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RainFurrest is a defunct furry convention[1]: 104 in the U.S. The convention was made in 2007 to replace a previous convention called Conifur Northwest. In 2013 it became the fifth furry convention to surpass 2000 attendees.[2]: 70, 186-188 It is particularly notable for multiple repeated incidents and managerial failures.[2][3][4]
| RainFurrest | |
|---|---|
 Rainfurrest 2016 logo | |
| Status | Defunct |
| Genre | Furry |
| Frequency | Annually |
| Location(s) | Seattle, Washington |
| Inaugurated | 2007 |
| Most recent | 2015 |
Locations and attendances by year
edit
| Year | Dates | Location | Theme | Charity | Attendance | Parade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007[2]: 186 | August 24–26 | Holiday Inn Seattle-Sea-Tac Airport Hotel | The Rainforest (retroactively assigned)[2]: 187 | The Sarvey Wildlife Center (almost $1,000) | 370 | 41 |
| 2008[2]: 186 | September 26—28 | Seattle Airport Marriott | Flight | The Ferret Rescue Society ($1,000+) | 599 | 89 |
| 2009[2]: 186 | September 18—20 | Seattle Airport Marriott | Zombie Attack | Critter Care Wildlife Society ($536.78) | 905 | 159 |
| 2010[2]: 186 | September 24—26 | Seattle Airport Marriott | Furst on the Moon | Northwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center ($3,000+) | 1,045 | 184 |
| 2011[2]: 186 | September 22—25 | Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center | Furry Camping | Love a Mutt Pet Rescue ($4,000+) | 1,420 | 378 |
| 2012[2]: 187 | September 27—30 | Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center | Warehouse Furteen | Rabbit Meadows Sanctuary and Adoption Center ($2,500+) | 1,705 | 517 |
| 2013[2]: 187 | September 26—29 | Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center | Dancing in the Moonlight | The Clouded Leopard Project ($6,454.17) | 2,202 | 487 |
| 2014[2]: 187 | September 25—28 | Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center | Cyberpunk: Fur Meets Chrome | Cougar Mountain Zoological Park ($7,000) | 2,586 | 504 |
| 2015[2]: 187 [5][6] | September 24—27 | Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center | Swords and Sorcery | Cougar Mountain Zoological Park ($10,000+) | 2,704 | 492 |
Incidents
editAccording to Fred Patten, there was discussion online among the furry community about the destructive behavior at RainFurrest 2015,[2]: 6 with there being reports of vandalism, multiple visits by the police, and a number of arrests.[7] Reasons for the arrests included assault, sexual assault, and drug possession.[3]
Then organizers released a letter to attendees, claiming that "For the last few years, the Hilton sustained more damage during RainFurrest than it did from every other event at the Hilton the entire rest of the year."[7] The Hilton terminated their contract as a result of this behavior,[1]: 104 and RainFurrest 2016 was cancelled after the organizers were unable to find a suitable alternative venue.[3]
References
edit- ^ a b Austin, Jessica Ruth (August 26, 2021). Fan Identities in the Furry Fandom. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-5013-7542-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Patten, Fred (February 3, 2017). Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015. McFarland. ISBN 978-1-4766-2688-8.
- ^ a b c "The insane story of a furry convention undone by its descent into debauchery". The A.V. Club. July 17, 2017. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ "RainFurrest 2016 Post-Mortem – The Literorrery". September 8, 2019. Archived from the original on September 8, 2019. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
- ^ Baume, Matt. "Being a Furry Can Change Your Life". The Stranger. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ^ "Gene Armstrong Dispels Myths About Furries".
- ^ a b "A Letter to our Attendees | RAINFURREST". archive.md. December 13, 2015. Retrieved October 22, 2021.