Two Turnpikes 'Til Togetherness
So, this past weekend was Memorial Day weekend, and unlike most, I sure didn't have a BBQ. Originally, I was suppose to stay in the local area due to work, however on Thursday around 3 PM, I found out that I had the weekend free.
What to do with a free weekend?? Well... there was a con in Jersey!!!! FA: United!
Well, I got up on Friday and was really dragging my feet to get to the con. FA:U was seriously only a 90 minute drive for me, and I didn't really want to get there too early. I know going into the con, that it had a lack of programming and a (relatively) small amount of attendees, so it was going to be a very social con and I didn't want to get there before the few furs that I did know would be there. So finally around noon I started to pack up and head out.
Now, to get to the con site from where I live, it's a pretty straight shot. Get on I-95 and head to Delaware, get on the Delaware Turnpike and head to Jersey, then get on the Jersey Turnpike and you're there. Well, in Delaware I almost got into a bloody accident. Looked at the GPS for a couple of seconds, and when I looked up the trunk in front of me was no longer moving. It was a close call, but enough about the drive.
I got to the con site around 2 PM and got registered. From what I heard, registration was pretty hectic earlier in the day, but by the time I got there, there was only one person in front of me. So, once I was registered I took a stroll around the hotel. The hotel was very nice, however, the con only had the fourth floor to use for the convention. The 'zoo' area was quite small, however, it was pretty much full during all of the con. Attached to the 'zoo' was a small bar and a little snack stand and all of the ballroom. The ballroom could and was divided into three areas, the stage area, the dealer's den, and a 'fursuit follies' room, which was basically a open room full of stuff for fursuiters to play around with. Think a children's daycare center, and you're pretty close. The dealer's den was a little small, but it honestly was the right size for the con. With about 20 dealers, it had a fair flow of traffic at all times, and I even got to snag a print of a piece I didn't buy during FC.
Other then the ballrooms were three panel rooms. However, over the course of the con, there were only about 15 panels planned, but I think more got added as the con when on. Now, one of the panel rooms was a dedicated game room. Now, this is one of FA:U claims-to-fame here. There were about 8-10 game systems set-up and tournaments running throughout the con. It's no surprise that this year's theme was video games. I did pop into the game room a number of times, and it was almost always packed. Now, the hotel also had other facilities that weren't included in the con, with a bar and restaurant/buffet on the ground floor. And, attached to the hotel is a water resort which was giving special deals for the con-goers. However I didn't get to visit it, but from the outside it looked quite big.
Back to the con itself, shortly after I got there, the fursuit games were starting. I popped in to see how there were fairing, and ended up just staying throughout. The fursuit games were quite standard, with classic games such as Musical Chairs and Limbo. Another game that was played was 'Pop the Balloon' (or at least that was the name I gave it), in which the fursuiters had to try to pop their opponents balloons before having theirs popped. It was quite a fun game to watch, considering it had everything that a fursuit game needs. Chaos, amusement, and some challenge. Now the crown jewel for me was the last game that was played which I named 'Clean Up The Mess' in which all of the suiters where handed tiny pans and brushes and had to pick up a mess of balls that were thrown about the room and place them in a bin, the team with the most balls won. But, this game could easily be applied to fursuit games where the place is always trashed after all of the other games. It was simply a brilliant idea.
Fast forward to the evening (because nothing else worth mentioning happened before that). I missed the opening ceremonies, which I'm kicking myself for a bit, but then it was time for the music acts. This is the other thing that FA:U is good about, a lot of live entertainment; mostly music. I stuck around to catch the first act, and it was a band called Calamity Menagerie. The band had about seven players in it, and about 20 instruments. No joke. They even had a freaking xylophone. So yes, my interest was peaked. Although the lyrics were hard to understand at times, the music was awesome all the same. It had me bouncing in my chair and clapping and hollering at the end of the songs. Shortly after the concert however, I had to head home because I stupidly forgot part of my fursuit at home and I really wanted to fursuit.
Saturday I got to the con around 2 PM, just in time to catch the fursuit parade, but not really enough time to get into suit. The parade was really short, no other way to put it. It was done within 10 minutes because it just really didn't have a really large route. Maybe due to lack of planning, or because the hotel didn't want the suiters to wander too much, or maybe because the staff didn't want to risk the stairs, either way it was really short. However, it did have a large turnout of suiters, and evenmoreso, it seemed like the whole con turned up for it. All of a sudden, the con area was packed with attendees, and it started to really feel like a convention.
You can see the FA Mascot 'Fender' in the center
Once again, fast forward to the evening, and to more live performances. I missed Matthew Ebel's performance due to a nom session with friends. He does piano rock, and apparently lights himself on fire for small sums of money. Definitely sounds like something I'd have like to see. After him however was 2 the Ranting Griffin's show, and as expected, the ballroom was packed. Not too much to say about the show, it got me to laugh as always. After him was a group named Al Band. Now I only popped in for seconds, but I think they were playing Metal which isn't something I prefer to listen to live. So, on with the drinking, which I did quite a bit of along with fursuiting. I also popped into listen to DJ Genki spin for the dances that happened on Friday and Saturday. The music was quite good, but the floor was pretty much empty for a lot of the set. Apparently the con goers where not big ravers, either that or they had more 'pressing' matters.
Now, only a more personal side of the con for me. I did have a great time at the con. The thing I like about small cons is that there is much more of a social aspect to the con. And, sure enough, I met quite a bit of people at the convention. Some of them I hit it off with really well and can't wait to see again down the road. That being said, I mostly spend all of the con being very social because there wasn't much to do. If no one that I knew was around, or I wasn't engaging in conversation with someone, I just roamed around looking for people to hang out with. It would have been nice to see a little more going on. And, of course, Sunday was spend recovering from a night of heavy drinking and lack of sleep. But, chinese food with a friend and a bit of hooka set me right, plus the shade was a savior on that hot day.
But, hey, I got to go fursuiting!!! I haven't been suiting in a public event in any of my suits since probably CFD, and even then I don't remember if I suited. But, the fursuiting bug has finally caught me again and now I can't wait until AC.
Now, would I recommend FA:U to someone else?? That's a pretty tough con. It really was the people that attended the con that made it such a nice con, and the programming took a distance second to that. So, if you like music, video games, and fursuiting and you know people that are going, then I highly recommend the con. Or, if this is would be your first con, then FA:U would be a great place to go. But, either way, have some dancing fursuiters to close out this con report.
What to do with a free weekend?? Well... there was a con in Jersey!!!! FA: United!
Well, I got up on Friday and was really dragging my feet to get to the con. FA:U was seriously only a 90 minute drive for me, and I didn't really want to get there too early. I know going into the con, that it had a lack of programming and a (relatively) small amount of attendees, so it was going to be a very social con and I didn't want to get there before the few furs that I did know would be there. So finally around noon I started to pack up and head out.
Now, to get to the con site from where I live, it's a pretty straight shot. Get on I-95 and head to Delaware, get on the Delaware Turnpike and head to Jersey, then get on the Jersey Turnpike and you're there. Well, in Delaware I almost got into a bloody accident. Looked at the GPS for a couple of seconds, and when I looked up the trunk in front of me was no longer moving. It was a close call, but enough about the drive.
I got to the con site around 2 PM and got registered. From what I heard, registration was pretty hectic earlier in the day, but by the time I got there, there was only one person in front of me. So, once I was registered I took a stroll around the hotel. The hotel was very nice, however, the con only had the fourth floor to use for the convention. The 'zoo' area was quite small, however, it was pretty much full during all of the con. Attached to the 'zoo' was a small bar and a little snack stand and all of the ballroom. The ballroom could and was divided into three areas, the stage area, the dealer's den, and a 'fursuit follies' room, which was basically a open room full of stuff for fursuiters to play around with. Think a children's daycare center, and you're pretty close. The dealer's den was a little small, but it honestly was the right size for the con. With about 20 dealers, it had a fair flow of traffic at all times, and I even got to snag a print of a piece I didn't buy during FC.
Other then the ballrooms were three panel rooms. However, over the course of the con, there were only about 15 panels planned, but I think more got added as the con when on. Now, one of the panel rooms was a dedicated game room. Now, this is one of FA:U claims-to-fame here. There were about 8-10 game systems set-up and tournaments running throughout the con. It's no surprise that this year's theme was video games. I did pop into the game room a number of times, and it was almost always packed. Now, the hotel also had other facilities that weren't included in the con, with a bar and restaurant/buffet on the ground floor. And, attached to the hotel is a water resort which was giving special deals for the con-goers. However I didn't get to visit it, but from the outside it looked quite big.
Back to the con itself, shortly after I got there, the fursuit games were starting. I popped in to see how there were fairing, and ended up just staying throughout. The fursuit games were quite standard, with classic games such as Musical Chairs and Limbo. Another game that was played was 'Pop the Balloon' (or at least that was the name I gave it), in which the fursuiters had to try to pop their opponents balloons before having theirs popped. It was quite a fun game to watch, considering it had everything that a fursuit game needs. Chaos, amusement, and some challenge. Now the crown jewel for me was the last game that was played which I named 'Clean Up The Mess' in which all of the suiters where handed tiny pans and brushes and had to pick up a mess of balls that were thrown about the room and place them in a bin, the team with the most balls won. But, this game could easily be applied to fursuit games where the place is always trashed after all of the other games. It was simply a brilliant idea.
Fast forward to the evening (because nothing else worth mentioning happened before that). I missed the opening ceremonies, which I'm kicking myself for a bit, but then it was time for the music acts. This is the other thing that FA:U is good about, a lot of live entertainment; mostly music. I stuck around to catch the first act, and it was a band called Calamity Menagerie. The band had about seven players in it, and about 20 instruments. No joke. They even had a freaking xylophone. So yes, my interest was peaked. Although the lyrics were hard to understand at times, the music was awesome all the same. It had me bouncing in my chair and clapping and hollering at the end of the songs. Shortly after the concert however, I had to head home because I stupidly forgot part of my fursuit at home and I really wanted to fursuit.
Saturday I got to the con around 2 PM, just in time to catch the fursuit parade, but not really enough time to get into suit. The parade was really short, no other way to put it. It was done within 10 minutes because it just really didn't have a really large route. Maybe due to lack of planning, or because the hotel didn't want the suiters to wander too much, or maybe because the staff didn't want to risk the stairs, either way it was really short. However, it did have a large turnout of suiters, and evenmoreso, it seemed like the whole con turned up for it. All of a sudden, the con area was packed with attendees, and it started to really feel like a convention.
You can see the FA Mascot 'Fender' in the center
Once again, fast forward to the evening, and to more live performances. I missed Matthew Ebel's performance due to a nom session with friends. He does piano rock, and apparently lights himself on fire for small sums of money. Definitely sounds like something I'd have like to see. After him however was 2 the Ranting Griffin's show, and as expected, the ballroom was packed. Not too much to say about the show, it got me to laugh as always. After him was a group named Al Band. Now I only popped in for seconds, but I think they were playing Metal which isn't something I prefer to listen to live. So, on with the drinking, which I did quite a bit of along with fursuiting. I also popped into listen to DJ Genki spin for the dances that happened on Friday and Saturday. The music was quite good, but the floor was pretty much empty for a lot of the set. Apparently the con goers where not big ravers, either that or they had more 'pressing' matters.
Now, only a more personal side of the con for me. I did have a great time at the con. The thing I like about small cons is that there is much more of a social aspect to the con. And, sure enough, I met quite a bit of people at the convention. Some of them I hit it off with really well and can't wait to see again down the road. That being said, I mostly spend all of the con being very social because there wasn't much to do. If no one that I knew was around, or I wasn't engaging in conversation with someone, I just roamed around looking for people to hang out with. It would have been nice to see a little more going on. And, of course, Sunday was spend recovering from a night of heavy drinking and lack of sleep. But, chinese food with a friend and a bit of hooka set me right, plus the shade was a savior on that hot day.
But, hey, I got to go fursuiting!!! I haven't been suiting in a public event in any of my suits since probably CFD, and even then I don't remember if I suited. But, the fursuiting bug has finally caught me again and now I can't wait until AC.
Now, would I recommend FA:U to someone else?? That's a pretty tough con. It really was the people that attended the con that made it such a nice con, and the programming took a distance second to that. So, if you like music, video games, and fursuiting and you know people that are going, then I highly recommend the con. Or, if this is would be your first con, then FA:U would be a great place to go. But, either way, have some dancing fursuiters to close out this con report.
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