MIDWEST FURFEST 2024 | NEWGROUNDS ART JAM!
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont IL
December 5th-8th 2024 (Exact time pending!)
Hello everyone! A Newgrounds panel & meetup was just approved for MFF 2024, one of the largest furry conventions in the world! The panel will be sometime between Friday Dec. 6th - Sunday Dec. 8th, and this blog post will be edited once the exact date and time are confirmed - it should be finalized in early October.
ABOUT THE PANEL
This will be an all-ages art jam and meetup, and I'll be solo hosting! There will be a quick introduction of Newgrounds as a site and its history, followed by time to mingle and create (and maybe some group photos). An art jam is essentially an event space designed for you to work alongside other artists, share your work, get feedback, and just hang out! Feel free to rep your NG swag and bring knickknacks to show off or trade, if you so choose.
This will be an all-ages panel, so please make sure that mature content is kept to a minimum, and is kept away from any minors in attendance.
ABOUT MIDWEST FURFEST
"Midwest FurFest is an annual convention which takes place in the west suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. We come together to celebrate the furry fandom, which includes art, literature and performances based around anthropomorphic animals. Midwest FurFest is a production of Midwest Furry Fandom, Inc, a 501(c)3 (non-profit corporation)."
Since this is a registered panel inside the convention, purchasing a registration is mandatory to get in - but hey, it's for charity! Weekend passes are $80 if you preregister and $90 at the door, while day passes range from $40-$50 and can only be purchased at the door on the day of.
You can learn more about MFF on their website, and register here.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO AT MFF?
Registration to the convention will get you access to all panels, markets, and main events! This includes:
-Several dozen panels each day on a vast variety of topics (meetups for professions / hobbies / etc, educational and instructional panels, interactive games, comedy and storytelling, lots of NSFW / 18+ topics, and more!)
-FOUR different sections for browsing / purchasing art and merchandise from hundreds of creators - the Dealers Den, Artist Alley, Artist Marketplace, and Art Show! There's minimal resellers at furry conventions, unlike most other fandom and pop culture conventions, so the vendors are almost entirely single artists and small teams producing their own merch.
-Main events, including the opening and closing ceremonies, multiple live concerts each day, dance competitions, a charity auction, and nightly raves.
-Additional access to resources - accessibility services, HIV and STI testing, photoshoots, and quiet rooms - all free of charge!
-MFF is also located just outside Chicago, so there's plenty more to do in the area! I'm happy to give recommendations.
(If you're already in the area and unable to register, I'd still recommend visiting to spend a few hours in the lobby! You'll meet plenty of people and see plenty of cool costumes, and the con lobby is open to the public for free.)
WHO'S ATTENDING?
A link to the panel on Sched (MFF's programming schedule) will also be added once it's available to the public! You can make an account and mark yourself as attending, which helps me prepare & helps the con staff find a room the right size!
Quick thanks to @TomFulp for helping me talk this through, and to @Imprez, whose Derpycon Meetup helped me tons in figuring out how to format this post.
I hope to see you all there! ^_^