When I made the descent into Irving’s basement, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. It was to be my first meeting with the Penn State Furries, the Happy Valley sector of the fan culture for people who like to, in its simplest form, dress up and pretend to be animals. My own naivety led me to expect someone like Todd Cleary from Wedding Crashers, or perhaps a unicorn-clad soul hunched up in the corner.

Instead, I found Cory Grube and Corey Friedenberger, two sociable and amicable members of the Penn State Furries club who are trying to bring the group back to its former glory.

Grube is a junior chemical-engineering major here at Penn State, and Friedenberger is a recent graduate and long time PSU Furries member. As someone who already had predispositions about the Furry community, the Cor(e)ys were quick to explain that the Furries are not a culty pack of weirdos.

“It’s always the bad egg that goes to the media and gives us a bad name,” said Friedenberger. “Most of us are just a bunch of people with the same anthropomorphic interest trying to have a good time.”

The Penn State Furries colonized in 2007 during Friedenberger’s freshman year, although the group’s membership eventually dwindled and became inactive with time. After hearing so many stories about the group’s former glory days, Grube decided he wanted to bring the club back to life.

“I was really disappointed at how stagnant the group became,” said Grube. ”I just wanted to grow my friend-base, while growing the friend-bases of others at the same time. More friends all around makes the world a better place, you know? Also, I really wanted to see it reach a place similar to where it was when Corey was a student. Whether that’s possible or not, I have no idea, but we’re going to try.”

The Penn State Furries group is independent from Penn State to allow non-students to participate. While still based around Penn State, anyone from State College is welcome to join, per the Facebook group description:

“For all those tail-waggers out there who bleed blue and white! This group is for current and incoming Penn State students, alumni, faculty/staff, and State College locals who are part of the anthropomorphic furry community in one form or another.”

The casual, open-armed attitude also translates into a strong bond among the Furries in its group. Take, for instance, its membership flier: “YOU ARE NOT ALONE! THERE ARE TONS OF FURS IN THE AREA LOOKING FOR FRIENDS LIKE YOU!”

(membership flier)

Grube said the group has no plan to affiliate with the university any time soon, because he wants to maintain its loose schedule and officer-less structure.

“Having officers or leadership positions makes it too bureaucratic, at least for my tastes,” Grube said. “For the purpose of getting to know people, I don’t want to be the leader or president or whatever, I just want to be a friend.”

Additionally, even among the Furries community, the interests are so diverse it would be nearly impossible to hold an actual meeting.

“We could offer things at meetings like an open space for furry art critique, panels for teaching a skill like sewing, useful for things like fursuit making, or what have you,” Grube said. “The group is so spread out in terms of interests, so for any particular topic, we might only have 10 or 20 percent of the group that would be interested. It wouldn’t be a very effective means for getting to know each other, which is the core purpose of the group.”

Friedenberger considered affiliating with Penn State when he first started the group, but chose not to for the same reason. Despite the economic benefits that come with being an official club, it would be too formal for this liking.

“There’s no real subtext or motive to the group,” said Friedenberger. “It means different things to different people. For some people it’s spiritual, some people are really into anthropomorphic art, some people really feel they are an animal trapped in a human body, and others are just people who like to party.”

The highlight in the life of any “Fur” is attending the various Furries conferences. In January, a solid contingent from the PSU Furries attended Setsucon at the Penn Stater hotel, which is focused on anime.

“Small cons usually exude a cozy, friendly feeling,” said Grube. “Lucky for us, we have a small convention right at the Penn Stater, Setsucon. It’s not a furry convention in reality, but an anime convention. Regardless, it still draws in a lot of local furry artists, enthusiasts, and fursuiters. There are two reasons for this: Many furs have another common interest, anime. A secondary reason is that furries like conventions in general, as long as they get to hang out with friends and have a good time.”

There are dozens of larger Furry conventions across the country, including Anthrocon, held annually in Pittsburgh, and FurFest. Furries sometimes spend thousands of dollars on costumes for these conventions, often going by their names and personas from Fur Affinity, the largest online Furry community in the world.

The once annual convention in Detroit, Furry Connection North, became so popular that they had to shut it down after six years. This video helps illustrate the scene:

(video)

The Cor(e)ys told me that cons often start small at various cities, only to become insanely popular. The parties get bigger and more wild, and eventually the convention moves another hotel, as was the case with Furry Convention North. I was told more than a few times that Furries really know how to party and that’s what the community is for a lot of people: a group of people looking to have fun. Just, y’know, in costume.

Here is a video from a dance competition, which is often a highlight of the conventions. The furry in gray is a former Penn Stater.

(video)

Here are some photos of PSU Furries from this year’s Setsucon:

(photos)

What’s important to note about this group is that because their interest is so…unique, so is their friendship.

The Furry community is very accepting of people’s identities, especially in the LGBTA community. Discussions can range from weird stuff the Furs read on the Internet to casual conversations about sexuality — they come up all the time. It doesn’t matter if it’s at a con, a party, or even just at a coffee shop. Grube told this story from his last Anthrocon as an example of the virtue of the community:

“I feel like furs are more open-minded and chill about everything, in general. We were in our hotel, and it was probably 3 or 4 p.m. In fur-con time, that means it’s time to drink. So we’re going about that, when someone knocks at the door. We open the door, and some guy none of us know basically walks in while saying hi. He’s pretty smashed already, and offers us some beer. We proceed to have a conversation about lots of random stuff for probably 30 minutes before he left. None of us really knew what happened, but we were like ‘Eh he was pretty cool, I don’t mind.’ That’s the kind of chill attitude that lots of furs tend to possess.”

More than anything, though, Grube wants the Furries to be more than a label, more than an embarrassing sound byte or joke. At the end of the day, it allows a group of people to take their virtual interests and create friendships IRL. And really, that’s what the PSU Furries are all about.

Furries find acceptance, friendship among active community
Underground world of roleplay brings students together

By Bernard Wilchusky
Contributing Writer

Published: Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Updated: Thursday, April 3, 2014 00:04

A dog, a bear and a fox walk into a bar, but that isn’t the beginning of a joke.

It is, however, a little slice of what one might expect to see at the Oblivion Taproom on Tuesday evenings, when an average of 30 to 60 members of Orlando’s “furry” community meet at the bar for their weekly gatherings.

But what, pray tell, is a furry?

A furry is a person who dresses in a head-to-toe animal costume.

“A furry is anyone with an open mind,” said Diedrich Wolff, the unofficial leader of the Oblivion Taproom gatherings and a student at Valencia. “It’s a very diverse community. A lot of people are attracted, initially, to the art, but people come for all sorts of reasons.”

Wolff is known as a “popufur,” an informal title given to members of the furry community who are well-liked or renowned. He noted how the community has blossomed over the years, going from small get-togethers featuring around 10 of his friends to the large gatherings at Oblivion today. He estimated that Orlando alone boasts a community of more than 100 furs, with dozens more scattered throughout groups in Tampa, Miami and elsewhere.

“It used to be just a few of us,” Wolff said. “We’d get together at Steak ’n Shake and catch a movie at the dollar theater. Last year, the community exploded. One time, we had almost 90 people here at once.”

Indeed, on Tuesday nights the bar is replete with cat ears and bushy tails. And sometimes, a pair of furries in full-body costumes — known as “fur suits” — can be seen hugging and prancing about.

The fur suit is perhaps the most recognizable icon of the furry fandom. The suits, which each take about a week to make, can cost close to $1,000. Some have modifications that allow their jaws to articulate, their eyes to light up and even integrated speaker systems to project the wearer’s voice into the outside world.

“You know how brides go crazy over their wedding dress?” said Jonathan Ray, a costume design assistant. “The same thing goes for a suit. People want measurements, they want cloth choices, fiber choices, the works.”

Ray said that donning a fur suit comes with its own unique set of challenges. The headpieces restrict the wearer’s peripheral vision, and the fur on the suit’s outer layer causes its interior to become hot. Suiters often travel with a spotter who helps guide them through crowds and watches for signs of heatstroke or exhaustion.

“We always emphasize that fursuiters should have a spotter, especially if there are kids around,” Ray said. “No one is going to be happy if a suiter knocks over a little kid that they couldn’t see. Spotters are the ones who drag you away if you need to cool down and take a break.”

But furry art comes in many forms, and websites such as Fur Affinity, Inkbunny and DeviantArt provide portals for members of the community to connect and share their passion. In fact, the art provides the one common substrate among this community composed of performers, engineers and people from virtually all walks of life. All furry art features, in some form or another, the image of an anthropomorphized animal.

This animal character, personified with human characteristics, serves as the alias through which people operate in the fandom. And when furries aren’t donning their fur suits, they can often be spotted with their furry badges, emblazoned with the names and images of their animal aliases or fursonas.

For Austin Beard, a health sciences sophomore, his fursona, Isaac, is a character whose extensive background he developed through online roleplaying. Before he moved to Orlando, there just weren’t any real-world outlets for him to participate in the community, he said.

“Most of the people I’ve met, I’ve met on Twitter or online,” Beard said. “Getting to meet them in real life is great — you get to see them in person, and it’s like [your relationship] doesn’t even skip a beat.”

Still, he admits that he was hesitant to become a more active participant because of the historical stigma surrounding the furry fandom. Television shows such as “Dr. Phil,” “The Tyra Banks Show” and “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” portray furries as mentally unstable or sexually deviant people who wear costumes as a means to fulfill their perverse fantasies. Beard, in his six years participating in the community, has yet to see a single act of “yiffing” — costumed sexual intercourse — that the fandom was made notorious for.

“Everyone thinks we’re weird; they think we do weird stuff,” Beard said. “That’s not what it’s about. Furries are just different people with a different sort of hobby — it’s no different than collecting stamps or RC cars.”

So what is it that has people participating in the furry fandom?

Without exception, the word on everyone’s lips was friendship.

“This is such an open and loving community,” said Tyler Smith, a sophomore marketing major who goes by the fursona Dante. “No matter what race, religion, sexual orientation or political views you have, no matter who you are, you’re going to find friends.

“If you have a fur suit, you’re loved.”

Investigating the oft-misunderstood furry fandom
By Laura Howells

Furry: for some people, the term may be foreign. For others, it may conjure up a range of connotations, from the positive to the downright disturbing. In recent weeks, furry fandom has been a topic of discussion for MUN students, as posters calling for the convergence of furries in the university have been plastered around campus.

The posters are the work of MUN student and furry, Will Marshall, who also goes by the furry name, Chu Ward. Ward sat down with the Muse to discuss what being a furry means, the misconceptions surrounding the fandom, and the furry community in St. John’s.

At its core, the furry fandom consists of people who are interested in fictional anthropomorphic animal characters. According to Ward, there is no specific way to be a furry; people express their furry identity in a wire range of ways.

For some people, being a furry means dressing up in an animal costume, known as a “fur suit,” and role playing or attending public furry events. Many “fur suiters” handcraft their suit, while others spend anywhere from a few hundred to a thousand dollars having a suit custom-made. However, donning a fur suit is hardly something such furries do everyday.

“As any fur suiter will tell you, it’s actually very physically exhausting to wear one of those things because it doesn’t breathe at all and you’re in there sweating all day. It’s something that they plan in advance,” said Ward. “It’s usually in a very social context. It’s not just something they wear around the house whenever they feel like it.”

Ward says that for fur suiters, dressing up as an animal is a way to let loose and express themselves freely.

“It’s kind of like the anonymity of the internet. You’re behind a mask,” said Ward. “When people see you out in public they see a character, they don’t see you. So you can act how you would want to have your character act, instead of you just being in plain clothes like me, barking. In fur suits it’s more a performance than just a weird way of behaving.”

However, the majority of furries are not fur suiters. Many furries enjoy role-playing as an animal online, while other furries simply like to draw human-like animals or animals shaped like humans. For Ward, being a furry means role-playing online and looking at anthropomorphic art.

Ward says one of the biggest misconceptions people have about furries is that they are simply people who like to ‘dress up in an animal costume and have sex.’

“I’m not going to lie and say there isn’t sexuality in the fandom, but there’s sexuality in every single fandom out there because we’re human beings,” said Ward. “But it’s not what we’re about.” He adds that most of the hatred surrounding furries is based on ignorance and insecurity.

Just as there is a variety of ways one can be a furry, the level of connectivity people feel with their furry-identity also varies.

“Some people genuinely feel like maybe they were a mouse in a past life,” said Ward, explaining that some equate their furry identity to a form of shamanism. “Other people are just like no, it’s just a character I play as on the Internet.”

Ward says that for most people, being a furry does not mean feeling their expressed human identity is incongruous with their actual identity.

“The majority of the furries I talk to, if I were to ask them, hey are you really a wolf? They would say, uh no. There’s often a very large disconnect between what people do in the context of being a furry and how they actually feel about themselves as a person.”

When furries are figuring out what animal they should be, Ward says many are influenced by cartoons or anime they enjoyed as children; Ward’s furry animal, for example, is a Pikachu.

“There are lots of dragons, dragons is a big one. It doesn’t have to be anything real. Trying to role-play as a furry you have to presuppose some level of non-reality.”

When Ward was realizing he was a furry at age 14, he felt extremely alone, figuring he was just the “one weirdo in Newfoundland.” Through the posters he is putting up around campus, he hopes to connect similarly thinking furries to the broader Newfoundland furry community.

“With all the stigma that you get on the Internet you’re convinced that there’s something wrong with you. Finding other people, tangible people, not just on the other side of the screen, but people that relate to you and have likely felt the exact same experiences you have, really feels good.”

The furry community in Newfoundland currently consists of around 50 active members and is always looking to expand. Furries sometimes gather for picnics in the park, participate in social events like bowling, or meet up at conferences like Sci-Fi on the Rock. Ward enjoys the open-mindedness of the furry community and the sense of belonging it fosters. He says that although his posters have only received a dozen serious responses so far, no one who contacted him had any idea there was a furry community in St. John’s.

“I’m convinced that if I keep at it, there’s going to be more furries out there that will know they’ve got a group of people who feel the same way as they do and they can feel welcome in that community.”

The 10th annual Furry Weekend Furry Weekend, a furry convention held in Atlanta, kicked off Thursday, and the fuzzy festivities will last through Sunday night.

Activities at this year's Furry Weekend, themed as "Furry University," include a fur-suit parade, workshops on building a collar, a talent competition and various dance classes and dance parties.

Last year, they even had a furry Harlem Shake:

Do The Harlem Shake, FWA Style! http://t.co/WrVQdSByu3#fwa2013

— FurryWeekendAtl (@FurryWeekendAtl) March 16, 2013

Attendance costs for the whole four-day span of the convention ranges from $45-$250, or guests can buy a one-day pass for $25-$35.

The convention is the fourth largest gathering in the world for furries, meaning people who have an "interest in anthropomorphic animals and/or mythological or imaginary creatures which possess human or superhuman capabilities," according to WikiFur, a wiki managed by the furry community.

Many furries like to dress up like their animals of choice, but some express their interest through other ways, like art or performance. While some are sexually attracted to these anthropomorphic animals, this is not the case for all furries.

Border Security: Border Security - 2021
Hidden compartments in a traveller’s backpack raise red flags. A snowboarder’s vehicle contains gear of a different variety. Unmarked pills are discovered in a student’s luggage. Officers have a wolf by the tail, and he's short of funds. The discovery of a deadly weapon leaves mail centre officers stunned.

The first time we walked into the hotel lobby and witnessed 900 costumed characters frolicking about we thought someone had slipped us a hit of acid. After getting over the initial shock of it all, we began to warm up to them and over time they reciprocated, although at first they were very reluctant to speak with us. After all, we are KROQ (trouble makers). As the years passed and the conventioners warmed up to us, we began asking questions. But the answers were often vague and left us wanting to know more.

What is this convention all about? What’s the strange obsession with anthropomorphic animals all about? And what’s going on in that private dance party that they won’t let us into? Is it a giant animal sex party? And, why are dozens of conventioners not wearing costumes? Do they just like to watch? It’s all very strange.

So, like any person pretending to be a journalist, I turned on the microphone in hopes I could get some answers.

I do have to give the organization real props because their mission for the weekend was to raise money for animal assistants to aid soldiers with PSD. Basically, soldiers returning from war sometimes can use a little help in their daily lives, and furry friends come in handy, both real and costumed.

11 Eye-Opening Misconceptions About The Furry Fandom

This weekend I attended Califur, the annual Southern California Furry Convention, and talked to an attendee about misconceptions of the community
http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/revealing-misconceptions-about-the-furry-fandom

PITTSBURGH —Downtown Pittsburgh will take another walk on the wild side with the annual Anthrocon, which falls on the July Fourth holiday weekend this year.

Furries -- people who are fascinated with anthropomorphics -- will begin arriving this week for their national convention at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. It begins Thursday and continues through Sunday.

Many of the five thousand-plus visitors stay dressed in full or partial animal costumes as they walk through the streets of the Golden Triangle while they're in town.

Anthrocon includes workshops, panel discussions, art exhibitions and vendors catering to fans of the human-like animal characters.

VisitPittsburgh estimates that the convention has brought more than $28 million in direct spending to the city since it first arrived in 2006. Anthrocon has also raised more than $140,000 for local charities. This year's charity is the National Aviary.

"They’ll buy souvenirs, they’ll eat and drink in our restaurants, they'll ll park in our parking lots, and that, as an economic benefit, is pretty big," VisitPittsburgh CEO Craig Davis said during last year's convention.

PITTSBURGH — The furries are once again beginning to arrive in downtown Pittsburgh for the annual Anthrocon Convention.

Anthrocon is the largest anthropomorphics convention in the world with membership in the thousands, according to the convention’s website.

The convention has been held in Pittsburgh since 2006. On average, the convention pumps nearly $7 million into the local economy.

Members call themselves “furries,” and the Anthrocon convention in Pittsburgh brings together thousands of devotees of anthropomorphics from all over the world.

The event includes workshops and seminars in acting, costume-building, animation, writing, art and design. It also hosts an extensive art show where the best in anthropomorphic artwork is offered for sale.

The convention begins Thursday and lasts through the weekend. This year the group plans to raise more for the National Aviary.

The world’s largest furry convention is getting under way in downtown Pittsburgh. The convention for artists, animators, costumers, puppeteers and fans has called the Steel City home since 2006.

“By the time we’re finished with this particular convention, Anthrocon will have left $41 million of economic activity in the Pittsburgh region over the last nine years,” said Craig Davis, president and CEO of Visit Pittsburgh, the city’s convention and visitor’s bureau.

The gathering has grown each year. This year some 5,600 attendees are expected. Anthrocon Chairman and CEO Samuel Conway said all that’s needed to attend is a passion for animals.

“There’s no requirement to be a furry,” he said. “There’s not set type of person out there who thinks animals are cool – that’s a very universal thing. And you can see that in the faces at Anthrocon. You will see people from all walks of life, from all backgrounds. Last time I counted we have 25 countries represented here internationally.”

Conway said there is someone from every state but North Dakota in attendance. Some dress in full fur suits, some wear ears and/or a tail, others wear street clothes. Conway said furries cover all professions, including police officers, teachers and engineers.

Kazee, a wolf from New Hampshire, said when he’s not at Anthrocon, he works for a weapons manufacturing company.

“I have a lot of friends that come down here and visit this place, and I also get the opportunity to meet a lot of new people I don’t know, which in itself is rewarding,” Kazee said. “There are some people who find this uncomfortable, and that’s unfortunate because this is all about having fun. This is all about showing your colors.”

Anthrocon has raised more than $170,000 for charities since 1997. This year it is raising money for the National Aviary.

Anthrocon will go on through the weekend, with an indoor furry parade at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Saturday.

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A 6-foot fox in a hotel lobby. A tail on a luggage cart. The “Furries” are back.

Board chairman Dr. Samuel Conway says “Anthrocon” has 6,000 people of the furry persuasion. But what’s it all about?

“Why do people buy tickets to the Super Bowl?” he asks. “Why do people go fishing? It’s what they’re into. It relaxes them. It gets them through the day.”

They’re doctors, teachers and truck drivers, from 25 countries. The “Fox” is a weapons manufacturer.

“I think if my co-workers knew this is what I do, they’d take out a hunting permit on me,” he says.

The tourism group “Visit Pittsburgh” has hosted the Anthrocon convention for nine consecutive years.

“This has brought a total of $41 million to our economy,” says President and CEO Craig Davis. “Just this year alone: $7 million.”

Part of the tradition is lunchtime at Fernando’s.

“We like it. It’s so much fun. I wish they could come every year,” says co-owner Baris Budak.

“We take a furry picture with them,” his brother Ali says.

Furries like the “Tribal Tiger” like to make folks smile.

“There’s nothing that can compare to that emotion that you get inside, when you make someone feel that good,” he says.

Speaking of feeling good, Anthrocon conventions have raised 140 thousand dollars for Pittsburgh charities. This year’s choice: the National Aviary.

For more information on the Furries, visit http://www.anthrocon.org.

Walking through the Westin Convention Center, Downtown, Kyle F., 29, caught sight of his reflection in a hallway mirror. He paused briefly at the image — large animated eyes, protruding snout, furry oversized head — before strolling away confidently, long red tail in tow.

Kyle is among the 5,600 anthropomorphic animal enthusiasts expected to attend the ninth annual Anthrocon convention today through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

The theme of this year’‍s event is “Secret Societies,” a nod to rumors about clandestine organizations such as the Furry Intelligence Agency (FIA).

A resident of Newport, N.H., Kyle has been wary about sharing his hobby with anyone but his closest friends. “I work for a weapons manufacturing company,” he quipped. “If my co-workers found out about what I was doing this weekend, they might take a hunting permit on me.”

Participants admitted their fandom has elicited mixed responses from friends and family, and many withhold their full names so acquaintances back home don’t know about their hobby.

Wednesday at a media event, VisitPittsburgh CEO Craig Davis credited Anthrocon with generating economic activity in the city. Since the first gathering in 2006, the convention has contributed more than an estimated $7 million in direct spending to Pittsburgh.

Costumers such as Kyle comprise 20 percent of the artists, animators, puppeteers and other fans who flock to Pittsburgh for the event. They are a common sight this time of the year, when Pittsburghers are eager to witness the return of the furries.

“There is no city that welcomes us in the way Pittsburgh does,” said Samuel “Uncle Kage” Conway, chairman and CEO of Anthrocon. “People here have embraced walking foxes as part of the scene.”

This sense of acceptance is important for attendees, who come to Anthrocon to join a community of like-minded anthropomorphics devotees hailing from 25 countries and every state except North Dakota, Mr. Conway said.

Kyle crafted his “fursona,” Kazee, for last year’s Anthrocon. “Most people have several personalities that they switch back and forth between, but I really only have this one,” he explained. His costume is “mostly wolf with some fox,” and but for the rotund head, it is entirely self-made.

With paws outstretched and gesturing spiritedly, the more than 6-foot-tall Kazee was an outgoing creature, but Kyle admitted to being self-conscious, even reclusive, when out of costume.

The animal alter-ego gave him an avenue through which to express himself. Inside the costume, “I can do anything,” he said.

Vitai, a white Bengal tiger in a loincloth, nodded his head in agreement. His human identity is David K., 24, of Jacksonville, Fla., who has been attending Anthrocon for the past three years.

He noted that the entertainment value of the convention is often lost on those who dismiss dressing up as animals as “a little weird.”

“It’‍s not about the animal; it’s about the performance,” he said.

Anthrocon’‍s organizers work hard to preserve this element of theatricality.

Photographers are not permitted to take photographs of costumers unless they are fully garbed; photos of unmasked attendees drinking water are strictly off-limits.

These rules serve to uphold the convention’‍s enduring and most important belief: Humans can take the form of animals.

“Costumers like the illusion to be complete,” Mr. Conway said. More than 1,100 attendees dressed in full-body fursuits will walk in a parade Saturday afternoon inside the convention center.

After the costumes are shed and the convention draws to a close on Sunday, the furries will return home. Some will attend local meet-ups or post in online forums.

Others won’t bare their claws again until next year’‍s Anthrocon, keeping their animal identities under wraps until Pittsburgh beckons once more.

PITTSBURGH — Channel 11’s Alan Jennings reported that the FBI is investigating a threat against “furries” in Pittsburgh for the annual Anthrocon Convention.

Jennings said Pittsburgh police are involved in the investigation, and the threat originated on the Internet.

The convention has been held in Pittsburgh since 2006. On average, the event pumps nearly $7 million into the local economy.

Members call themselves “furries,” and thousands of devotees of anthropomorphics from all over the world attend.

The event includes workshops and seminars in acting, costume-building, animation, writing, art and design. It also hosts an extensive art show where the best in anthropomorphic artwork is offered for sale.

The convention began Thursday and lasts through the weekend.

PITTSBURGH -- One of the freedoms to be celebrated this Fourth of July weekend is the ability to parade around in a furry costume with numerous others who enjoy that activity.

That's what you'll find Thursday through Sunday at Anthrocon, the world’s largest convention for artists, animators, costumers, puppeteers and fans fascinated with animal characters. Returning to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, this year's Anthrocon conference, also known as "The Furries," is expected to draw 5,600 participants, which would make it the biggest one yet.

The highlight will be Saturday, around 2 p.m., when upwards of 1,100 attendees in full head-to-foot costumes ("fursuits") will gather for a photo op and a parade through the convention center.

Registration is available online at anthrocon.org/registration or in person, costing $30 for a one-day pass and $60 for multi-day access.

As the Anthrocon website says, "Membership is open to any and all who like to imagine what it would be like if animals could walk and talk as we do -- and no, you do not have to wear a costume to attend."

There will be workshops, panel discussions, an art exhibition, and the largest dealers' room of its kind. Visitors can meet honored voice actor guests Jim Cummings (Tigger from "Winnie the Pooh"/Ed the Hyena from "The Lion King") and Lee Tockar ("My Little Pony"/"Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog").

Many fursuited attendees are expected to venture outside Friday night to watch the July 4 fireworks "as Anthrocon once again turns the whole of downtown Pittsburgh into a furry metropolis," according to the event's website.

With participants ranging in age from 1 to 85, the conference will generate an estimated $7 million in direct spending to Pittsburgh's economy, according to VisitPittsburgh, the region's official tourism marketing and promotion agency.

Since its first convention here in 2006, Anthrocon has contributed more than $34 million in direct spending, VisitPittsburgh said.

Anthrocon also has raised more than $100,000 for local charities. This year’s charity is the National Aviary.

The “Furries” are back in Pittsburgh.

Thousands of people dressed as “humanized” animals, known as “furries,” are in Pittsburgh for the annual Anthrocon convention.

“Furries” or anthropomorphics are people who attribute human-like qualities to animals.

Anthrocon is the biggest convention in the world devoted to “furries,” generating millions for the Pittsburgh economy.

“This has brought a total of $41 million to our economy,” Visit Pittsburgh President and CEO Craig Davis told KDKA. “Just this year alone, $7 million.”

“Furries” from over 25 countries attend the conference and they come from all walks of life, like this weapons manufacturer who’s dressed as a fox.

“I think if my co-workers knew this is what I do, they’d take out a hunting permit on me,” the Fox says.

Anthrocon board chairman Dr. Samuel Conway sees no harm in this fascination.

“Why do people buy tickets to the Super Bowl?” he asks. “Why do people go fishing? It’s what they’re into. It relaxes them. It gets them through the day.”

Pittsburgh, Pa.-Those who love to dress up in animal costumes are making their annual pilgrimage to Pittsburgh.

They call themselves Furries, which means they dress up as large furry animals for fun.

About 6,000 people are in town to see and be seen at Anthrocon for the convention.

"We love it. It's so much fun. I wish they could come more often every year,” said convention attendee Baris Budak.

And it's a big tourist draw for Pittsburgh also with participants coming from 25 countries.

"It’s what they're into. It makes them happy. It relaxes them. It gets them through the day," said Anthrocon Board Chairman Dr. Samuel Conway.

The convention has brought 41 million dollars to the Pittsburgh economy over the years with an estimated 7 million dollars this year alone.