Michigan Anthro Weekend (MAW) is a new 18+ furry convention launching its inaugural edition October 2-4, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The convention runs at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel and is organized by Western Michigan Anthropomorphic Events, Inc. (WMAE), a Michigan 501(c)(3) non-profit. MAW was funded through a March-April 2026 Kickstarter campaign that closed at $12,006 from 57 backers, roughly 400 percent of its $3,000 goal.
Michigan Anthro Weekend held its first edition Friday to Sunday, October 2-4, 2026 at the Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel. Pre-registered attendees could collect their badges early, on Thursday October 1 from 8pm to 11pm. The convention was 18+ from day one, and everyone was carded at the desk with a government photo ID showing their date of birth. On Saturday, October 3, the convention announced that it had reached its attendance capacity for the day and stopped selling Saturday badges.
The Guest of Honor is Little Alpha Pup, also known as Milo, a singer-songwriter and content creator best known for his Furovision performance of his song "If The World Spins Normal" and his jukebox musical "Milo's Notebook". The convention called him its first Guest of Honor when it announced him in August, and no second Guest of Honor announcement followed. No theme was announced. The 2026 featured charity was the Grand Rapids Trans Foundation; the organizers said 100% of proceeds from charity events and panels would go directly to the foundation.
Early pricing ended on July 31, 2026. After that, a weekend Attendee membership cost $70 online and $75 on-site, and a Sponsor membership cost $110 online and $115 on-site; Sponsor added a unique lanyard, admission to the Formal Charity Ball, and early access to the Dealers Den. Day passes ($35 Friday, $45 Saturday, $30 Sunday) were sold on-site only and never online. Online registration was handled through the ConCat platform.
The schedule included DJs every day of the con, a pool party, a Fursuit Dance Competition and a talent show, with talent show submissions open through September 22.
MAW joins a Michigan furry scene that has been thin on dedicated conventions for years. The closest major comparisons are Motor City Furry Con (Detroit) and AnthrOhio (just over the border in Ohio). For attendees in western Michigan, MAW means a local option that does not require crossing the state.
The 18+ format positions MAW closer to cons like Las Vegas Fur Con and Megaplex in approach. Attendees should expect adult-oriented programming and a smaller, focused crowd typical of inaugural editions.
The convention published its tentative schedule on September 4, 2026, and warns that times and room assignments may still change before the weekend.
The price for 2027 has not been announced. The figure is from 2026, for reference only, so check the convention's own site before you budget.
By air: Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) is the nearest airport. The Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel sits adjacent to the airport and offers a complimentary shuttle, so the transit from arrivals to check-in is short.
By car: Grand Rapids sits at the intersection of US-131 and I-96. Free on-site self-parking is available at the Sheraton.
By transit: The Rapid (Grand Rapids transit system) runs limited routes from the airport. Most attendees rely on the hotel shuttle, rideshare, or rental car for travel beyond the hotel.
The Sheraton Grand Rapids Airport Hotel at 5700 28th Street SE is the convention venue. Staying on-property is the recommended option for first-time inaugural attendees who want zero outdoor transit between hotel rooms and convention space.
The room block booking link goes live on the official site. Inaugural cons typically have ample availability at launch, but block rates close several weeks before the event.
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2027
Dates TBA
2026
Oct 2-4
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501(c)(3) at launch + Kickstarter 400% over goal at year zero
Most inaugural furcons launch as informal LLCs or unincorporated collectives and convert to nonprofit later. MAW launched its first year already organized as Western Michigan Anthropomorphic Events, Inc. (WMAE), a Michigan 501(c)(3). The March-to-April 2026 Kickstarter campaign closed having raised $12,006 from 57 backers against a $3,000 goal, finalizing at roughly 400 percent of the target. The funded structure is why the inaugural edition is already shipping with a formal Charity Ball, ConCat-platform registration, and a negotiated hotel room block rather than the shoestring launch typical of year-one furcons.
Sponsor tier bundles Formal Charity Ball admission with early Dealers Den access
The Sponsor tier ($100 Early / $110 Standard / $115 On-site) does not buy a bigger merch bag, it buys access to specific named programming. The two perks beyond a unique sponsor lanyard are admission to the Formal Charity Ball (a named recurring event tied to MAW's 501(c)(3) charity arm) and early access to the Dealers Den at floor open. This pattern, pricing a tier on named-event access rather than swag uplift, is structurally closer to Eurofurence's Black Tie Dinner or AC's premium event tickets than to typical US Sponsor ladders (which weight T-shirts, posters, and art cards). At an inaugural con, locking the Charity Ball behind the Sponsor tier from day one signals the org intends the ball to be a recurring tradition, not a one-edition launch event.
Day passes sold on-site only, never online
MAW publishes day-pass pricing (Friday $35, Saturday $45, Sunday $30) but explicitly does not sell them through the online registration portal, day passes are walk-up only at the on-site registration desk. The structural effect is that any attendee who wants to lock in a guaranteed badge must buy a full weekend pass through ConCat in advance; day-pass buyers gamble that the convention will not sell out before they arrive. Pricing the Saturday-only pass at $45 (versus the $70 standard weekend pass) also makes the math close enough that the door pricing is a fallback for locals rather than a parallel sales channel, advance weekend registration is the intended primary path.
