Guest Kamen the Lycanroc covers a NYFurs event that follows the one in his previous story, Phoenix Bark. It illustrates the potential of a future furry con in New York City.
Attendees of Fuwa Furry Fest gather around the courtyard after the fursuit parade. Photo Credit: Eberrawolf
NYFurs hosted the first ever Fuwa Furry Fest in Industry City in November
NYC’s furry community got together on November 15th in Japan Village in Brooklyn to celebrate the first ever Fuwa Furry Fest.
Located in Industry City, Fuwa Furry Fest was hosted by NYFurs with a mission to celebrate the growing furry community in the Big Apple. According to the website, Fuwa Furry Fest was “a day to celebrate fans, creators and furry enthusiasts for a playful, community-first experience. The culture of the furry fandom will blend with Japanese pop culture for the night!”
Fuwa Furry Fest was hosted by NYFurs’ founder Gamboiuwu, who has been running the group since 2021. The event follows other smaller events around the city meant to bring NYC’s furry community together such as Round 1 furs and Phoenix Bark. The event was conceived by Gam’s desire to bring the NYC furry community to light, as well as wanting to commemorate Japanese culture.
“We saw that Japan Village was offering to do events, and I had always adored Japan Village. I decided to see if they would respond, and to my surprise, they wanted to move forward with our plans,” remarked the founder, who admired how Japan Village brought Japanese culture to New York City. “With some back-and-forth emails and extensive planning, we decided Fuwa Furry Fest could be our first shot at making a sophisticated event in New York City.”
NYFurs staff sets up registration and gets ready to sign attendees in Japan Village. Photo Credit: Kamen The Lycanroc
Despite the rainy weather, Fuwa Furry Festival started at 3 PM EST with 203 people registered, with an estimated 250 people in attendance throughout Japan Village. The festival took place across two floors, with the first floor hosting several Japanese restaurants and the Japanese supermarket Sunrise Mart. The Second floor had a seating area with a Torii (Japanese shrine gate) and Guzei (Japanese red bridge), and other shops specializing in Japanese goods such as Book-Off, Daiso, and Bandai Namco Store. Attendees also gathered outside in the courtyard to take photos and enjoy the view of the evening sky of New York City.
Alongside socializing among peers, Fuwa Furry Fest also hosted official board game meetups. While not easily spotted by attendees, that did not stop some from partaking in such. For example Alcor, an occasional attendee for Round 1 meets, played the trading card game Cardfight!! Vanguard with his friend Dreel during the event. Alcor also noted that while the event was fun, it needed more signage to mark where certain meets were. “I didn’t realize there was a board game meetup, I just play Vanguard with my friend Dreel because we do that when we hang out,” remarked Alcor, “It mostly felt like another R1 meetup, so it was chill, but also I feel next time this happens they should have a proper ticketed event and set things up properly so that we can have our own dedicated space.”
Around a few hours into the event, fursuiters lined up in the courtyard for a fursuit parade and a group photo. There, Gam gave a speech about what the event meant to him, and expressed his gratitude for everyone showing up to Fuwa Furry Fest. Afterwards, Phoenix Bark was hosted again at Phoenix Bar in Greenwich Village to end the night.
Gamboiuwu gives a speech discussing Fuwa Furry Fest and his excitement for the turnout of the event. Photo Credit: Coral
Feedback was given about the venue, as attendees noted the small size and the fact that it was a public space. Gam not only took note of the feedback, but wanted to expand the idea into a full fledged convention.
“When I went to Phoenix Bark, I had the biggest smile on my face. Just seeing all those furries come together in this one moment,” reflected the NYFurs owner, “felt like I achieved my dream of seeing all these furries together. Life is boring. I see fluffs, it’s a lot more awesome.”
Gam’s accomplishment was a sentiment shared by the staff members as well, including the head event director of NYFurs Gilden Harlowe. Also known as Vinegar, he worked as check-in for the majority of the event.
“The day consisted of plenty of socializing, shopping, and exploration around the vibrant Japan Village, while the staff team ensured we were adhering to the schedule to make things run as smoothly as possible,” remarked the director, “The parade, especially, required coordination unlike any we’ve had in prior NYFurs events, and the end result was an absolutely beautiful display of culture and community.”
After Fuwa Furry Fest, NYFurs continue to host events across NYC, as Phoenix Bark is set to return to Greenwich Village on January 31, with more plans being made by the staff.
– Kamen
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Original post written by Dogpatch Press Staff
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