Painted Desert Fur Con (PDFC) acts as the incredibly energetic, highly prominent "season opener" for the entire North American furry circuit! Operating out of the fantastic Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, this rapidly expanding 2,000+ attendee convention brilliantly captures the absolute best of the American Southwest, providing an incredibly warm, deeply social escape from the bitter January winters sweeping the rest of the continent.
Scheduled perfectly for the first weekend of the year (January 2-4, 2026), PDFC is leaning heavily into the eerie, sprawling folklore of the local deserts with its incredibly creative theme: "The Search for Cryptids"!
Because the Southwest is famously rich with legends of terrifying desert anomalies, this phenomenally targeted theme practically begs for insane, wildly creative costuming. PDFC attendees are actively encouraged to step outside standard anthropomorphic designs and dive deeply into monstrous aesthetics—expect the convention halls to be flooded with massive skull-dogs, towering Mothman iterations, and highly intricate Wendigo suits. This incredibly unique visual flair makes PDFC one of the most creatively stimulating conventions of the season!
Phoenix is a massive, incredibly well-connected transit hub:
PDFC fiercely prioritizes creating a deeply centralized, high-energy environment:
Historical data and growth track record
| Year | Dates | Theme | Attendance | Charity Raised | Guest(s) of Honor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2027 | Jan 1-3 | TBA | TBA | TBA | None Announced |
2026 | Jan 2-4 | The Search for Cryptids | 2,064 | $7,600.00(Crystal's Critter Haven) | Simple Nick's |
2025 | Jan 3-5 | Camping in the Canyon | 1,412 | $10,315(Crystal's Critter Haven) | Tepiddreamer Studios, Melissa Mendelson |
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