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ScotiaCon 2016 report!
9 years ago
General
ScotiaCon was once again a fantastic experience this year, made even better by having the whole family along to a con for the first time. I can't express enough gratitude to the con staff and everyone involved for making it such a great time. I'm already eagerly looking forward to next year. These things never last long enough.
Azakir did a panel on fiction writing that was really great and well attended, Guest of Honour 
Booshie did a fun panel involving life drawing of fursuiters (complete with strategically placed fruit), and 
Danza's panel sharing some of the offensive/hilarious/bizarre notes you get as a well-known adult artist in the fandom had people in stitches. The new 'Barking Blanks' game show was a little rough around the edges but a lot of wacky good fun. I acquired a couple new badges and goodies to keep the memories alive. I was also better about prodding myself to go hug fursuits this year, with perhaps my favourite being the absolutely adorable FixyFox. Holy crap, both the design and the performance just melted your face. I smiled and squeed every time I saw her I think. It was also fun bumping into Ras-B Raccoon whom I'd previously met at a London meet, where he rifled through my pockets for food or something. And stuffed a bright yellow handpaw pad in my face during a photo. Memorable stuff. ^^
A few small disappointments; there never ended up being any dancing at all to speak of, which was a bit sad after what a special thing it was last year. Our room sign got oddly and temporarily burgled but was found later the next morning on a ceiling rafter down the hall. Karaoke didn't have quite the same gentle and safe atmosphere as last year, at least until it had gotten quite late and the young rowdy folk who were kind of dominating things moved on to their room party. The final night 'dead dog' event was just a general hangout with several people playing Quiplash, which was still a lot of fun and many laughs, but felt a bit anticlimactic compared to last year's tear-filled dancing our hearts out arm-in-arm to 'Over the Hills and Far Away.' Nonetheless there were some final emotional fursuit hugs and a glass of Talisker at the bar before bed.
The relatively small size of ScotiaCon is one of its strengths. It feels warm and intimate and mellow and safe, and the panels and events had a really nice diversity this year while still being spaced out enough that it was feasible to attend just about everything. I'm eager for us to be able to attend larger and other cons too, but I think ScotiaCon is always going to be the one that really feels like home. Thanks again everyone who made it possible. You're all amazing and I can't wait to see you next year!
I didn't take a massive amount of photos since I'm always more focused on having the experience, and the ones I did take tended to struggle with the lighting conditions and all, but what ones I did take (mostly fursuits) are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/doran.....57671344818796
Azakir did a panel on fiction writing that was really great and well attended, Guest of Honour 
Booshie did a fun panel involving life drawing of fursuiters (complete with strategically placed fruit), and 
Danza's panel sharing some of the offensive/hilarious/bizarre notes you get as a well-known adult artist in the fandom had people in stitches. The new 'Barking Blanks' game show was a little rough around the edges but a lot of wacky good fun. I acquired a couple new badges and goodies to keep the memories alive. I was also better about prodding myself to go hug fursuits this year, with perhaps my favourite being the absolutely adorable FixyFox. Holy crap, both the design and the performance just melted your face. I smiled and squeed every time I saw her I think. It was also fun bumping into Ras-B Raccoon whom I'd previously met at a London meet, where he rifled through my pockets for food or something. And stuffed a bright yellow handpaw pad in my face during a photo. Memorable stuff. ^^A few small disappointments; there never ended up being any dancing at all to speak of, which was a bit sad after what a special thing it was last year. Our room sign got oddly and temporarily burgled but was found later the next morning on a ceiling rafter down the hall. Karaoke didn't have quite the same gentle and safe atmosphere as last year, at least until it had gotten quite late and the young rowdy folk who were kind of dominating things moved on to their room party. The final night 'dead dog' event was just a general hangout with several people playing Quiplash, which was still a lot of fun and many laughs, but felt a bit anticlimactic compared to last year's tear-filled dancing our hearts out arm-in-arm to 'Over the Hills and Far Away.' Nonetheless there were some final emotional fursuit hugs and a glass of Talisker at the bar before bed.
The relatively small size of ScotiaCon is one of its strengths. It feels warm and intimate and mellow and safe, and the panels and events had a really nice diversity this year while still being spaced out enough that it was feasible to attend just about everything. I'm eager for us to be able to attend larger and other cons too, but I think ScotiaCon is always going to be the one that really feels like home. Thanks again everyone who made it possible. You're all amazing and I can't wait to see you next year!
I didn't take a massive amount of photos since I'm always more focused on having the experience, and the ones I did take tended to struggle with the lighting conditions and all, but what ones I did take (mostly fursuits) are available here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/doran.....57671344818796
What, there was no dancing?? o.o And.... okay dubious nice saving of the door sign... on the ceiling?
Hey... it mighta been anticlicatic--climatic-- kinda a deflation compared to last year, UNfortunately, I must confess my experience is the same. There is nothing like your first time. Sorry to say. But, glad you found your home, your home-con. AC is huge now and stuff but it's still my home-con. Good things to hear, good con report. I like that you felt SAFE in it. :)
In other news, happy birthday... I just wish it could be happy, or under better circumstances. *hugs*
Yeah, the lack of dancing was odd! For whatever reason they didn't have a Friday night dance this year, Saturday night had the game show event, and Sunday would have had the final dance but in the end they decided not to due to usually having really low numbers, and it means the staff have to stay there to man the tech desk and supervise and all... I think being such a small con, you can't really guarantee that you'll have enough numbers to support a dance especially on the final night. At a larger con it would be less of an issue. So I fully understand, but it was a little sad. You had some people dancing during the karaoke on Saturday night, but it isn't quite the same. Just a little sad. Especially if I were a fursuiter I think it would have made me even more disappointed, since I can imagine that suiting and dancing would both go together as very liberating and fun experiences.
Yeah, some of it was the way the con ended differently but also it's very true that nothing is ever gonna feel quite as shiny as the first time. So there's some of that certainly. And yeah, that sense of just being 'safe' is such a special thing about ScotiaCon.
Thanks for the happy birthdays hon. :) Yeah, things are kinda subdued here, but I'm trying to use BERFDAY MAGICS to power through some of the headspace and pep myself up a little. *squeezes tight*