek remains to be one of the more amusing "weird" furry comics out there, and his talent does not go unnoticed. [http://www.geocities.com/kelvinthelion/index.html Kelvin's Furry Den]

*[[FangKit]] has been drawing babyfurs for most of this decade, and continues to improve his artistic talent. His unique style and knack for cuteness and humor combine to make him favored by babyfurs throughout the community. [http://www.babyfox.org.uk/foxnip/ FangKit's Pics]

*[[OzzyFox]], a student of animation at the Art Institute of Houston, consistently produces work on a regular basis that ranges from cuddly-cute to controversial and mature. [http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib]

*[[IkazuchiFox]] (commonly known by friends as "Ikajuicy") is found in the definition for "ubercute" listed in UrbanDictionary. He is one of the few amateur babyfur artists with work unique and notable enough to be recognized by the fandom. Although Ikazuchi has not done a sketch for a long time, it is the hope of many furs that he will start drawing again.

*[[Astolpho]], also known to his friends outside the furry community as [[rootdown]], had a technique similar to [[Wikipedia:Precious Moments|Precious Moments]] involving bright pastel-like colors on babyfurs, with baggy clothes, large eyes and innocent expressions. Astolpho expanded on the "squiggly" concept by animating outlines around colors a la [[Wikipedia:Squigglevision|Squigglevision]] invented by [[Wikipedia:Tom Snyder (Squigglevision inventor)|Tom Snyder]]. Some of Astolpho's work is now available at Karis' Playground.

*[[Cargo Weasel]]'s art leans strongly toward the "DL" side of "AB/DL," showing off mature diaper-related concepts that fit perfectly with his coloring and shading style. His art was featured on a now-defunct mailing list, but can still be found on his website: [http://www.cargoweasel.com/ Cargo Weasel: Art Complex]

===Art ''about'' babyfurs===
Some [[furry fandom]] artists have covered the topic of babyfurs, typically taking the same line as [[:Category:Media coverage|external commentators on the entire fandom]]:

*''[[West Corner Of the Park (comic)|West Corner Of the Park]]'''s coverage has been [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051002 generally] [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051016 negative], although they did make an exception for the [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20060521 Pink Panzer]

===Writers===
*[[CS Fox]], also known as Kit Fox and Cyprus Sygial, is possibly the best known babyfur writer in the community. His works are the biggest features in the stories section at Nursery Tails, and since his submissions to Proxima's site he has gone on to host his own website showing off babyfur fiction of his own and by newer babyfur writers. The latest rendition of CS Fox's site, [http://www.foxtalestimes.com/ Fox Tales Times], is being completed as this article is written. Its biggest feature is CS Fox's renowned AB/DL RPGM2K-based game, Weston Academy. The website also sports plenty of comics and art related to the RPG.

*[[Firemane]]'s fiction is prominently featured on CS Fox's fiction page.

*[[Fieval Mouse]]'s work is still favored by many furs. His stories are roughly 5 years old and are found on Proxima's Nursery Tails, featuring illustrations by Doodles.

==Babyfur as a paraphilia==

A phenomenon exists throughout the furry fandom where it appears that a large amount of its members find a sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals. As babyfurs are also furries, the phenomenon adheres to babyfurs as well. Because most babyfurs tend to enjoy roleplaying as children or toddlers, the question constantly arises: Are babyfurs pedophiles?

===Babyfur versus pedophilia===
Babyfurs are not inherently pedophiles. While babyfurs roleplay as underage characters, the vast majority are not sexually attracted to children.

As babyfurs are defined in section 1, most roleplay as young furries usually because of their longing to be young again; in fact, some babyfurs don't even include a sexual element in their interests (and some do). Babyfurs assert that an adult roleplaying a child should not be considered the same thing as a child.

As with the general population, however, a small subset of babyfurs may be pedophiles.

===Babyfurs vs. non-babyfurs===
The concept of babyfurs has grown quite contentious with some members of the [[fandom]]. Some furries and non-furries who have identified themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs have acted inappropriately at [[convention]]s in the past. Such contentious behavior includes wearing diapers in public without using proper hygiene and trying to push uninterested people into babyfur [[roleplay]], including sexual roleplay. These behaviors are frowned upon by the babyfur community in general, and such incidents, when perpetrated by babyfurs, are done by a small number of babyfurs within a larger babyfur community. The community in general adopted guidelines of conduct for how to act in public after a rash of such incidents at conventions in an effort to police themselves.

Furries who dislike babyfurs may do so for a variety of common points, including:

*Grossed out by the concept of diaper lovers (or, in the aforementioned cases, by the smell)
*False belief that all babyfurs are pedophiles
*Previous negative experiences with those who identify themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs.
*Fear that babyfur behavior will be associated as a characteristic of the general fandom, especially in the media

While there is some conflict between babyfurs and the general fandom, such conflicts are not widespread throughout the entire fandom nor are they very severe. The majority of babyfurs and non-babyfurs coexist quite well because the majority of babyfurs do not engage in the more extreme behaviors mentioned here.

==Babyfur online==

Babyfurs have a well established community full of art, resources, and as many modes of communication as the rest of the furry fandom.

=== Websites ===
====Informative pages====
Want to learn more about babyfurs, who they are, and why they are? These web pages may be helpful.
*[http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism] by [[BitterGrey]]
*[http://babyfur.com Online Babyfur Community] by [[LilPup]]

[[Image:sr_secondlife.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Two babyfurs hug in the world of [[Second Life]].]]

====Art and fiction pages====
*[http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails] by [[Proxima Centauri]]
*[http://www.foxtalestimes.com Fox Tales Times] by [[CS Fox]]
*[http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib] by [[OzzyFox]]
*[http://www.furryjadefox.com Furry Jade Fox] by [[JadeFox]]
*[http://www.karisplayground.com/ Karis' Playground] by [[Karis]]

====LiveJournal communities====

*[http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community]

===Mailing lists===

*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Babyfur_Cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubcargo/ Club Cargo]
*[http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=3103378 LilFursCubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MDBabyFurs/ Maryland Babyfurs]

===Internet Relay Chat===

*[http://www.babyfox.org.uk/babyfurs/ Furnet #babyfurs] (PG13 rating)
*[http://www.furnet.org/news/ Furnet #babyfur] (Unrated)

===Bulletin Boards and Forums===

*[http://foxtalestimes.actifforum.com/index.forum Fox Tales Forum] (G rating)

===MUCKs===

[[The Astonishing Treehouse of the Secret Moon|The Treehouse]] on [[Tapestries]] is a common meeting place for lilfurs and ageplayers. Just teleport to ''secretmoon'' and you're there.

===Second Life===

Many babyfurs can be found in [[Second Life]]. A major meeting place for babyfurs is the babyfur [[island (Second Life)|sim]] called [[Cub Conclave]], created and run by [[Raven Welesa]].
[[Category:Paraphilias]]
[[Category:Social groups]]
{{Featured article}}

Babyfur

2006-12-06T21:48:33Z

Swift fox: /* Community leaders and important babyfurs */ Removing refrerences to Smart Groups.

A '''babyfur''' is a member of the [[furry fandom]] who enjoys roleplaying younger characters. They may also be an Adult Baby and/or [[Wikipedia:Diaper Lover|Diaper Lover]] (collectively known as AB/DLs), or is otherwise involved in [[Wikipedia:Infantilism|Infantilism]]. There are many different types of furs in the babyfur community, each focusing on different aspects and roles. Like furry in general, babyfur culture involves a good amount of [[role-playing]] (either light or heavy), both online and in the real world.

The community has been growing more and more popular since the mid- to late 90's. While the community itself is still part of the furry fandom as a whole, it is large enough to present sufficient leaders, politics and drama to give the community a nearly independent feel to it.

Role playing babyfurs will most often take on the role of a furry character in his/her infancy or childhood. Common roleplaying themes include "cute" [[clothing]] (onesies, footy pajamas, overalls, diapers) and a child's environment such as a nursery or day care center, complete with cribs, high chairs and babyish decor. A few babyfurs lucky enough to afford the privacy and devotion will set up adult nurseries to role play as children in real life. A sexual subset of this type of roleplaying is known as [[ageplay]].

[[Image:Rieva-little.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Babyfurs in a Nutshell.<br\>Art by [[LoupGarou]] [http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/LoupGarou], character by [[Rieva]]]]

==Terminology==

==Babyfur roles==

There are a few sub-groups within the babyfur community which are often described with the following terminology:

*'''babyfur''' : Used to describe the group as a whole, however, specifically it referrers to someone that roleplays as younger, up to the human equivalent of toddler age, characters. Baby paraphernalia is most likely to be involved for this group and role played speech is often either in gibberish or very basic speech.
*'''lilfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as a child character. Characters identified as lilfurs tend to between their toddler and teen ages. Diaper and other baby paraphernalia may or may not be involved. Role played speech is usually more refined at this point, but still somewhat juvenile.
*'''diaperfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as an adult character that still either requires or choose to wear diapers. Role played speech and actions are consistent with an adult. The person may also roleplay an adult character that is mentally regressed back to a younger state, but still has an adult physical form.
*'''sissyfur''' : This is a person that roleplays a male character, either adult or child, that is forced to dress and act as a young female character.
*'''caretaker''' : As the name suggests these are the people that roleplay caretaker characters, a 'mommy' or 'daddy' figure for other babyfurs.

Many people don't identify with one single group, but can change roles depending on the situation and who they are interacting with. It's also not uncommon for complex lineages (for example siblings, parents, etc) to be set up among other babyfurs so that roles can be defined.

==Definition of AB/DLs==

These are general non furry terms but are useful to understand in this context.

'''Adult Baby''' (AB) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby. Beyond regressing using physical or environmental changes (such as diapers, clothing, and settings), they also mentally regress, taking the mentality of a baby. These are the equivalent to 'babyfurs' or 'lilfurs' when crossed with [[furry]]. Teenagers who are Adult Babies will sometimes refer to themselves as Teen Babies (TBs).

'''Diaper Lover''' (DL) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby, but limits the regressing to an environmental change (such as wearing diapers or using baby paraphernalia). These people, unlike AB's, will usually not regress physically (adopting a baby form) or mentally. These tend to be the equivalent of 'diaperfurs' in the babyfur community. For some DLs, but not all of them, there is a fetish connection to the diapers and baby play. They will sometimes take the submissive role to a caretaker in sexual play, and the caretaker will take a dominant role.

'''Infantilist''' : Essentially, [[Wikipedia:infantilism|infantilism]] regards any person who enjoys regressing to the mental age of an infant or toddler, and may or may not involve diapers and other baby paraphernalia.

==Baby things (and why)==

From the Adult Baby (AB) angle of AB/DL, regressing individuals prefer to behave and be treated as much like a baby or toddler as possible. To do so successfully achieves in many babyfurs a comforting, secure or blissful feeling. Various paraphrenalia help to satisfy these preferences:

===Clothing===

Many babyfurs enjoy wearing all sorts of clothing. Some say the cuter it looks, the better it is. Such articles of clothing include the following:
*Overalls
*Shortalls
*Booties
*Dresses
*Onesies
*Pajamas
*Pants
*Footed sleepers
*Mittens
*Bows

Many male babyfurs find they enjoy being dressed as little girls as well, and are sometimes called ''sissyfurs''.
The classic baby bonnet (seen frequently in certain Looney Toons episodes) is not very common among babyfurs, which might be attributed to the fact that modern society doesn't find real babies wearing them either.

===Plushies and toys===
Just like clothing, interacting with plushies and toys is very contributive to the cub experience. Toys range in age from baby toys to toy cars and action figures. As long as cubs get to interact with one another though, toys are not always the focus in a roleplay.

===Objects===
A toddler's life is not complete without many of the following items. Many babyfurs use these objects in online roleplay and would love to be able to use them in the real world:

*Cribs
*Walkers
*Strollers
*High chairs
*Car seats
*Booster seats
*Pacifiers
*Baby bottles
*Sippy cups
*Talcum powder
*Bubble baths

In addition to physical objects, some babyfurs also find a keen interest in actions like [[wikipedia:blowing a raspberry|blowing a raspberry]], being held, or watching old television shows that are no longer available for on TV. Many old children's shows such as 80's and early 90's cartoons on Nickelodeon were the same shows some babyfurs watched when they were little, and reminiscing about them leaves a nostalgic warmth.

===Diaper usage (and why)===

Diapers are an item frequently used while "cubbing out". Like other aspects of babyfur, this can be done in the virtual world, the real world, or both. There are many babyfurs, however, that while they will wear diapers in online roles, do not in real life. Many babyfurs will wear diapers in real life for a feeling of security and comfort, but will not use them for their intended purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some babyfurs that, either by choice or by necessity, wear and use diapers all the time.

Why babyfurs wear, and possibly use, diapers in the real world is varied. For some, they are forced to wear them because of a medical condition and have no choice in the manner. These people have often blended their real life situation with their furry persona. For others, it is a way they can regress into their [[fursona|furry persona]]'s age. Some others see the diapers as a connection to their furry persona, paralleling a [[tail]] or [[fursuit]] in the general furry community.

The wearing (and especially the use) of diapers in the real world are at the heart of many issues that some members of the furry community in general have with the babyfurs. For example, it is not generally considered appropriate for a diaper user to soil themselves at [[convention]] in the presence of other [[furry fan]]s - or to put themselves in a situation where this is likely to happen - yet individuals have been known to do this, to the detriment of the group's reputation.

==Babyfur behavior==

When cubbing out in both the real world and in online roleplaying, the level of connection to the role will vary between each player. Some babyfurs will become so involved and yearn for such an authentic childish mentality that they will use speech impediments and [[Wikipedia:baby talk|baby talk]] to communicate. Very few babyfurs make a habit out of using babytalk in the real world, similar to a [[Wikipedia:gay lisp|gay lisp]]. Depending on the situation, a babyfur could even develop a habit of whining or crying to get what he/she wants from a caregiver or another roleplayer.

In light online [[role-playing]], babyfurs may toddle, crawl and wag their tails playfully while the sounds of crinkling diapers abound. Pouncing, giggling, cuddling, [[snug]]gling and tummy rubbing ensue with the maximum possible level of cuteness.

Child-like behaviour, baby animal sounds and an emphasis on [[cuteness]] are widespread among [[furry fans]] when among themselves, even those who don't call themselves babyfurs and who don't participate in other babyfur activities described here, such as diapers or baby clothing.

While most babyfurs are closely attached to the development of young [[human]]s, a different approach can be found in online [[role-play]], where newborn [[zoomorphic]] and [[anthropomorphic]] [[characters]] often grow up at a similar pace as wild animals, doing without accessories such as diapers and learning to walk in a short time. This has the practical advantage of sooner getting into an age that allows interesting role-play even for non-babyfurs when playing a character since birth. As in nature, opinions on when a character can be considered adult vary greatly.

===Cubbing Out===
"Cubbing Out" is a general term used by the community to describe roleplaying as a babyfur character. This can either be roleplay in the virtual world or the real world. Usually it will involve one or more regressed characters or people interacting with each other or with a caregiver.

"Padding" and "Getting Padded" may also refer to cubbing, in particular regarding to being diapered.

===The caregiver's role===
Caregivers (or caretakers) are the 'mommy' and 'daddy' figures in the roleplay. For the most part, they interact with other babyfurs as a mother or father would with their child. This can include playing with, cleaning or disciplining the younger character. For those involved from a sexual standpoint, the caregiver may adopt the dominant role, while the regressed character adopts the submissive role.

===Babyfurs at furry conventions===

Just like furries in general, babyfurs go to [[convention]]s to spend time with friends and express their [[furriness]]. For many, that includes their babyfur aspects too. One may see many babyfurs dressed in juvenile clothing and with various paraphernalia because that is part of how they choose to express themselves. To some babyfurs, dressing in such a way is no different than other furries wearing ears, tails or fursuits.

At many [[convention]]s, hotel rooms are set up as gathering places for babyfurs to socialize privately. Two of the most notable are the [[C'ubhouse]] and [[Nursery]] run by [[LilPup]] and [[Snuggems]], respectively.

==Facts and myths==
*Myth: Babyfurs publicly dress as a baby.
**Sometimes true. Some babyfurs dress as a baby to express their interest in being a babyfur unashamed, and a few are avid seekers of humiliation or embarrassment. However, most babyfurs do not engage in the public dress of infantile paraphernalia.

*Myth: Babyfurs are sexually attracted to children just as some furry fans are sexually attracted to furries.
**False. Being a babyfur is very different from being a pedophile. While a small number of babyfurs may be pedophiles, this is largely not the case. See section VII about the difference between babyfurs and pedophiles.

==History of the babyfur community==

*'''1995''' - [[Proxima Centauri]] opens [[The Nursery]] on [[FurryMUCK]].
*'''1995-01-13''' - Proxima Centauri runs the first official "AB/DL Furry" convention gathering at [[ConFurence 6]], though unsuccessful.
*'''1995-08-04''' - [[BitterGrey]] opens [http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism], then known as "BitterGrey's Den," a website for ABDLs and Furries.
*'''1996-09-09''' - Proxima Centauri officially opens [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails].
*'''1997''' - [[Snuggems]] opens the FurryMUCK DayKare and Bottoms-Up Diaper Company.
*'''1998-01-15''' - Snuggems runs ''The Nursery'', the first successful convention gathering for babyfurs, at [[ConFurence 9]]. The Nursery has been held at 18 furry conventions.
*'''1998-07''' - [[Chipper]] and [[OshKoshFox]] create [[babyfurs (IRC)|#babyfurs]] on [[YiffNet]].
*'''2000-05-05''' - [[Kasi Frost]] and OshKoshFox create the Babyfurs mailing list on One Groups.
*'''2000-05-18''' - [[Ray_Ferret]] creates #littlepaws on YiffNet after heated disagreements on #babyfurs.
*'''2000''' - #nowhere_grotto is created on YiffNet as an alternative to #babyfurs and #littlepaws. The new channel grows to rival the size of #babyfurs, but falls before #babyfur is created in 2004.
*'''2001-07''' - [[LilPup]] runs the first [[C'ubHouse]] at [[Anthrocon]].
*'''2004-07''' - [[Ludwig]] creates #babyfur as an alternative to #babyfurs, now on [[FurNet (IRC)|FurNet]], to allow users to chat with fewer rules and regulations.
*'''2004-09-13''' - The Babyfurs mailing list, having moved to Yahoo! Groups, is deleted by Yahoo! and is revived as "Babyfurs_part2."
*'''2004-12-11''' - Yahoo! again deletes the mailing list, and the group moves to [http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=2982050 Babyfurs on Smartgroups].

==Community leaders and important babyfurs==

The following babyfurs are among the most known and respected in the furry fandom, recognized here for their contributions and devotion to the babyfur community:

*[[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] has been a member of the babyfur community since its inception in the mid to late 90's. He writes babyfur fiction, has been owner and moderator of several iterations of the Babyfurs mailing list, and hosts several furry and AB/DL events in the Pittsburgh area. ([http://www.swiftsden.net Swift's Den])
*[[Orca (person)|Orca]] co-moderates the Babyfurs mailing list with SwiftFox. He maintains the Babyfurs mailing list and an external file archive. He routinely reports links to interesting or humorous online articles relating to AB/DLs. Orca is also the famed inventor of the "Orca Stack."
*[[BabyTiger (person)|BabyTiger]] has been a member of the babyfur community since 1998, A Canadian Babyfur who has a strong presence at the Canadian conventions such at [[C-ACE]] and [[Anthrofest]], organizing and hosting BabyFur gatherings. He also works and helps out with newer babyfurs in the community, making them feel welcomed and lending a paw to any who need the help.
*[[LilPup]] and [[Lil_Kitt]] run and manage the [http://babyfur.com/cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse] at furry conventions for babyfurs to get together and have fun. LilPup also runs the [http://babyfur.com/ Online Babyfur Community], a central website that features the [http://babyfur.com/bfpl/ Babyfur Proximity Locator] (BFPL) for babyfurs to locate one another around the world. Like Swift and Orca, LilPup works to improve the relationship between babyfurs and non-babyfurs at conventions and to help babyfurs maintain a positive reputation in the furry fandom.
*[[Snuggems]] is most known for running the Nursery at Anthrocon, a room devoted to giving to those kids and cubs at heart who need to be cared for. Although it started up first and despite that the two meeting spots have different ratings and features, Snuggems' Nursery has been often been said to view the C'ubhouse as competition.
*[[Proxima Centauri]]'s name is perhaps the first name known to newcomers to the babyfur community as they search to satisfy their newly found interests. Proxima runs [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails], one of the longest running AB Furry pages, dating back to 1997 (before the term "babyfur" had existed) and featuring thousands of babyfur art, fiction and multimedia files. Though it is in dire need of a new layout, the webpage still runs strong today.
*[[Karis]] owns and maintains [[Karis' Playground]] [http://karisplayground.com/], featuring a large collection of babyfur and AB/DL images by artists of all rank. Karis' Playground also offers a store where visitors can purchase prints of babyfur art by various professional artists, including his wife Marci McAdam. Karis was the first person to make babyfur/diaper art available at furry conventions, thus pioneering the community known today as "Babyfurs."

== Babyfur art and literature ==
A few of the authors and artists in the babyfur community are:

=== Artists ===
*[[Marci McAdam]] is the most popular artist in the babyfur community. Although she is not a babyfur herself, her professional abilities and open-mindedness make her one of the best artist around. It is often said that a babyfur isn't officially a babyfur until he has purchased a badge or commission from Marci McAdam. Her babyfur art can be found for sale at her husband's website, Karis' Playground, and her other art is located at [http://furries.frithcat.com/ Marci McAdam's Furries]. Due to her time constraints in doing professional art, Marci is unable to take fandom-related commissions anymore.

*[[Genesis Eve Whitmore]] is not as popular as Marci but just as talented. She dominates the babyfur art market at Pawpet Megaplex in Orlando, FL in March, and her regular furry art gets plenty of attention as well. (About as much as her dazzling pink hair!) [http://www.madcoyote.com/gen/ Gen's Webpage]

*[[BushyCat]] appears at several furry conventions and is well known for her humorous-yet-innocent take on babyfurs as well as other alternative genres of furry art. Some of her creations have more human-like qualities than other artists tend to portray in their characters.

*[[JadeFox]] is one of the more active babyfur artists in the community, offering special contests and events for fans to participate in. The majority of his work is based on his own character or other babyfurs' characters. His drawings are especially creative and imaginative, bringing out only the most treasured aspects of childhood, as well as very innovative clothing design (featuring several brands and companies of his own devising). [http://www.furryjadefox.com/ Furry Jade Fox]

*[[Kelvin the Lion]] is a fairly popular artist whose current endeavors include (among others) the progressive webcomic ''[[Nivlek]]'', about the adventures of Nivlek the [[snow leopard]] who enjoys wearing diapers and eating. Nivlek remains to be one of the more amusing "weird" furry comics out there, and his talent does not go unnoticed. [http://www.geocities.com/kelvinthelion/index.html Kelvin's Furry Den]

*[[FangKit]] has been drawing babyfurs for most of this decade, and continues to improve his artistic talent. His unique style and knack for cuteness and humor combine to make him favored by babyfurs throughout the community. [http://www.babyfox.org.uk/foxnip/ FangKit's Pics]

*[[OzzyFox]], a student of animation at the Art Institute of Houston, consistently produces work on a regular basis that ranges from cuddly-cute to controversial and mature. [http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib]

*[[IkazuchiFox]] (commonly known by friends as "Ikajuicy") is found in the definition for "ubercute" listed in UrbanDictionary. He is one of the few amateur babyfur artists with work unique and notable enough to be recognized by the fandom. Although Ikazuchi has not done a sketch for a long time, it is the hope of many furs that he will start drawing again.

*[[Astolpho]], also known to his friends outside the furry community as [[rootdown]], had a technique similar to [[Wikipedia:Precious Moments|Precious Moments]] involving bright pastel-like colors on babyfurs, with baggy clothes, large eyes and innocent expressions. Astolpho expanded on the "squiggly" concept by animating outlines around colors a la [[Wikipedia:Squigglevision|Squigglevision]] invented by [[Wikipedia:Tom Snyder (Squigglevision inventor)|Tom Snyder]]. Some of Astolpho's work is now available at Karis' Playground.

*[[Cargo Weasel]]'s art leans strongly toward the "DL" side of "AB/DL," showing off mature diaper-related concepts that fit perfectly with his coloring and shading style. His art was featured on a now-defunct mailing list, but can still be found on his website: [http://www.cargoweasel.com/ Cargo Weasel: Art Complex]

===Art ''about'' babyfurs===
Some [[furry fandom]] artists have covered the topic of babyfurs, typically taking the same line as [[:Category:Media coverage|external commentators on the entire fandom]]:

*''[[West Corner Of the Park (comic)|West Corner Of the Park]]'''s coverage has been [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051002 generally] [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051016 negative], although they did make an exception for the [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20060521 Pink Panzer]

===Writers===
*[[CS Fox]], also known as Kit Fox and Cyprus Sygial, is possibly the best known babyfur writer in the community. His works are the biggest features in the stories section at Nursery Tails, and since his submissions to Proxima's site he has gone on to host his own website showing off babyfur fiction of his own and by newer babyfur writers. The latest rendition of CS Fox's site, [http://www.foxtalestimes.com/ Fox Tales Times], is being completed as this article is written. Its biggest feature is CS Fox's renowned AB/DL RPGM2K-based game, Weston Academy. The website also sports plenty of comics and art related to the RPG.

*[[Firemane]]'s fiction is prominently featured on CS Fox's fiction page.

*[[Fieval Mouse]]'s work is still favored by many furs. His stories are roughly 5 years old and are found on Proxima's Nursery Tails, featuring illustrations by Doodles.

==Babyfur as a paraphilia==

A phenomenon exists throughout the furry fandom where it appears that a large amount of its members find a sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals. As babyfurs are also furries, the phenomenon adheres to babyfurs as well. Because most babyfurs tend to enjoy roleplaying as children or toddlers, the question constantly arises: Are babyfurs pedophiles?

===Babyfur versus pedophilia===
Babyfurs are not inherently pedophiles. While babyfurs roleplay as underage characters, the vast majority are not sexually attracted to children.

As babyfurs are defined in section 1, most roleplay as young furries usually because of their longing to be young again; in fact, some babyfurs don't even include a sexual element in their interests (and some do). Babyfurs assert that an adult roleplaying a child should not be considered the same thing as a child.

As with the general population, however, a small subset of babyfurs may be pedophiles.

===Babyfurs vs. non-babyfurs===
The concept of babyfurs has grown quite contentious with some members of the [[fandom]]. Some furries and non-furries who have identified themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs have acted inappropriately at [[convention]]s in the past. Such contentious behavior includes wearing diapers in public without using proper hygiene and trying to push uninterested people into babyfur [[roleplay]], including sexual roleplay. These behaviors are frowned upon by the babyfur community in general, and such incidents, when perpetrated by babyfurs, are done by a small number of babyfurs within a larger babyfur community. The community in general adopted guidelines of conduct for how to act in public after a rash of such incidents at conventions in an effort to police themselves.

Furries who dislike babyfurs may do so for a variety of common points, including:

*Grossed out by the concept of diaper lovers (or, in the aforementioned cases, by the smell)
*False belief that all babyfurs are pedophiles
*Previous negative experiences with those who identify themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs.
*Fear that babyfur behavior will be associated as a characteristic of the general fandom, especially in the media

While there is some conflict between babyfurs and the general fandom, such conflicts are not widespread throughout the entire fandom nor are they very severe. The majority of babyfurs and non-babyfurs coexist quite well because the majority of babyfurs do not engage in the more extreme behaviors mentioned here.

==Babyfur online==

Babyfurs have a well established community full of art, resources, and as many modes of communication as the rest of the furry fandom.

=== Websites ===
====Informative pages====
Want to learn more about babyfurs, who they are, and why they are? These web pages may be helpful.
*[http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism] by [[BitterGrey]]
*[http://babyfur.com Online Babyfur Community] by [[LilPup]]

[[Image:sr_secondlife.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Two babyfurs hug in the world of [[Second Life]].]]

====Art and fiction pages====
*[http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails] by [[Proxima Centauri]]
*[http://www.foxtalestimes.com Fox Tales Times] by [[CS Fox]]
*[http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib] by [[OzzyFox]]
*[http://www.furryjadefox.com Furry Jade Fox] by [[JadeFox]]
*[http://www.karisplayground.com/ Karis' Playground] by [[Karis]]

====LiveJournal communities====

*[http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community]

===Mailing lists===

*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Babyfur_Cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubcargo/ Club Cargo]
*[http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=3103378 LilFursCubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MDBabyFurs/ Maryland Babyfurs]

===Internet Relay Chat===

*[http://www.babyfox.org.uk/babyfurs/ Furnet #babyfurs] (PG13 rating)
*[http://www.furnet.org/news/ Furnet #babyfur] (Unrated)

===Bulletin Boards and Forums===

*[http://foxtalestimes.actifforum.com/index.forum Fox Tales Forum] (G rating)

===MUCKs===

[[The Astonishing Treehouse of the Secret Moon|The Treehouse]] on [[Tapestries]] is a common meeting place for lilfurs and ageplayers. Just teleport to ''secretmoon'' and you're there.

===Second Life===

Many babyfurs can be found in [[Second Life]]. A major meeting place for babyfurs is the babyfur [[island (Second Life)|sim]] called [[Cub Conclave]], created and run by [[Raven Welesa]].
[[Category:Paraphilias]]
[[Category:Social groups]]
{{Featured article}}

Swift Fox (person)

2006-12-06T21:14:58Z

Swift fox: Fixed some spelling errors

'''Swift Fox''' is a [[furry]] living in [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]].

Swift, as his friends call him, is an avid [[fursuiter]], performing in costume not only at conventions, but also in a public relations role with the [http://www.aspinwallvfd.com/ Aspinwall Volunteer Fire Department], of which he also fills the role of firefighter, secretary and training officer.

Since October of 2001, Swift has been the host and now director of the growing [[Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend]] which is held annually over [[Wikipedia:Columbus Day|Columbus Day Weekend]]. This event brought seventy registered furs in for a weekend of fun and fellowship in 2006 and raised $2000 in donations for their charity Animal Friends.

He is known through the fandom as a high profile member of the [[babyfur]] community who, with the help of others, has worked tirelessly over the years to better integrate the babyfur community into the furry fandom. This they have done by developing a set of Public Behavior Guidelines which have worked to improve it's public image.

Since 1997, he has been co-ordinating [[babyfur]] and [[ageplay]] parties in the Pittsburgh area.

He co-moderates the Babyfurs mailing list with [[Orca (person)|Orca]] and [[Longshot Husky|Longshot Husky]].

Swift Fox's [[species]] is actually the [[Cross Fox]], a color variant of the Red Fox family. He has held his furry name consistantly since 1992, pre-dating his involvement in the fandom by five years.

== References ==

* [http://www.swiftsden.net/stories/bio.htm Swift Fox, an abridged autobiography]

== External links ==
{{Contributor|Swift fox}}
* [http://www.swiftsden.net/ Swift's Home Page]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western PA Furry Weekend Home Page]

[[Category:People]]
[[Category:Babyfurs]]
[[Category:Convention staff]]
[[Category:Fursuiters]]
[[Category:Fox characters]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-12-04T18:44:11Z

Swift fox: /* External links */ Removed broken links. Old event sites taken down.

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefiting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for its charity.

==Event Committee==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
::[[Shortwave Husky|Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[CadpigJr|CadpigJr]]: Culinary Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Babyfur

2006-12-04T18:36:32Z

Swift fox: /* Mailing lists */ Babyfurs Mailing List on SmartGroups ceased to exist 30NOV06 when SmartGroups shut down all service.

A '''babyfur''' is a member of the [[furry fandom]] who enjoys roleplaying younger characters. They may also be an Adult Baby and/or [[Wikipedia:Diaper Lover|Diaper Lover]] (collectively known as AB/DLs), or is otherwise involved in [[Wikipedia:Infantilism|Infantilism]]. There are many different types of furs in the babyfur community, each focusing on different aspects and roles. Like furry in general, babyfur culture involves a good amount of [[role-playing]] (either light or heavy), both online and in the real world.

The community has been growing more and more popular since the mid- to late 90's. While the community itself is still part of the furry fandom as a whole, it is large enough to present sufficient leaders, politics and drama to give the community a nearly independent feel to it.

Role playing babyfurs will most often take on the role of a furry character in his/her infancy or childhood. Common roleplaying themes include "cute" [[clothing]] (onesies, footy pajamas, overalls, diapers) and a child's environment such as a nursery or day care center, complete with cribs, high chairs and babyish decor. A few babyfurs lucky enough to afford the privacy and devotion will set up adult nurseries to role play as children in real life. A sexual subset of this type of roleplaying is known as [[ageplay]].

[[Image:Rieva-little.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Babyfurs in a Nutshell.<br\>Art by [[LoupGarou]] [http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/LoupGarou], character by [[Rieva]]]]

==Terminology==

==Babyfur roles==

There are a few sub-groups within the babyfur community which are often described with the following terminology:

*'''babyfur''' : Used to describe the group as a whole, however, specifically it referrers to someone that roleplays as younger, up to the human equivalent of toddler age, characters. Baby paraphernalia is most likely to be involved for this group and role played speech is often either in gibberish or very basic speech.
*'''lilfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as a child character. Characters identified as lilfurs tend to between their toddler and teen ages. Diaper and other baby paraphernalia may or may not be involved. Role played speech is usually more refined at this point, but still somewhat juvenile.
*'''diaperfur''' : This is a person that roleplays as an adult character that still either requires or choose to wear diapers. Role played speech and actions are consistent with an adult. The person may also roleplay an adult character that is mentally regressed back to a younger state, but still has an adult physical form.
*'''sissyfur''' : This is a person that roleplays a male character, either adult or child, that is forced to dress and act as a young female character.
*'''caretaker''' : As the name suggests these are the people that roleplay caretaker characters, a 'mommy' or 'daddy' figure for other babyfurs.

Many people don't identify with one single group, but can change roles depending on the situation and who they are interacting with. It's also not uncommon for complex lineages (for example siblings, parents, etc) to be set up among other babyfurs so that roles can be defined.

==Definition of AB/DLs==

These are general non furry terms but are useful to understand in this context.

'''Adult Baby''' (AB) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby. Beyond regressing using physical or environmental changes (such as diapers, clothing, and settings), they also mentally regress, taking the mentality of a baby. These are the equivalent to 'babyfurs' or 'lilfurs' when crossed with [[furry]]. Teenagers who are Adult Babies will sometimes refer to themselves as Teen Babies (TBs).

'''Diaper Lover''' (DL) : A person that enjoys regressing back to being a baby, but limits the regressing to an environmental change (such as wearing diapers or using baby paraphernalia). These people, unlike AB's, will usually not regress physically (adopting a baby form) or mentally. These tend to be the equivalent of 'diaperfurs' in the babyfur community. For some DLs, but not all of them, there is a fetish connection to the diapers and baby play. They will sometimes take the submissive role to a caretaker in sexual play, and the caretaker will take a dominant role.

'''Infantilist''' : Essentially, [[Wikipedia:infantilism|infantilism]] regards any person who enjoys regressing to the mental age of an infant or toddler, and may or may not involve diapers and other baby paraphernalia.

==Baby things (and why)==

From the Adult Baby (AB) angle of AB/DL, regressing individuals prefer to behave and be treated as much like a baby or toddler as possible. To do so successfully achieves in many babyfurs a comforting, secure or blissful feeling. Various paraphrenalia help to satisfy these preferences:

===Clothing===

Many babyfurs enjoy wearing all sorts of clothing. Some say the cuter it looks, the better it is. Such articles of clothing include the following:
*Overalls
*Shortalls
*Booties
*Dresses
*Onesies
*Pajamas
*Pants
*Footed sleepers
*Mittens
*Bows

Many male babyfurs find they enjoy being dressed as little girls as well, and are sometimes called ''sissyfurs''.
The classic baby bonnet (seen frequently in certain Looney Toons episodes) is not very common among babyfurs, which might be attributed to the fact that modern society doesn't find real babies wearing them either.

===Plushies and toys===
Just like clothing, interacting with plushies and toys is very contributive to the cub experience. Toys range in age from baby toys to toy cars and action figures. As long as cubs get to interact with one another though, toys are not always the focus in a roleplay.

===Objects===
A toddler's life is not complete without many of the following items. Many babyfurs use these objects in online roleplay and would love to be able to use them in the real world:

*Cribs
*Walkers
*Strollers
*High chairs
*Car seats
*Booster seats
*Pacifiers
*Baby bottles
*Sippy cups
*Talcum powder
*Bubble baths

In addition to physical objects, some babyfurs also find a keen interest in actions like [[wikipedia:blowing a raspberry|blowing a raspberry]], being held, or watching old television shows that are no longer available for on TV. Many old children's shows such as 80's and early 90's cartoons on Nickelodeon were the same shows some babyfurs watched when they were little, and reminiscing about them leaves a nostalgic warmth.

===Diaper usage (and why)===

Diapers are an item frequently used while "cubbing out". Like other aspects of babyfur, this can be done in the virtual world, the real world, or both. There are many babyfurs, however, that while they will wear diapers in online roles, do not in real life. Many babyfurs will wear diapers in real life for a feeling of security and comfort, but will not use them for their intended purpose. At the other end of the spectrum, there are some babyfurs that, either by choice or by necessity, wear and use diapers all the time.

Why babyfurs wear, and possibly use, diapers in the real world is varied. For some, they are forced to wear them because of a medical condition and have no choice in the manner. These people have often blended their real life situation with their furry persona. For others, it is a way they can regress into their [[fursona|furry persona]]'s age. Some others see the diapers as a connection to their furry persona, paralleling a [[tail]] or [[fursuit]] in the general furry community.

The wearing (and especially the use) of diapers in the real world are at the heart of many issues that some members of the furry community in general have with the babyfurs. For example, it is not generally considered appropriate for a diaper user to soil themselves at [[convention]] in the presence of other [[furry fan]]s - or to put themselves in a situation where this is likely to happen - yet individuals have been known to do this, to the detriment of the group's reputation.

==Babyfur behavior==

When cubbing out in both the real world and in online roleplaying, the level of connection to the role will vary between each player. Some babyfurs will become so involved and yearn for such an authentic childish mentality that they will use speech impediments and [[Wikipedia:baby talk|baby talk]] to communicate. Very few babyfurs make a habit out of using babytalk in the real world, similar to a [[Wikipedia:gay lisp|gay lisp]]. Depending on the situation, a babyfur could even develop a habit of whining or crying to get what he/she wants from a caregiver or another roleplayer.

In light online [[role-playing]], babyfurs may toddle, crawl and wag their tails playfully while the sounds of crinkling diapers abound. Pouncing, giggling, cuddling, [[snug]]gling and tummy rubbing ensue with the maximum possible level of cuteness.

Child-like behaviour, baby animal sounds and an emphasis on [[cuteness]] are widespread among [[furry fans]] when among themselves, even those who don't call themselves babyfurs and who don't participate in other babyfur activities described here, such as diapers or baby clothing.

While most babyfurs are closely attached to the development of young [[human]]s, a different approach can be found in online [[role-play]], where newborn [[zoomorphic]] and [[anthropomorphic]] [[characters]] often grow up at a similar pace as wild animals, doing without accessories such as diapers and learning to walk in a short time. This has the practical advantage of sooner getting into an age that allows interesting role-play even for non-babyfurs when playing a character since birth. As in nature, opinions on when a character can be considered adult vary greatly.

===Cubbing Out===
"Cubbing Out" is a general term used by the community to describe roleplaying as a babyfur character. This can either be roleplay in the virtual world or the real world. Usually it will involve one or more regressed characters or people interacting with each other or with a caregiver.

"Padding" and "Getting Padded" may also refer to cubbing, in particular regarding to being diapered.

===The caregiver's role===
Caregivers (or caretakers) are the 'mommy' and 'daddy' figures in the roleplay. For the most part, they interact with other babyfurs as a mother or father would with their child. This can include playing with, cleaning or disciplining the younger character. For those involved from a sexual standpoint, the caregiver may adopt the dominant role, while the regressed character adopts the submissive role.

===Babyfurs at furry conventions===

Just like furries in general, babyfurs go to [[convention]]s to spend time with friends and express their [[furriness]]. For many, that includes their babyfur aspects too. One may see many babyfurs dressed in juvenile clothing and with various paraphernalia because that is part of how they choose to express themselves. To some babyfurs, dressing in such a way is no different than other furries wearing ears, tails or fursuits.

At many [[convention]]s, hotel rooms are set up as gathering places for babyfurs to socialize privately. Two of the most notable are the [[C'ubhouse]] and [[Nursery]] run by [[LilPup]] and [[Snuggems]], respectively.

==Facts and myths==
*Myth: Babyfurs publicly dress as a baby.
**Sometimes true. Some babyfurs dress as a baby to express their interest in being a babyfur unashamed, and a few are avid seekers of humiliation or embarrassment. However, most babyfurs do not engage in the public dress of infantile paraphernalia.

*Myth: Babyfurs are sexually attracted to children just as some furry fans are sexually attracted to furries.
**False. Being a babyfur is very different from being a pedophile. While a small number of babyfurs may be pedophiles, this is largely not the case. See section VII about the difference between babyfurs and pedophiles.

==History of the babyfur community==

*'''1995''' - [[Proxima Centauri]] opens [[The Nursery]] on [[FurryMUCK]].
*'''1995-01-13''' - Proxima Centauri runs the first official "AB/DL Furry" convention gathering at [[ConFurence 6]], though unsuccessful.
*'''1995-08-04''' - [[BitterGrey]] opens [http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism], then known as "BitterGrey's Den," a website for ABDLs and Furries.
*'''1996-09-09''' - Proxima Centauri officially opens [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails].
*'''1997''' - [[Snuggems]] opens the FurryMUCK DayKare and Bottoms-Up Diaper Company.
*'''1998-01-15''' - Snuggems runs ''The Nursery'', the first successful convention gathering for babyfurs, at [[ConFurence 9]]. The Nursery has been held at 18 furry conventions.
*'''1998-07''' - [[Chipper]] and [[OshKoshFox]] create [[babyfurs (IRC)|#babyfurs]] on [[YiffNet]].
*'''2000-05-05''' - [[Kasi Frost]] and OshKoshFox create the Babyfurs mailing list on One Groups.
*'''2000-05-18''' - [[Ray_Ferret]] creates #littlepaws on YiffNet after heated disagreements on #babyfurs.
*'''2000''' - #nowhere_grotto is created on YiffNet as an alternative to #babyfurs and #littlepaws. The new channel grows to rival the size of #babyfurs, but falls before #babyfur is created in 2004.
*'''2001-07''' - [[LilPup]] runs the first [[C'ubHouse]] at [[Anthrocon]].
*'''2004-07''' - [[Ludwig]] creates #babyfur as an alternative to #babyfurs, now on [[FurNet (IRC)|FurNet]], to allow users to chat with fewer rules and regulations.
*'''2004-09-13''' - The Babyfurs mailing list, having moved to Yahoo! Groups, is deleted by Yahoo! and is revived as "Babyfurs_part2."
*'''2004-12-11''' - Yahoo! again deletes the mailing list, and the group moves to [http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=2982050 Babyfurs on Smartgroups].

==Community leaders and important babyfurs==

The following babyfurs are among the most known and respected in the furry fandom, recognized here for their contributions and devotion to the babyfur community:

*[[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] has been a member of the babyfur community since its inception in the mid to late 90's. He writes babyfur fiction, co-owns and moderates the Smartgroups Babyfurs mailing list, and hosts several furry and AB/DL events in the Pittsburgh area. ([http://www.swiftsden.net Swift's Den])
*[[Orca (person)|Orca]] co-moderates the Babyfurs mailing list with SwiftFox. He maintains the Babyfurs mailing list and an external file archive. He routinely reports links to interesting or humorous online articles relating to AB/DLs. Orca is also the famed inventor of the "Orca Stack."
*[[BabyTiger (person)|BabyTiger]] has been a member of the babyfur community since 1998, A Canadian Babyfur who has a strong presence at the Canadian conventions such at [[C-ACE]] and [[Anthrofest]], organizing and hosting BabyFur gatherings. He also works and helps out with newer babyfurs in the community, making them feel welcomed and lending a paw to any who need the help.
*[[LilPup]] and [[Lil_Kitt]] run and manage the [http://babyfur.com/cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse] at furry conventions for babyfurs to get together and have fun. LilPup also runs the [http://babyfur.com/ Online Babyfur Community], a central website that features the [http://babyfur.com/bfpl/ Babyfur Proximity Locator] (BFPL) for babyfurs to locate one another around the world. Like Swift and Orca, LilPup works to improve the relationship between babyfurs and non-babyfurs at conventions and to help babyfurs maintain a positive reputation in the furry fandom.
*[[Snuggems]] is most known for running the Nursery at Anthrocon, a room devoted to giving to those kids and cubs at heart who need to be cared for. Although it started up first and despite that the two meeting spots have different ratings and features, Snuggems' Nursery has been often been said to view the C'ubhouse as competition.
*[[Proxima Centauri]]'s name is perhaps the first name known to newcomers to the babyfur community as they search to satisfy their newly found interests. Proxima runs [http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails], one of the longest running AB Furry pages, dating back to 1997 (before the term "babyfur" had existed) and featuring thousands of babyfur art, fiction and multimedia files. Though it is in dire need of a new layout, the webpage still runs strong today.
*[[Karis]] owns and maintains [[Karis' Playground]] [http://karisplayground.com/], featuring a large collection of babyfur and AB/DL images by artists of all rank. Karis' Playground also offers a store where visitors can purchase prints of babyfur art by various professional artists, including his wife Marci McAdam. Karis was the first person to make babyfur/diaper art available at furry conventions, thus pioneering the community known today as "Babyfurs."

== Babyfur art and literature ==
A few of the authors and artists in the babyfur community are:

=== Artists ===
*[[Marci McAdam]] is the most popular artist in the babyfur community. Although she is not a babyfur herself, her professional abilities and open-mindedness make her one of the best artist around. It is often said that a babyfur isn't officially a babyfur until he has purchased a badge or commission from Marci McAdam. Her babyfur art can be found for sale at her husband's website, Karis' Playground, and her other art is located at [http://furries.frithcat.com/ Marci McAdam's Furries]. Due to her time constraints in doing professional art, Marci is unable to take fandom-related commissions anymore.

*[[Genesis Eve Whitmore]] is not as popular as Marci but just as talented. She dominates the babyfur art market at Pawpet Megaplex in Orlando, FL in March, and her regular furry art gets plenty of attention as well. (About as much as her dazzling pink hair!) [http://www.madcoyote.com/gen/ Gen's Webpage]

*[[BushyCat]] appears at several furry conventions and is well known for her humorous-yet-innocent take on babyfurs as well as other alternative genres of furry art. Some of her creations have more human-like qualities than other artists tend to portray in their characters.

*[[JadeFox]] is one of the more active babyfur artists in the community, offering special contests and events for fans to participate in. The majority of his work is based on his own character or other babyfurs' characters. His drawings are especially creative and imaginative, bringing out only the most treasured aspects of childhood, as well as very innovative clothing design (featuring several brands and companies of his own devising). [http://www.furryjadefox.com/ Furry Jade Fox]

*[[Kelvin the Lion]] is a fairly popular artist whose current endeavors include (among others) the progressive webcomic ''[[Nivlek]]'', about the adventures of Nivlek the [[snow leopard]] who enjoys wearing diapers and eating. Nivlek remains to be one of the more amusing "weird" furry comics out there, and his talent does not go unnoticed. [http://www.geocities.com/kelvinthelion/index.html Kelvin's Furry Den]

*[[FangKit]] has been drawing babyfurs for most of this decade, and continues to improve his artistic talent. His unique style and knack for cuteness and humor combine to make him favored by babyfurs throughout the community. [http://www.babyfox.org.uk/foxnip/ FangKit's Pics]

*[[OzzyFox]], a student of animation at the Art Institute of Houston, consistently produces work on a regular basis that ranges from cuddly-cute to controversial and mature. [http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib]

*[[IkazuchiFox]] (commonly known by friends as "Ikajuicy") is found in the definition for "ubercute" listed in UrbanDictionary. He is one of the few amateur babyfur artists with work unique and notable enough to be recognized by the fandom. Although Ikazuchi has not done a sketch for a long time, it is the hope of many furs that he will start drawing again.

*[[Astolpho]], also known to his friends outside the furry community as [[rootdown]], had a technique similar to [[Wikipedia:Precious Moments|Precious Moments]] involving bright pastel-like colors on babyfurs, with baggy clothes, large eyes and innocent expressions. Astolpho expanded on the "squiggly" concept by animating outlines around colors a la [[Wikipedia:Squigglevision|Squigglevision]] invented by [[Wikipedia:Tom Snyder (Squigglevision inventor)|Tom Snyder]]. Some of Astolpho's work is now available at Karis' Playground.

*[[Cargo Weasel]]'s art leans strongly toward the "DL" side of "AB/DL," showing off mature diaper-related concepts that fit perfectly with his coloring and shading style. His art was featured on a now-defunct mailing list, but can still be found on his website: [http://www.cargoweasel.com/ Cargo Weasel: Art Complex]

===Art ''about'' babyfurs===
Some [[furry fandom]] artists have covered the topic of babyfurs, typically taking the same line as [[:Category:Media coverage|external commentators on the entire fandom]]:

*''[[West Corner Of the Park (comic)|West Corner Of the Park]]'''s coverage has been [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051002 generally] [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20051016 negative], although they did make an exception for the [http://www.graphxpress.com/cgi-bin/wcotp.cgi?date=20060521 Pink Panzer]

===Writers===
*[[CS Fox]], also known as Kit Fox and Cyprus Sygial, is possibly the best known babyfur writer in the community. His works are the biggest features in the stories section at Nursery Tails, and since his submissions to Proxima's site he has gone on to host his own website showing off babyfur fiction of his own and by newer babyfur writers. The latest rendition of CS Fox's site, [http://www.foxtalestimes.com/ Fox Tales Times], is being completed as this article is written. Its biggest feature is CS Fox's renowned AB/DL RPGM2K-based game, Weston Academy. The website also sports plenty of comics and art related to the RPG.

*[[Firemane]]'s fiction is prominently featured on CS Fox's fiction page.

*[[Fieval Mouse]]'s work is still favored by many furs. His stories are roughly 5 years old and are found on Proxima's Nursery Tails, featuring illustrations by Doodles.

==Babyfur as a paraphilia==

A phenomenon exists throughout the furry fandom where it appears that a large amount of its members find a sexual attraction to anthropomorphic animals. As babyfurs are also furries, the phenomenon adheres to babyfurs as well. Because most babyfurs tend to enjoy roleplaying as children or toddlers, the question constantly arises: Are babyfurs pedophiles?

===Babyfur versus pedophilia===
Babyfurs are not inherently pedophiles. While babyfurs roleplay as underage characters, the vast majority are not sexually attracted to children.

As babyfurs are defined in section 1, most roleplay as young furries usually because of their longing to be young again; in fact, some babyfurs don't even include a sexual element in their interests (and some do). Babyfurs assert that an adult roleplaying a child should not be considered the same thing as a child.

As with the general population, however, a small subset of babyfurs may be pedophiles.

===Babyfurs vs. non-babyfurs===
The concept of babyfurs has grown quite contentious with some members of the [[fandom]]. Some furries and non-furries who have identified themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs have acted inappropriately at [[convention]]s in the past. Such contentious behavior includes wearing diapers in public without using proper hygiene and trying to push uninterested people into babyfur [[roleplay]], including sexual roleplay. These behaviors are frowned upon by the babyfur community in general, and such incidents, when perpetrated by babyfurs, are done by a small number of babyfurs within a larger babyfur community. The community in general adopted guidelines of conduct for how to act in public after a rash of such incidents at conventions in an effort to police themselves.

Furries who dislike babyfurs may do so for a variety of common points, including:

*Grossed out by the concept of diaper lovers (or, in the aforementioned cases, by the smell)
*False belief that all babyfurs are pedophiles
*Previous negative experiences with those who identify themselves as babyfurs or were identified by others as being babyfurs.
*Fear that babyfur behavior will be associated as a characteristic of the general fandom, especially in the media

While there is some conflict between babyfurs and the general fandom, such conflicts are not widespread throughout the entire fandom nor are they very severe. The majority of babyfurs and non-babyfurs coexist quite well because the majority of babyfurs do not engage in the more extreme behaviors mentioned here.

==Babyfur online==

Babyfurs have a well established community full of art, resources, and as many modes of communication as the rest of the furry fandom.

=== Websites ===
====Informative pages====
Want to learn more about babyfurs, who they are, and why they are? These web pages may be helpful.
*[http://understanding.infantilism.org Understanding Infantilism] by [[BitterGrey]]
*[http://babyfur.com Online Babyfur Community] by [[LilPup]]

[[Image:sr_secondlife.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Two babyfurs hug in the world of [[Second Life]].]]

====Art and fiction pages====
*[http://www.nurserytails.ca Nursery Tails] by [[Proxima Centauri]]
*[http://www.foxtalestimes.com Fox Tales Times] by [[CS Fox]]
*[http://foxcrib.sk1p.com/ Fox Crib] by [[OzzyFox]]
*[http://www.furryjadefox.com Furry Jade Fox] by [[JadeFox]]
*[http://www.karisplayground.com/ Karis' Playground] by [[Karis]]

====LiveJournal communities====

*[http://community.livejournal.com/babyfur/ Babyfur Community]

===Mailing lists===

*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Babyfur_Cubhouse/ Babyfur C'ubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/clubcargo/ Club Cargo]
*[http://clubs.wanadoo.co.uk/group/group.cfm?GID=3103378 LilFursCubhouse]
*[http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MDBabyFurs/ Maryland Babyfurs]

===Internet Relay Chat===

*[http://www.babyfox.org.uk/babyfurs/ Furnet #babyfurs] (PG13 rating)
*[http://www.furnet.org/news/ Furnet #babyfur] (Unrated)

===Bulletin Boards and Forums===

*[http://foxtalestimes.actifforum.com/index.forum Fox Tales Forum] (G rating)

===MUCKs===

[[The Astonishing Treehouse of the Secret Moon|The Treehouse]] on [[Tapestries]] is a common meeting place for lilfurs and ageplayers. Just teleport to ''secretmoon'' and you're there.

===Second Life===

Many babyfurs can be found in [[Second Life]]. A major meeting place for babyfurs is the babyfur [[island (Second Life)|sim]] called [[Cub Conclave]], created and run by [[Raven Welesa]].
[[Category:Paraphilias]]
[[Category:Social groups]]
{{Featured article}}

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-21T18:00:30Z

Swift fox: /* Event Committee */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Committee==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director
::[[Shortwave Husky|Shortwave Husky]]: Volunteer Coordinator

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[CadpigJr|CadpigJr]]: Culinary Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Talk:Babyfur/Babyfur Public Behavior Guidelines

2006-11-10T16:27:18Z

Swift fox:

Is this guide posted somewhere else? It seems there should be a link to the original document from the Babyfur entry and not a listing of the whole thing without any outside reference. [[User:733|733]] 20:22, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

:Seconded. We should have an external link to the original article and just an abstract on it here. --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 20:33, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

We're about to lose it's location as it was attached to the files section of our mailing list on SmartGroups which a) is closing service at the end of november and b) was not accessible to all members of our community in that location. Also by placing it here, it's accessible for other's to find and review and allows others in the BF community after Orca and I a central place to modify the document. [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 20:49, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

: I understand your situation, but [[WikiFur:What_WikiFur_is_not#WikiFur_is_not_a_free_host_or_webspace_provider|WikiFur is not a free host or webspace provider]]. This isn't a WikiFur specific thing, most encyclpediac wikis are this way, including WikiPedia.
: That being said, there are places out there that offer [http://www.nearlyfreespeech.net/ really cheap webspace]. If you need some kind of collaberation system on top of that, please contact me privately and we can discuss some options. --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 21:02, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

Ahh, okay. I wasn't 100% clear on how best to utilize or contribute to the Wiki. It seemed the BPBG would make a good appendix item to link to the main article. I'll delete the information here and remove the link from the main Babyfur wiki-page. I'm not sure how to remove this entry in it's entirety though? [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 21:04, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

: I think an admin has to do it [[User:Simba B|Simba B]] 21:31, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

:: Correct. I don't intend on deleting the (blank) page quite yet. It's only been a few hours and I'd like to let others comment in case they have anything to add. --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 22:08, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

:::I'd note that [[WikiFur:About]] suggests that WikiFur is for recording any information that might be useful to the fandom. I don't see how this necessarily contradicts having a copy of the information here. If this is an important document relating to the conduct of the Babyfur community over a significant period of time, perhaps we should store a copy? I don't think it should be the ''only'' copy, but it would be nice to have a backup of such things. Most encyclopedias do not have the option of storing original texts because they simply don't have enough room to do so, or cannot obtain licensing. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]<sup>([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])</sup> 22:33, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

:::: I think your comment on encycloedpias not having enough room to store original text is my main point of concern here. Because if we say it's okay to copy (verbatim) a certain piece of text, then we have an obligation to say that it is okay to copy ''every'' piece of text, no? Going down that path would pretty turn us into a webspace provider, wouldn't it?

:::::We could pick and choose, just as we do with some article areas already. For example, we don't store information on every [[:Category:Songs|song]] - only the ones that have particular notability and relevance to furry fandom - but for some of those we do hold complete lyrics. I'm thinking stuff like the [[Burned Fur]] manifesto would be particularly useful (though getting [[Squee Rat]]'s permission for that particular item could be tricky). One requirement might be that there is already a significant article about the topic, and another might be that contributors generally agree that it is a relevant work. --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]<sup>([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])</sup> 23:18, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

:::: As far as concerns about it disappearing, given the size of the babyfur community (and the number of free web hosts out there), I don't see this as something that is likely to happen anytime soon. Thoughts? --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 22:39, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

:::::Well, WikiFur isn't just for "soon". What happens in 5 years when Geocities is down, and all the babyfurs have been killed off by the Giant Diaper Rash of '08? I've seen too many free hosts destroy useful sites from the [[Creatures:|Creatures community]] to entrust documents to them, or to archive.org's fickle choice. :-) --[[User:GreenReaper|GreenReaper]]<sup>([[User talk:GreenReaper|talk]])</sup> 23:18, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

:::I'm not in favour of having copies of actual texts here, both because it doesn't seem to fit very well with being a wiki--the idea is to be freely editable, but the idea of storing texts would be to have an unaltered copy of things. Also, and to be a significant point, having actual texts (or other material) here would encourage discussion on that material itself, and I think that isn't useful; we're not primarily a forum. -- [[User:Sine|Sine]] 01:00, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

So, umm, I still see this wiki-page is in existance and I appreciate GreenReeper's support for the document to be listed as an appendix to the Babyfurs Wiki-page. I think the page as it was, has been lost in the histories, but it's easy enough to recreate. If I need to gather support from members of the community that it's important to the community that the Public Behavior Guidelines be recorded here I can do that fairly easily. Having them here will definately increase traffic as we can point new babyfurs here to get completely up to speed on our group, including how we expect them to behave. [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 16:27, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-09T14:08:56Z

Swift fox: /* Event Director and Chairpersons */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Committee==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:57:35Z

Swift fox:

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:56:11Z

Swift fox: /* Fireman's Memorial Park */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Aspinwall Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:55:15Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007 */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5th through 7th. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:54:28Z

Swift fox:

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 Hotel Brochure]

===Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:54:00Z

Swift fox: /* Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268 | Hotel Brochure]

===Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:53:25Z

Swift fox: /* Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North */ added link to hotel brochure

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===
[http://www.choicehotels.com/ires/pdf/en-US/PA268| Hotel Brochure]

===Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:47:38Z

Swift fox: Moved 2007 Event info to "Looking Ahead..." and added a section for our "Venues" along with a "stub" tag.

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==Looking Ahead...==
===Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007===
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==The Venues==
===Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North===

===Fireman's Memorial Park===

{{Section-stub}}

<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:41:41Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007 */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. The events plans on expanding the function space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. The artist [[guest of honor]] is [[Brendan Roo|Brendan Roo]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be the benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:39:34Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006 */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of the guests wrote a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised an astounding $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:38:05Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend */ changed to third person

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. Fourty-eight guests arrived for our autumn event from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.
* The artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art for the front of the program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed, at noon, by the traditional visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. A record thirty furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:34:39Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. Attendance grew from 36 to 42 as furs came from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts for the "pot luck" dinner, the event established the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of the event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in homes of other local furs.
* “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” was followed by a trek to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium. Twenty-five furs, in ears and tails, visited the zoo.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:30:09Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* The Sunday morning breakfast spot changed to the local Panera Bread and was dubbed "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread." The group met in the VIP room where the socialization continued until noon. The furs who remained after breakfast went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:27:41Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que */ changed to third person

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend. Since the event effectively doubled in size a week before it was schedule to occur, the signature event was moved to the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking. [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* A printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was followed by more socialization and small group activities at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" until late afternoon.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:23:41Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs went on an outing to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:22:59Z

Swift fox: /* Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que */ edited to third-person

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several spent the afternoon at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Talk:Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T20:20:35Z

Swift fox:

Okay, I'm in the midst of taking this entry from a stub to a more complete article. I'm not sure if my tags identifying that are proper wiki etiquette. I might be a little verbose in highlighting the growth of this meet from it's meager beginnings to what it has evolved into. I'm using other con's Wiki-pages to establish what to write and what not to. Constructive criticism appreciated. Thanks. [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 14:16, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

:That's a pretty good start so far. I tweaked a few minor things (viewable via the diffs). --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 17:58, 1 November 2006 (UTC)

== Reverse or ascending chronological order? ==

I was reading through the help files and FAQ's and read that when setting up a wiki-page on a certain topic, the most revelant bits of information should be placed at the top of the article. If that's the case then placing the events history in reverse chronological order would make the most sense as then the information on next year's event and this years event are at the top where they should be seen first. However, that may go against the encyclopedic nature of this endeavor. I didn't see anything mentioned about one vs. the other so what is the groups concensus on the matter? [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 18:20, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

: It's usually in ascending chronological order. Some of the larger articles (like [[Anthrocon]]) actually have seperate articles for each years when there is enough content for each year.
: Also, just a heads up, articles should generally be written in the third-person, not the first person. I can fix that for you if you want. --[[User:Dmuth|Douglas Muth]] 18:27, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

:: *Nods* I have to go back and do some edits there. It's real easy to slip back into the first person. It's on my to do list unless you beat me to it. [[User:Swift fox|Swift Fox]] 20:20, 6 November 2006 (UTC)

Talk:Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-06T18:20:40Z

Swift fox: Reverse or progressive chronological order?

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-03T20:54:44Z

Swift fox: /* Current Event Staff */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs joined us for an afternoon trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Event Director and Chairpersons==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-03T20:51:01Z

Swift fox:

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.
<div style="float:right">__TOC__</div>
==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs joined us for an afternoon trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Current Event Staff==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Event Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-03T20:38:24Z

Swift fox:

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area each year in October over Columbus Day weekend. The event is directed by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs joined us for an afternoon trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Current Event Staff==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Event Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-03T20:22:51Z

Swift fox: /* Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006 */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area. The event is chaired by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs joined us for an afternoon trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.
* Through the work of Akira Shima and his staff the charity auction raised $500. One of our guests wrote the event a check matching what the event raised. Finally, by making the donation directly to Animal Friends' Capitol Fund, the event was able to take advantage of a program where a local philanthropist was matching all donations made to that fund. So through hard work, the attendee's charitable nature, and some savvy business sense, the furry weekend raised $2,000 for our charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Current Event Staff==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Event Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]

Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend

2006-11-03T20:16:30Z

Swift fox: /* Current Event Staff */

The '''Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend''' (WPAFW) is a furry gathering held in the [[Wikipedia:Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]] metropolitan area. The event is chaired by [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]] and organized by a small staff made up of area furs.

==History==
===2001===
====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que was an afternoon and overnight meet inspired by Panda Guy's Annual Picnic in Glen Echo Park outside of Washingon, DC. The first Pittsburgh Fur-b-que was held the last weekend in September in the front yard of the Swift and Silaria's home, a.k.a. "The Fox & Unicorn Inn." The event was attended by a dozen local furs from Pennsylvania, Maryland and Ohio. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.

===2002===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* After the success of the first Fur-b-que a second was planned for the first full weekend in June to act as a primer for attending Anthrocon. Held at "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" June's event saw fifteen attendees from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and New York. Swift Fox and his wife, Silaria, provided the main fare while guests brought side dishes and drinks to share.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* Celebrating its first year the Fall Fur-b-que was held Columbus Day Weekend and played host to eighteen attendees. The allure of the event was evolving into a relaxing, small social meet providing a unique opportunity for furs to sit down and actually talk and get to know others. Held again in the frontyard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" typical barbque fare was served and attendees contributed side dishes and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/4507.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.

===2003===
====Pittsburgh Spring Fur-b-que====
* Now in it's second year the Spring Fur-b-que was held the first weekend in June in the front yard of "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" and served up good food, fun and furry fellowship to eighteen guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. As in years past Swift and Silaria provided the main course and their guests brought side dishes, desserts and drinks.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/27036.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first event where we had a basic printed program providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* At 10pm the meet moved to Arsenal Lanes in the City of Pittsburgh where the group enjoyed two hours of bowling. A few local fursuiters got in costume, joined in the fun and interacted with other patrons.
* Our old Sunday morning breakfast spot closed so a new breakfast venue had to be found. The "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" was born. Panera's private meeting room was reserved and the event continued in earnest. After breakfast several furs joined us for an afternoon trip to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.

====Pittsburgh Fall Fur-b-que====
* The Fall Fur-b-que doubled in attendance a week before it was schedule to occur over Columbus Day weekend. In a stroke of luck the pavillion at Fireman's Memorial Park in Aspinwall was available for rent and the Fur-b-que moved from "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" to Fireman's Memorial Park. The change of venue provided plenty of out door space, a spacious pavillion with fire place, rest rooms, volley ball and horse shoe courts and a copious amount of parking.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/42622.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* Thirty-six furs attended this event from Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia for two days of furry fun and fellowship in the Allegheny Valley.
* Our second printed program was created providing maps to the different venues, space for a sketch and to write down the contact information of the friends you met and an itinerary of the Saturday to Sunday events.
* We had our "Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread" in Panera's private VIP room and afterwards the event went back to "The Fox & Unicorn Inn" where those remaining socialized until it was time for them to leave.

===2004===
====Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que====
* The Western Pennsylvania Spring Fur-b-que was held the first full weekend of June at Fireman’s Memorial Park. The name was changed to give the fur meet a regional feel instead of a local one in the hopes that it would draw out more attendance. It worked. Our attendance grew from 36 to 42 as we played host to guests from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/96965.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* This was the first year the event had an artist [[guest of honor]]. [[Silvermoon Wolf|Silvermoon Wolf]], a local Pittsburgh furry artist, drew the cover art for the Spring Fur-b-que program.
* Due to the overwhelming task of coordinating side dishes and desserts our guests were bringing, the event had to establish the position of Food Coordinator. This position was filled by TOS.
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* The size of our event precluded the opportunity to continue our night of bowling so instead guests were entertained at “The Fox & Unicorn Inn” or in other local fur’s homes.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 25 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

====Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend====
* The Western Pennsylvania Fall Fur-b-que was held over Columbus Day weekend at Fireman’s Memorial Park. We had 48 guests for our autumn event coming in from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Maryland and Virginia. Attendance was just shy of our goal of 50. Our artist [[guest of honor]] for this fur-meet was the talented furry artist from western New York State, [[Jirashi|Jirashi]], who provided beautiful art to grace the front of our program. [http://www.furaffinity.net/user/jirashi/ Jirashi Gallery at FurAffinity] [http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/125179.html Swift Fox LJ Report]
* At the park, furs took part in pick up games of horseshoes and volley ball, a small group took to playing card games, the artists gathered together to share inspiration and techniques and still other pockets of furs were busy catching up on how things had been since the last time they met.
* After the event at the park was over, guests retired to the homes of several of the local furs where they were entertained through the rest of the evening and early morning.
* Sunday morning everyone assembled again for “Sunday Breakfast at Panera Bread” where the socialization continued. At noon, 30 furs in ears and tails, trekked over to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium to enjoy some real wildlife.

===2005===
'''Western Pennsylvania Spring Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/208712.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

'''Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend'''
[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/237985.html Swift Fox LJ Report]

{{Section-stub}}

===2006===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2006====
* In 2006, with [[Anthrocon]] being hosted in Pittsburgh, the Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend was consolidated into an annual [[convention]]. Most of its programming was organized at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North. The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2006 was held from October 6 to 8 and attracted 71 registrants, of which 66 attended for the duration of the weekend.[http://swift-fox.livejournal.com/345669.html] [[Shawntae Howard]] was the artist [[guest of honor]] and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] was the benefitting charity.

===2007===
====Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend 2007====
*The Western Pennsylvania Fall Furry Weekend 2007 is scheduled for October 5 to 7. We plan on expanding our space at the Comfort Inn Pittsburgh North and providing more programming for 2007. Our artist [[guest of honor]] is Brendan Roo and [http://www.animal-friends.org/ Animal Friends] will continue to be our benefitting charity.

==Current Event Staff==
: [[Swift Fox (person)|Swift Fox]]: Event Director

: [[Ashe Krrrven|Ashe Krrrven]]: Registration Chairperson

: [[Xavier Shandi|Xavier Shandi]]: Programming Chairperson

: [[Akira Shima|Akira Shima]]: Charity Auction Chairperson

: [[Silaria Windsprite|Silaria Windsprite]]: Publications Chairperson

: [[TOS|TOS]]: Website Administrator

: [[Kelfstein|Kelfstein]]: Security Chief

==External links==
* [http://www.wpafw.org/ Western Pennsylvania Furry Weekend website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpaffw.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2005 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furry/wpasfw.htm Spring Furry Weekend 2005 cancellation notice]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Furbque2.htm Fall Furry Weekend 2004 archived website]
** [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/furbque1.htm Spring Fur-B-Que 2004 archived website]
* [http://www.wpafw.org/phpBB2/ WPAFW message boards]
* [http://community.livejournal.com/pa_furry/ Pennsylvania Furries] community on [[LiveJournal]]

===Photo galleries===
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2003: [http://www.swiftsden.net/events/Images/furbque1-03/index.html Swift Fox]
* Spring Fur-B-Que 2004: [http://www.swiftsden.net/gallery/events/sfbq04/sfbq04.htm Swift Fox]

{{con-stub}}
[[Category:Conventions]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:2001 births]]