Why Anthrocon is always in July heat

Anthrocon — the world's premier furry convention — returns to Pittsburgh this week for its 20th year. Given how hot and heavy fursuits can be, locals often wonder: Why is it always held during July heat waves?

The intrigue: Anthrocon spokesperson John Cole tells Axios the convention has always been in early July, even before it moved to Pittsburgh. And that date has been advantageous for securing availability at the David Lawrence Convention Center and Downtown hotel rooms.

He said attendees now base their summer schedules around Anthrocon, and so the date is essentially baked in at this point.

Zoom in: Anthrocon starts Thursday and runs through Sunday.

What they're saying: Cole says Anthrocon has not received complaints about the convention being in early July, and the heat has not had any impact on attendance.

More than 16,000 are expected to attend this week (near the record set last year), and Cole says a big draw is the convention's outdoor components: the block party, the river cruise and the parade.

"It just works out best for us."

State of play: A heat wave has hit Pittsburgh this week, and convention organizers are aware of its impact on attendees.

There's still no "poodling" in the parade, Cole says, but Anthrocon provides cooling stations on the short route and has capped participation so furries spend less time in the staging area.

Between the lines: Only about 20% of Anthrocon attendees wear full fursuits, says Cole.

Those who do spend time outside usually wear cooling vests or carry small fans in their suits to stay cool, he says.

The bottom line: Warm temperatures and even heat waves won't stop the furries from coming to Pittsburgh in summer.

"We call Anthrocon 'AC' and we want to crank up the AC in every way possible," Cole says.