The chilling winds of Rosemont, Illinois were no match for the heat brought by thousands of furs attending Midwest FurFest 2025. From December 4th to 7th, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center was transformed into a lair of fun, mischief, and memories under the theme "Villainous Vacation."
If you missed out or just want to relive the chaos (the good kind!), here's our full recap of the weekend.
This year, MFF took a turn for the diabolical, in the most lighthearted way possible. The "Villainous Vacation" theme saw the return of the Galactic Gator and his crew of critters, setting the stage for a convention filled with playful antics.
Attendees embraced the theme wholeheartedly. We saw:
Midwest FurFest continues to be one of the largest furry conventions in the world. Official figures confirm:
As always, the Saturday afternoon parade was the centerpiece of the event. The variety of suits was the real highlight: hyper-realistic wolves, toon-style dragons, and more than a few menacing "villains" fitting the theme. The energy in the main hall was electric as the parade wound its way through. For first-time attendees considering whether to suit, our first-time fursuiting essentials and cooling-solutions guide cover the practical side of suiting at a venue MFF's size.
The Dealers Den was expanded this year, occupying even more square footage to accommodate the growing number of artists and makers. Hot items included theme-specific badges and accessories, with "henchman" armbands being a popular impulse buy.
The rave scene at MFF remains legendary. DJs spun sets that kept the dance floor packed until the early hours of the morning. The "Villain's Ball" on Friday night was a particular standout, with a mix of industrial and high-energy EDM perfect for plotting evil schemes (or just dancing). For background on the rave scene that anchors most US cons, our what is a furdance and your first furdance guides walk through the format.
MFF 2025's panel schedule reflected the growing diversity of interests within the fandom. Several themes emerged across the programming tracks.
Fursuit construction panels drew large audiences, with sessions covering everything from foam carving basics to advanced resin casting for eyes and teeth. A "Fursuit Repair Clinic" panel offered hands-on help for attendees with damaged suits, and the room was at capacity all three times it ran. Digital art panels covered topics like character design workflows, pricing commissions, and using reference sheets effectively.
Panels on convention etiquette, getting started in the fandom as a newcomer, and building local furry communities were well-attended. A "Con Planning 101" session featured organizers from several regional conventions sharing practical advice on starting and running events. Mental health and wellness panels, which have become a standard part of MFF programming in recent years, continued to draw engaged audiences.
Beyond the dances, MFF offered improv comedy shows, live music performances, and the themed "Plotting for World Domination" panel that functioned as an audience-participation improv session. The puppet show programming block, a nod to the fandom's Pawpet traditions, had a dedicated following.
The Dealers Den at MFF 2025 occupied its largest footprint yet, filling the main exhibition hall and an adjacent overflow space. The expansion was necessary to accommodate the growing number of vendors and the increasing demand from attendees.
Plush toys and "squishable" style items remained popular, with several vendors offering con-exclusive designs tied to the Villainous Vacation theme. Enamel pins continue to dominate the impulse-buy category, with many artists offering "blind bag" pin sets that encouraged repeat purchases. Custom leather goods (collars, harnesses, wristbands) had a visible presence, with several leatherworking vendors reporting they sold out of stock by Saturday afternoon.
Traditional and digital artists took commissions on-site, with wait times for popular artists stretching to several hours. Badge commissions (small, laminated character portraits worn on lanyards) remain the bread-and-butter transaction of the dealers den. Prices for badge commissions ranged from $20 to $80 depending on the artist and complexity. Several artists offered "sketch commissions" as a faster, lower-cost alternative, completing pieces in 15-30 minutes.
A handful of fursuit makers had display suits and took orders at the convention. More commonly, fursuit accessory vendors sold items like replacement paw pads, follow-me eyes, cooling vests, and portable fan units. The trend toward modular fursuit accessories (interchangeable horns, magnetic expressions) was evident across multiple vendor booths.
For those who have never been to MFF, a typical day at the convention follows a rhythm that most attendees settle into quickly.
The convention floor opens around 10 AM, but the hotel lobbies are active well before that. Attendees grab breakfast at the Hyatt's restaurant, the nearby Stephens Convention Center food court, or one of several fast food options within walking distance. Morning panels start at 10 or 11 AM and tend to be the least crowded, making them a good time to attend popular sessions without fighting for a seat.
The afternoon is the peak activity window. The Dealers Den is open and at its busiest between noon and 3 PM. Fursuit groups gather for photos in the lobbies and hallways. The fursuit parade on Saturday is the single highest-traffic event, drawing spectators who line the parade route 3-4 deep in places. After the parade, attendees scatter to panels, gaming rooms, or the quiet lounges set aside for decompression.
Evenings belong to the social events. The main dances start around 9 PM and run until 2-3 AM. Room parties begin opening their doors around 8 PM, with activity peaking between 10 PM and midnight. The lobby of the Hyatt Regency becomes a gathering space where hundreds of attendees socialize, show off suits, and take photos late into the night. For those who prefer quieter evenings, gaming rooms, movie screenings, and smaller social gatherings provide alternatives.
Much of MFF happens in the spaces between scheduled events. The hallways, lobbies, and skybridge connecting the convention center to the hotels form a continuous social space where chance encounters, impromptu photoshoots, and conversations with strangers are the norm. Many veteran attendees say the hallway experience is the real convention.
Midwest FurFest has been on a steady growth curve for over a decade, and 2025 continued that trend.
The convention has roughly doubled in size since 2016, when attendance was around 7,800. This growth has required ongoing expansion of venue space, hotel blocks, and volunteer staff.
MFF's organizing team has responded to growth by adding overflow hotel properties, expanding the dealers den footprint, and increasing the number of concurrent programming tracks. The convention now operates across the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and multiple connected hotels (Hyatt Regency, Loews, Renaissance). Shuttle buses connect overflow hotels that are not within walking distance. The hotel block guide explains how overflow rooms work for cons at MFF's scale, and the Midwest FurFest convention page lists the full per-year history.
MFF's charity fundraising has scaled alongside attendance. The convention consistently raises six-figure sums for its selected charity partners, with the charity auction and donation drives generating significant contributions. MFF 2025 raised $151,517 for Mission Compassion Paw, continuing the convention's six-figure giving streak.
Larger attendance brings both benefits and tradeoffs. More attendees means a larger dealers den, more diverse programming, and a higher energy atmosphere. It also means longer lines for registration and events, more crowded hallways, and hotels that book up faster. Planning ahead and registering early becomes more important each year.
MFF 2025 drew 16,925 attendees. The convention also raised $151,517 for Mission Compassion Paw.
A rough budget for MFF includes registration ($60-80), hotel ($150-250 per night, often split with roommates), food ($30-50 per day), and travel. Total weekend cost for an attendee flying in from out of state is typically $500-900, depending on how far in advance you book and how many roommates you split with.
MFF typically opens registration for the following year in the spring. Hotel blocks open around the same time. Follow MFF's official channels for announcements, and be ready to book quickly. Hotel rooms in the main block sell out fast.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center and connected hotels are ADA-compliant with elevator access, accessible restrooms, and wheelchair-accessible pathways. MFF provides accessibility information on its website and has volunteers available to assist attendees with specific needs. Contact the convention's accessibility team in advance if you have particular requirements.
Post-convention blues ("con drop") are common after an intense social weekend. Strategies that help: stay connected with friends you made at the convention through Discord or Telegram groups, look through your photos and artwork from the weekend, and start planning for your next convention. Having another event on the calendar gives you something to look forward to.
As we recover from the post-con blues (and the inevitable con crud, so keep washing your hands), eyes are already turning to 2026. Planning your budget early makes a real difference, so take a look at our convention budgeting guide while prices are still fresh in your mind. And be sure to check out our Winter Convention Guide if you're itching for your next furry fix before spring! For the full picture of what's ahead, see our Summer & Fall 2026 convention guide.
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