Dallas, TX
Inside the Dallas furry convention drawing thousands and sparking culture battles
Those strolling around downtown Dallas this weekend might have noticed more tails, claws and snouts than usual.
Inside these flamboyant animal costumes, with cartoonish eyes and plushy paws, are people belonging to a subculture known as furries.
They came from different corners of the world, from different occupations – and as different animals.
Cats. Wolves. Lizards.
Convention guests chat during the Furry Fiesta convention at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 28, 2026.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
All of them, though, gathered for the “Texas Furry Fiesta.” The convention, held at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel, drew more than 8,000 furries — people who create an anthropomorphic animal character.
Attendees saw the event as a safe space to connect with others in the fandom, which has long been stigmatized. In Texas and across the country, the group has also been swept into heated battles over gender identity in the classroom.
About 65% of furries have not told any family members about their interest, according to studies conducted by Furscience, a website started by scientists researching the subculture. About 40% felt that the fandom was not socially accepted, according to the studies.
Dallas-Fort Worth has hosted the annual convention since 2009, according to David Brooks, an event spokesperson who is also a furry. The convention was organized by Creature Arts, a Texas charity dedicated to coordinating activities for those interested in anthropomorphic art.
The convention features everything from panels for students applying to medical school to nighttime dances, Brooks said. While the community can interact on the Internet, the convention offers an in-person space.
Attendees buy and trade furry-related items during the Furry Fiesta convention at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 28, 2026.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
“We have a lot of diversity in our community, ranging from race, sex or gender identity,” Brooks said. “It’s hard to find a space where you can gather together and engage in friendly behavior.”
Inside the hotel, hordes of costumed attendees gathered in halls, waited by elevators and snapped pictures. They poked each other with questions about their outfits, and eyed trinkets at vendor tables.
Benedikt Althaus, who goes by Xariif, wore a tiger fursuit draped in red, white and blue stripes and splotches, reminiscent of the American flag.
This is no American tiger, though: Xariif traveled from Germany. The costume was on the cheaper side of fursuit couture, costing about 2,000 euros (roughly $2300 at current exchange rates).
Xariif poses for a photograph during the Furry Fiesta convention at the Sheraton Dallas Hotel in Dallas, Texas, on Mar 28, 2026.
Jason Janik / Special Contributor
At these conventions, you find friends everywhere, Althaus said.
The fandom has faced controversy, having been tied to sexual fantasies in mass media. For example, a “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” episode portrayed furries as a sexually deviant group. Attendees pushed back on this characterization, saying they are not a fetish community, nor is there an inherently erotic element.
“Most of us are adults. Adult people do adult stuff,” Althaus said. “I don’t think that’s a huge part of this community.”
In 2022, a rumor surfaced in a Michigan school district that litter boxes were being added to unisex bathrooms for students identifying as cats, the New York Times reported. Similar accusations popped up across the country, leaving school superintendents, including the one in Michigan, to debunk them.
In 2025, Gov. Greg Abbott resurrected the hoax during his tour to pitch a $1 billion school voucher-style program, the Houston Chronicle reported. The same year, a bill, called the “F.U.R.R.I.E.S. Act,” was introduced to outlaw role-playing in Texas public schools.
“In some small rural sections of school districts in the state of Texas, they have in their schools, what are called furries,” Abbott told a gathering of pastors in Austin. “Kids go to school dressed up as cats with litter boxes in their classrooms.”
Similar events to the Texas Furry Fiesta have also been the target of violence. In 2014, at a Chicago-area furry convention, an “intentional” chlorine gas bomb was detonated, leaving 19 people hospitalized, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Near Main Street Garden Park, Alejandra Martinez did a double-take when she spotted a tail. Then, another.
It wasn’t a dog, or cat, or raccoon, but people.
While she can’t relate to the subculture, she can relate to the artistry and creativity required of it. At a small market on Saturday, she was selling handmade jewelry and charms for her business.
“If you look at it from a creative outlet, you definitely see, this is actually a hobby they’re dedicated to,” Martinez said.
FC Dallas returns home this weekend looking to build off last week’s road result as Real Salt lake comes to town for another important Western Conference matchup. With the schedule beginning to pile up before the summer World Cup break in June, grabbing points at Toyota Stadium feels more important than ever right now.
RSL arrives with one of the more balanced attacks in the conference and enough pace to punish mistakes in transition. For Dallas, this one is about staying organized defensively, controlling the midfield battle, and continuing to find consistency in the final third. If those three items can be checked off this weekend, there’s a real opportunity to keep the momentum moving in the right direction before a long summer road trip.
Let’s dive into some notes, predictions, and more.
TL;DR: Match Preview
Quick hits before kickoff.
- Score prediction: FC Dallas 2 – 1 Real Salt Lake
- Key player to watch: Petar Musa – To make the World Cup roster later this month for Croatia, Musa has to continue scoring here and guide the team to a big home win.
- Why this game matters: The next two are at home and after that there are nine straight road games. Dallas has to bank some points at home while they can before the long summer road trip.
FC Dallas Notes:
All-time vs RSL: FC Dallas holds a 24-15-13 all-time regular-season record against RSL. Dallas has scored 79 goals against Salt Lake. RSL has scored 63.
Home record vs RSL: Dallas has a solid 14-2-8 at home against RSL in regular season meetings. Dallas has scored 44 home goals against RSL. Salt Lake has scored 23 goals at Toyota Stadium versus Dallas. Dallas last won at home versus RSL on April 16, 2023. Jesús Ferreira and Bernanrd Kamungo scored for Dallas that night.
Homegrown clock: Homegrown keeper Michael Collodi was the only HGP earning minutes this season until Nolan Norris joined him on the field. Collodi has played the full 90 in each match, while Norris has been in and out of the lineup. Norris also has one goal on the season. Caleb Swann also made his debut off the bench in New York. Together, they have played 1595 minutes. To add more perspective here, Dallas HGPs only accounted for 1683 minutes in 2025.
What to Watch For: FC Dallas vs. Real Salt Lake FC Dallas returns to Toyota Stadium riding momentum from a historic road win in New York, but RSL arrives with one of the most dangerous young attacks in MLS. Here’s what to watch when the Burn host the Claret-and-Cobalt on Saturday.
Notable season stats:
- FCD is 7th in crosses in MLS with 144.
- The Burn are 6th in total distance covered in MLS with 286.24 km (800 miles).
- FCD is third in MLS in aerial challenges won with 171.
- FC Dallas is 9th in MLS in xG with 18.81.
- FCD is 8th in MLS in shot efficiency with 1.19.
- Musa is 4th in MLS in xG with 7.77. He also ranks tied for 4th in MLS in shots with 40.
Potential FC Dallas Lineup:
With another three-games in seven days stretch coming up, Eric Quill will likely go with as strong of a lineup as possible in these next two home games.
Formation: 3-4-3
Projected Starting XI
Availability & Disciplinary Report
⚽
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended with next yellow card: none
Suspended with next two yellow cards: Osaze Urhoghide, Nolan Norris
🗒️
Availability Report
Season-ending injury list: Kaka Scabin
Out: Anderson Julio (Lower leg), Bernard Kamungo (lower leg)
Questionable: none
On Loan: Tsiki Ntsabeleng (Mamelodi Sundowns FC), Enes Sali (Al-Riyadh), Malachi Molina (Nashville SC), Geovane Jesus (North Texas SC), Enzo Newman (North Texas SC)
Unavailable (off-roster): Daniel Baran, Jaidyn Contreras
International duty: none
Real Salt Lake Notes:
Key player for RSL: Diego Luna
Scouting Real Salt Lake: What FC Dallas Needs to Know 🔎 A detailed scouting report on RSL ahead of FC Dallas’ 2026 showdown, breaking down formations, key players, tendencies, and tactical edges.
Disciplinary Report
Suspended: none
Suspended on next yellow card: none
Availability Report
Out: Jesus Barea (knee), Emeka Eneli (knee), Ari Piol (Achilles)
Questionable: Juan Jose Arias (groin), Justen Glad (groin), Lukas Engel (hip)
International duty: none
Big game this week for FC Dallas. Before we get into it, members have the full scouting report, projected lineups, and injury report. If you want to go into Matchday actually knowing what to watch for, now’s the time.
→ Join Big D Soccer
A mystery trust bought one of the most expensive homes in Texas this week — just months after buying another multimillion dollar property nearby.
The Lost River Trust bought the mansion at 4815 Saint Johns Drive in Highland Park from Dallas entrepreneurs Melbourne and Jamie O’Banion on May 5, according to county records. The final sale price is undisclosed, but the sellers had the home listed for $24.9 million at the time.
The six-bedroom, eight-bathroom home spans 11,433 square feet on a 0.6-acre lot, according to the listing. It was built by Mark Molthan and designed by Tom Weber. They listed the home on March 23 for about $2,200 per square foot.
Allie Beth Allman, founder of the eponymous brokerage, represented the sellers. Damon Williamson with The Agency represented the buyer, according to Redfin.
Just two Dallas homes last year sold with listing prices higher than $25 million, though both sold for well below what they asked. The trust of the late Fortress Investment Group CEO Josh Pack sold his former home at 6601 Hunters Glen Road for $30.5 million after asking $35 million, and manufacturer Guinn Crousen sold his home at 4000 Euclid Avenue for $25.5 million after asking $33 million.
Only six homes in Texas are asking a higher price, according to Zillow. Two effectively tie with the home on Saint Johns Drive: a spec mansion on Strait Lane that’s asking $25 million, and another new construction at 4 Lana Lane in Houston that’s asking $25.5 million.
The Lost River Trust bought another luxury home just six months ago. On Nov. 14, the trust purchased the home at 3709 Euclid Avenue, a four-bedroom, six-bathroom, 5,845-square-foot house that was asking $14 million when it withdrew from the market in September. It’s about half a mile south of the home on Saint Johns Drive.
Melbourne O’Banion is the CEO of Dallas-based tech startup Bestow, which produces software for life insurance companies. His wife Jamie O’Banion is the founder of Dallas-based cosmetics company BeautyBio.
The Crespi Estate at 5619 Walnut Hill Lane, listed by the Cox Family for $64 million, remains the most expensive home on the market in Texas.
Read more
Dallas entrepreneurs Jamie and Melbourne O’Banion list Highland Park mansion for $25M
Estate of late Dallas plastic surgeon Sam Hamra sells historic Highland Park teardown to mystery buyer
Robert Vaughn buys University Park spec mansion that asked $26M
DALLAS – Thunderstorms will roll through parts of North Texas on Friday. Thankfully, none should be severe. Mother’s Day could be a different story.
Friday Forecast
According to FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Berkeley Taylor, a cluster of thunderstorms will work their way east across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Friday morning.
Everything is well below severe limits, just with lots of lightning!
Scattered showers and thunderstorms will move in and out through the day on Friday. Coverage is about 20%.
An isolated strong storm or two can’t be ruled out, but the overall threat is low.
Temperatures will be in the 50s and 60s for the morning, before climbing into the 80s by the afternoon.
Weekend Forecast
Saturday will look similar, with even lower coverage expected.
Sunday presents the best chance to find rain and storms – about 50% as a cold front moves through North Texas.
North Texas is under a Level 2 out of 5 risk for severe weather. The biggest concerns will be with wind and hail.
Timing-wise, the front looks to move through in the afternoon/evening.
7-Day Forecast
Once the front is south of North Texas on Mother’s Day, the rain should come to an end, and it will stay dry into next week.
Temperatures will start to warm into the upper 80s and low 90s by midweek next week.
The Source: The information in this story is from the FOX 4 Weather team and National Weather Service.
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