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Painted Desert Fur Con (PDFC) 2027 is scheduled for Jan 1-3, 2027 in Phoenix, United States.
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From attendees
Phoenix is a well-connected transit hub:
PDFC prioritizes a centralized convention environment:
A year-by-year record of this convention
Open an edition to see the details that belong to that year.
At a glance
Compare dates, themes, attendance, charity, and guests across the record.
See how this convention grew over time.
2027
Jan 1-3
2026
Jan 2-4
Theme
The Search for Cryptids
2025
Jan 3-5
Theme
Camping in the Canyon
Want more context? Compare this convention against other furry events or browse the attendance rankings.
PDFC 2025 saw strong growth with 1,412 attendees in Phoenix. The convention raised over $10,000 for Crystal's Critter Haven.
From the blog
ConsNorth American Furry Conventions 2026: Complete CalendarAnthrocon (18K), MFF (17K), FWA (17K), and 17 more must-attend furry conventions in the US and Canada for 2026. Dates, attendance, prices, and travel tips.20 min read
GuidesWinter Furry Convention Guide: Cold-Weather Travel & Fursuiting TipsCold-weather fursuiting tips for winter furry conventions: flight disruption, packing checklists, battery care in freezing temps, salt protection.8 min readBrowse our complete calendar with dates, locations, and details for every upcoming furry convention.
View Full CalendarAttending Painted Desert Fur Con? Check out our guides:
Also in the Southwest:
The 6-2-1 rule, post-con depression, and everything else first-timers need to know.
Real costs for badges, hotels, food, and dealers den across three budget tiers.
All major 2026 events in the USA and Canada with dates and travel tips.
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3 quirks & policies that don't fit the highlights grid.
One of four cons in the AEI federation
Painted Desert Fur Con is run by Anthro Events Inc (AEI), a Colorado 501(c)(3) that also operates Golden State Fur Con, DenFur, and AquatiFur. All four run the same Weekend/Sponsor/Patron tier ladder and the same rules and FAQ structure. Practically, an attendee who learns the PDFC registration flow can transfer that muscle memory directly to the other three AEI cons, same tier names, same escalation bumps, same policies.
Ownership transferred mid-2022, venue followed
PDFC launched at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in February 2019 ("Gold Rush", 1,135 attendees) under a different organisation. AEI took over in mid-2022 and relocated the convention permanently to the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown, the venue it has used every January since. The legacy organiser's NYE-spanning date format carried through one more edition (Dec 30, 2022, Jan 1, 2023, "The Island", 1,047 attendees) before settling into the current early-January slot. Distinct from outgrowth moves: this was a clean operational handoff, not a capacity forcing function.
NYE Party / Dance Only pass, no main floor
Sitting alongside the standard Weekend ($60 → $95 escalation), Sponsor ($125 → $350), and Patron ($225 → $350) tiers, PDFC sells a New Year's Eve Party / Dance Only pass that buys access to the NYE party plus Friday and Saturday dances, but explicitly NOT the Dealers Den, panels, or any other convention floor area. It's a rare US furcon SKU: most cons gate every evening event behind a full or day badge. The pass maps to PDFC's calendar slot, the convention straddles the holiday week, so the NYE dance is a genuine destination event for Phoenix-area furs who don't want a full weekend commitment.
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