In contemporary popular culture, the term furry refers to anthropomorphic animal characters in books, comic books, cartoons, movies, television shows, etc. The subculture interested in such characters is known as the furry fandom. The concept of furry originated in the early 1980s among science fiction and fantasy fans. The first exclusively furry convention named ConFurence was held in the United States in 1989.
Brazil and Latin America in general didn’t lave a large furry con (with attendance over 100) for a long time. Brazil’s first annual convention, Abando, was a camping-based event which attracted a maximum of 87 attendees.
Everything changed when the Furboliche bowling tournament was launched on March 9, 2014 in São Paulo. The inaugural Furboliche was attended by 65 furry fans, of which 15 wore fursuits (animal based costumes). The tournament became a regular event held at least twice a year.
Originally, the organizers intended to hold a more traditional hotel-based fan convention. But due to the lack of experience, they opted for a bowling tournament to meet the representatives of local furry fandom, understand its dynamics and acquire know-how. After Abando was officially discontinued in 2016, the staff of Furboliche decided to follow through with their initial plans and host a furry convention which they named Brasil FurFest.
While Abando was a camping event, Brasil FurFest is a hotel-based furry convention. The programming of the inaugural convention comprised activities typical for furry cons such as panel discussions, social mixers, an artist’s alley, fursuit lounge, workshops, games, a fursuit parade, a dancing tournament, a dealer’s den, and parties.
In 2021, the event was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: furboliche.com.br
