Biggest Little Fur Con 2018


Jae's interior decor for our hotel room.
With its first iteration having taken place in 2013, Biggest Little Fur Con is one of the conventions that was founded during the period I had taken a bit of a hiatus from being active in furry fandom. So, unlike Further Confusion, BLFC didn't hold the same mystique as that of older cons that I had grown up longing to attend. But it promised its own kind of exhilaration...

Getting to travel to Reno, Nevada, where I'd never been before...exploring the Grand Sierra Resort, the luxurious casino venue that offered such temptations as mini golfing, bowling, a buffet, and of course, slots...traveling the furthest I had ever gone for a furry event...ah yes, there was excitement in the air leading up to BLFC 2018, held from May 10th-13th.

The plans had been made somewhat last-minute. A college student at the time, I didn't think the con would fit into my schedule nor my budget, but I ended up staying in a cheaper off-site hotel with a few friends. I flew in on May 11th, a day after everyone else. I wasn't totally lonesome on my flight, though. I was seated next to a kind older woman who seemed on the verge of tears as she told me about her plans to meet with her sisters and mom in Reno. They had frequently taken the trip together in past years, and wanted to relive the memories now that their mom had overcome a serious illness.


I guess somebody was eventually able to get the Henny.
Getting off the plane, I was immediately amazed at the huge array of slot machines available throughout the airport. After taking an Uber to the hotel and getting situated, it was time for a group trip to the Walmart next to the Grand Sierra, where I enjoyed some Walmart McDonald's. We gathered our snacks and alcohol for the weekend. Or at least tried to...I stood next to the liquor cabinet trying to get Hennessy for what felt like an eternity, but the button to summon a Walmart employee was repeatedly pressed in vain, and no one ever showed up.

It was a classic group shopping trip in which it took forever to finally round everybody up from the various corners of Walmart and get the hell outta there. Eventually, I was off to register for the con and wander the Grand Sierra. Piro and Flinch suited up and I accompanied them on the outing. We were enthused to run into Proggy as we went in opposite directions on the escalators. When we reached the top, Piro somehow, through his fursuited vision, spotted some loose cash on the ground. I think it was a 20. Nice.

I was impressed by the grandeur of the hotel, with slots as far as the eye can see on the casino floor. The bar that allows indoor smoking blew my mind. We socialized our way through the crowds of fursuiters, eventually meeting up with Jovian and Ren, where we ended up enjoying a prolonged interaction with the amazing MulticolorBark fursuit Flank Hyena. It was an honor to be tormented by Flank.


Flank Hyena beheads Flinch, and we all love him for it.

The Dealer’s Den was without a doubt the most impressive I'd seen. It was huge. The middle of the room was occupied by fursuiters roaming on little tricycles and generally causing mischief. There was a separate adult section, where the Bad Dragon booth was bustling. But most impressive of all was the Rabbit Valley Comics booth, selling a wide array of vintage furry comics and zines at affordable prices. It was a dream come true to be able to buy from a vendor like that, and the booth became a regular pit stop throughout the weekend.


Did it really have to come to this?
When it came time to get some food, I was confronted by a reality I have now come to expect: how difficult it is to coordinate plans and see people at a con the size of BLFC! Plans to have a group buffet dinner somehow, confusingly became unraveled and resulted in a group Johnny Rocket's dinner without the consent of all parties involved. Oh well, worse things have happened. The overpriced chain diner food fueled us through the remainder of the night runnin' around the hotel and frolicking on the astroturf. A highlight of the evening was Proggy's ceremonial smashing of the Awesomeface sculpture he had made in high school.

Briefly breaking away from the group, I headed up to Creeps' room to meet him for the first time and give him the badge I'd drawn for him! We had known each other online since middle school and it was insane to finally see each other in person.

In the evening, friends and I headed to the pool to see Knox's dog-themed DJ set, For My Dogs. The whole scene was amazing. Knox spinning right next to the pool, which was lit by color changing LEDs. Two hot tubs on the other side. Cabanas full of fursuiters. It was the stuff of dreams and was over too soon. As the pool area closed and we were sadly forced to filter out and return to the main con space, I began to realize, to my surprise, that the party scene at BLFC just isn't quite as good as at FC. It definitely felt like there wasn't as much crazy nighttime action going down, despite the con's size.


Reading ASB while taking a shit.
The next morning, I felt like I was on the brink of death despite only light drinking and took forever to get my ass in gear. When I finally made it to the GSR, some friends and I did more Dealer’s Den shopping. I bought more vintage comics, stocking up on all the Associated Student Bodies issues available. Jovian and I attended the fursuit dance competition and found most of it to be unmemorable. I'm pretty sure we left early.

Finally, a trip to the GSR buffet was arranged! A group of us traveled to the casino floor to stuff our maws with as much grub as possible. I recall being especially impressed by the array of meats and the dessert options. Some members of the party expressed regret, but I was not among them. When we dragged our bloated bodies out the door, there was still enough time for Flinch and I to catch the tail end of a riveting edition of Taebyn's Story Time. We even received free Taebyn-themed poker chips.

There was a bit of a lull in the evening during which I enjoyed some peaceful quiet time drinking iced coffee and reading Associated Student Bodies in the resort Starbucks. While I am largely unable to remember what I did for most of the night, I do recall I stayed up insanely late and there was a group visit to the hotel diner probably around 3 or 4 AM. I’ll never forget watching Kasey order pancakes and chocolate milk, and feeling extremely endeared by that.


Taebyn's Story Time.
My earliest memory of the following day was being treated to a Mexican lunch by Flinch! Thanks, buddy. From there, it was your typical furry convention day of meeting up with, and then becoming separated from, small groups of friends. A final round of Dealer’s Den shopping was done, as well as plenty of people-watching and fursuit interaction.

I didn't fursuit a ton at this con due to staying in an off-site hotel, but Sunday was probably the day I suited the most. Ren and Jovian kindly let me store Rio in their Grand Sierra room so I could suit and de-suit with increased ease. Rio fit right in with the casino atmosphere. At one point a group of us decided to hit the mini golf course, which I was excited to do in fursuit...but tragically, as soon as we got there, it started raining and everyone elected to go back to the hotel, LOL.

That final evening at BLFC '18 was by far the most action-packed party night of the weekend. We really went out with a bang. Looking back on the night, it's just a big blur of various hotel rooms and I could not possibly begin to remember what order things happened in. Jovian and I had been tipped off about the location of the "cuddle room," a hotel suite that had been magically converted into a moodlit chill zone. I was actually blown away by the effort put into it. There were string lights everywhere, blacklights, and the entire room seemed to be completely draped in tapestries from ceiling to floor. Memory foam and blankets all over the ground, music, a fan gently circulating air through the suite...the Cuddle Room was revisited a few times throughout the evening.


Rio poses in front of the slots.
We were also invited to a suite party where the goal was for all the guests to finish off the remaining liquor in the room. I recall chilling on the couch for an extended time, drinking heavily, bonding with friends old and new until we eventually formed a big pile on the bed. I would go so far as to say I was 'sloshed' at this point. I think I reached a level of intoxication I would not even be able to achieve these days.

At some point, Jovian, who had been wearing Rio as a partial, lost one of his paws (it was recovered eventually, somehow). Hours were spent moving about the hotel with various friend groups, switching between different parties and activities, until a group of us headed to a 2 AM fursuit cuddle party. The drunken revelry surrounded by friends and beautiful fursuits was like heaven on earth. I'm not sure how long we stayed, but by the time I headed back to the hotel, it must have been the early morning hours.


Rio and Gambling Garfield taking it easy at the bar.
The next day, heading to the airport, I felt like complete death. It truly felt like my organs were struggling to keep my body alive. Airport McDonald's, medicine to me, was my only savior. Physical illness and post-con depression made for a plane ride full of sorrow and exhaustion.

All in all, I came out of BLFC feeling a bit underwhelmed. FC's party scene and more manageable size just appealed to me a little more. But the Sunday night festivities made the con completely worth it and then some, and I loved the venue, with its impressive pool area and ample gambling and over-eating opportunities. No regrets!




Incredible photos from the dance, by Ren.




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