Organizers of Anthrocon's 20th anniversary in Pittsburgh prepared for high temperatures
Downtown Pittsburgh will be a popular destination this weekend as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary, but another anniversary is set for this weekend in Pittsburgh.
A lot of people will be on hand to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anthrocon. That's right, the furries are back, but with serious heat in the forecast, most of the organizers spent Wednesday discussing how they plan to keep participants cool.
Anthrocon 2026 is set to kick off on Thursday, and it will run through Sunday. Organizers said that 2026, the 20th anniversary, is expected to be one of the biggest yet.
"This weekend, we're preparing to host 18,000 fur suiters," said Jerad Bachar, CEO of VisitPittsburgh.
In addition to their costumes, "The Furries," as they're known, are a big cash cow for the city of Pittsburgh. This year, 22 hotels in the area will be hosting Anthrocon attendees.
"[They] spend money in our hotels, our restaurants, our retailers, and small businesses throughout our community," Bachar added.
This comes during one of the hottest weeks the region has seen in quite some time, but organizers said they're ready to keep everyone cool.
"Many of our performers in and out of suit are professionals in their craft; a lot of them wear cooling vests," said Chris Mays, Deputy Director of Public Relations for Anthrocon. "They know how to stay hydrated and stay cool, and we also have cooling areas during the conventions. A lot of our events are going to be weather-dependent."
Anthrocon 2026 is the world's largest furry convention, and like years past, this year has a theme.
"The theme this year is critters, creatures, and cryptids; we're very much involved with mythical creatures like Mothman and Bigfoot and the Pittsburgh squonk," Mays said.
It also turns out that the term "furry" is an umbrella term.
"A furry is someone who's part of the community and identifies with an anthropomorphic character, but a fur suiter is someone who is a performer," Mays explained.
Meanwhile, the city said if you are planning to attend, make sure to stay hydrated, and they will have public safety agencies ready to help if needed.
