RainFurrest was a furry convention 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 2,000 attendees. It is notable for incidents and managerial failures that received press coverage in 2015, the final year it was held.
Locations and attendance by year YearDatesLocationThemeCharityAttendanceParade2007August 24–26Holiday Inn Seattle-Sea-Tac Airport HotelThe Rainforest (retroactively assigned)The Sarvey Wildlife Center (almost $1,000)370412008September 26–28Seattle Airport MarriottFlightThe Ferret Rescue Society ($1,000+)599892009September 18–20Zombie AttackCritter Care Wildlife Society ($536.78)9051592010September 24–26Furst on the MoonNorthwest Wildlife Rehabilitation Center ($3,000+)1,0451842011September 22–25Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference CenterFurry CampingLove a Mutt Pet Rescue ($4,000+)1,4203782012September 27–30Warehouse FurteenRabbit Meadows Sanctuary and Adoption Center ($2,500+)1,7055172013September 26–29Dancing in the MoonlightThe Clouded Leopard Project ($6,454.17)2,2024872014September 25–28Cyberpunk: Fur Meets ChromeCougar Mountain Zoological Park ($7,000)2,5865042015September 24–27Swords and SorceryCougar Mountain Zoological Park ($10,000+)2,704492
Incidents According to Fred Patten, there was discussion online among the furry community about the destructive behavior at RainFurrest 2015, with there being reports of vandalism, multiple visits by the police, and a number of arrests. Reasons for the arrests included assault, sexual assault, and drug possession.
The A.V. Club reported that one of the attendees flooded the hotel lobby in of toilet water.
Organizers then 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." The Hilton terminated their contract as a result of this behavior, and RainFurrest 2016 was cancelled after the organizers were unable to find a suitable alternative venue.
References
External links WikiFur