Pittsburg, PA
Anthrocon, the Pittsburgh furries convention, expected to set attendance record
15,500 furries expected to generate $17.4 million in direct visitor spending in Pittsburgh
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PITTSBURGH ― Anthrocon, more generally known as the annual furry convention, returns to the David Lawrence Convention Center on July 4-7.
VisitPITTSBURGH announced Thursday that Anthrocon is expected to bring record-breaking attendance and economic impact to Pittsburgh.
“With more than 15,500 furries expected to take on the city, the annual furry convention is anticipated to result in approximately $17.4 million in direct visitor spending, a press release from Pittsburgh’s tourism agency said.
Fursuiters, people who celebrate anthropomorphics, which are human-like animal characters, dress in head-to-toe furry attire.
“Each year, we have the privilege of working with the event organizers to establish strong community connections and partnerships that leave a significant and lasting impact on our city,” Andy Ortale, chief salesofficer at VisitPITTSBURGH, said. “And this year, there are several events on the docket that standto make Anthrocon 2024 bigger and better.”
Attendees are booked across 22 partner hotels, with six shuttle routes facilitating travel to thedowntown Pittsburgh convention center.
Over the four-day event span, attendees will explore the city by foot and partake in Anthrocon’s line-up of community events in and around Downtown, such as:
- Market Square Musicians: The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership has invited musicians attending Anthrocon to perform on July 4 during the lunchtime concerts in Market Square.
- Anthrocon Block Party: On July 6, will take over Penn Avenue between Ninth and 11th streets from noon through the evening, encouraging attendees to meet with downtown businesses and the community. Nearby restaurants and attractions are encouraged to display signage that invites the fursuiters to stop in.
- The Fursuit Parade: More than 5,000 people are expected to line the street July 6 for a world record-setting event. The Fursuit Parade begins at 2 p.m. on 10th Street near Fort Duquesne Boulevard, proceeding south along 10th Street and routing back to the convention center.
- Harris Theater Screening: A special screening 4 p.m. July 6 of the Don Bluth animated film classic “The Secret of N.I.M.H.” co-presented by Anthrocon. Tickets can be purchased via the Culture Trust at trustarts.org.
- Community Events: Anthrocon has partnered with several local businesses, including the Carnegie Science Center and Gateway Clipper, to provide special offerings toconvention-goers.
Scott Tady is entertainment editor at The Times and easy to reach at stady@gannett.com.
Last year, Americans received nearly 30 billion scam robocalls and text messages. Now, leaders in Pennsylvania are taking a new approach to try to crack down on them.
“It’s not just certain audiences that are targeted in this space. It’s really everybody,” said Kate Sullivan, CEO of Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania. “Robocalling is just faster and more aggressive than it’s ever been,” Sullivan said.
The prevalence, exacerbated by artificial intelligence, is why 49 attorneys general across the country sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen its rules to prevent scammers from accessing legitimate phone numbers.
“You have individuals that will purchase maybe 100,000 different phone numbers,” Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said. “Those numbers will land somewhere where you have a nefarious actor who will use those numbers to do the robocalls.”
Sunday is part of the Anti-Robocall Task Force, along with West Virginia Attorney General JB McCuskey. Last year, the coalition sent warning letters to major phone service providers to stop allowing illegal robocalls to reach consumers. Now they’re building on this by going directly to the FCC.
“The consumer matters, and we want to make sure that our constituents, the consumers that are in our states’ voices, are being heard at the highest level as loudly as they can be,” McCuskey said.
Sunday said they want to put more onus on companies to not sell these numbers, and if they do, to have documentation that can be provided to law enforcement so they can trace back and hold the scammers accountable.
KDKA-TV reached out to the FCC for comment. A spokesperson said in part that they “welcome this input from state leaders.” They also mentioned, “The Commission proposed expanding certification and disclosure requirements to all providers that receive telephone numbering resources… to stop scammers from exploiting gaps in the system.”
“Getting ahead of it and more protections for the consumers, I think, does have quite a bit of value,” Sullivan said.
As for what you can do, the BBB and AGs said it’s better to let a robocall go to voicemail. If you decline it, that indicates you’re a real person and may get more calls. Also, make sure to report robocalls to the BBB or the Federal Trade Commission.
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