Anthrocon cancels parade and block party due to continued intense heat
The intense heat forecast for this fourth of July throughout this weekend has caused Anthrocon to announce that the block party and parade in the city on Saturday will be cancelled.
Anthrocon has been closely monitoring the extreme heat and severe weather situation in Pittsburgh forecast for this weekend. Convention leadership has been in contact with emergency services personnel and other entities regarding this situations.
After careful consideration for the health, safety, and wellbeing of our fursuiters, attendees, and residents of Pittsburgh, Anthrocon has decided to cancel the 2026 Fursuit Parade and Block Party scheduled for 2pm, July 4th.
We know both Anthrocon attendees and our friends in Pittsburgh look forward to this even every year; but the health and safety of all concerned is our paramount priority.
Anthrocon attendees should look for announcements of alternative indoor activities in place of the parade this year. We apologize for the necessity of this decision and hope you'll continue to enjoy the events throughout the holiday weekend.
Weather Underground reports that for Pittsburgh, Saturday afternoon is expecting to have a temperature of 91F / 32.77C but it will feel like 100F / 37.78C.
About the author
Sonious (Tantroo McNally) — read stories — contact (login required)a project coordinator and Kangaroo from CheektRoowaga, NY, interested in video games, current events, politics, writing and finance
Furry since 2001.
Flayrah contributor since 2010.
Flayrah editor since 2017.
Runner of Non-Fiction furry YouTube channel "World in Rooview" started in 2017.
Comments
What a bummer :-(
Ain't those events usually held indoors? Im guessing it wouldn't be fair to the fursuiters that are not staying inside the main hotel, and have no means to change there, or get a ride in a air conditioned vehicle.
While for many conventions activities are held indoors, for Anthrocon both activities for Anthrocon take place outdoors. Anthrocon's parade has been going out to the city streets since 2015. I wrote a review of Anthrocon that year, which includes a video showing the parade's excursion into the city.
My mistake then. I have not been to Anthrocon in the longest time, and the last time I went the fursuit parade was inside the convention center. Im assuming when they used to have just 300-400 or so fursuiters they could fit everyone inside, but due to size constraints they had to move it outdoors.
A little bit of that, but more interestingly the city kind of wanted to have the parade be more of an event in the city and worked with the convention to make it happen. This isn't just furries going into the city unannounced, it's a more officially run parade with barriers and audience positions and closed off streets.
Recently the parade itself has been getting 'too big' and they have had to curate a bit more. Last year there was a bit of a fight over a new restriction on 'poodling' or 'hand/paws only' suiters being excluded from the parade. A part of that restriction was to deal with the fact that the parade was stretching into the two hour mark and that is a problem for a parade like that for multiple reasons.
1) Logistics on shutting down city streets can only last so long.
2) The audience is going to get bored and 'get the point' after fursuiter in the tens of hundreds had passed by.
Lots has changed in the past decade for Anthrocon.
Post new comment