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FurBQ SATURDAY Sept 28th Irvine Regionl Park
General | Posted 6 years agoFurBQ SATURDAY Sept 28th Irvine Regionl Park
General | Posted 6 years agoLong Overdue Post About Furbee-cuuueee!!
General | Posted 6 years agoFirst, a bit of post-FurBQ 2018 update. Really, I think our reaction can best be described as "pleasantly knocked over with a feather", on just how many different kinds of energy filled our event with love and encouraged positive experience.
The event was an even larger turnout, due to all the furs that came in from out of town to support Dogbomb. We knew there was going to be a small group for the morning, as many of you were walking it out for ALS research. We were prepared for this and, when the ALS walk was over, Stego (and Leo Tsubasa) had quite the work ahead. We were only sorry that we didnt see The Dogbomb Himself, but good dogs need to rest their paws.
By early afternoon, our usual population numbers returned, and we hit that peak time. People created groupings of blankets and folding chairs, creating social areas all along the grassy area by the wall. Furries burst out into ecstatic dance in the California sunshine. Thanks to the San Diego Furries, we hit the largest "fursuit lounge" yet, and it was so spacious even with all the fursuiters that join us. Chance the Dragon, Ceasie and other San Diego furries were happy to help keep people hydrated. You really made it that much easier for people to fursuit. Soon it was time to take the group photo. Without warning, Stego and I found ourselves pulled into the group photo. Suddenly, we were surrounded by all the fluffy good energy, even if it was an unexpected thing (oh, Chance... you are such a persuasive dragon).
Our November contingency plan did afford some cool weather. We were happy that the bees did not return. There was a decent amount of cleanup ahead of us, and the earlier park closure presented a challenge. Also, we did have more possessions left behind, that left us scrambling for room when we packed out. Thanks to Janala Blackspire, Brum Da Bronze, Kirimi Blackspire, Chance, and Howlie for being able to stick around and help us. We really wanted to get that lawn area extra clean.
Special Thanks to..
* Leo Tsubasa for taking up the extra grilling area and helping with all the furs that came in around 1 or 2, hungry as heck.
* Ubervoop for giving us a generous sized cooler to use for the event. We will work on getting this back to you. Also, this is the man responsible for those awesome buttons, gifts, and stickers celebrating our 20th year. You do not know how many smiles you created, and providing some memorable keepsakes. Oh, and the piñata! So many furries took a whack at this one.
* Chance (our fursuit photo wrangling dragon)
* Ahki for bringing your coffee set-up. Breakfast food, coffee and tea have become a regular thing for us early risers.
* Ceasie and all the San Diego furs who made this so awesome (I know I forgot so many of the names that should be on this line)
* Seppo Kun, Ryker Husky[/b] and Blue Hasia for taking so many wonderfully composed photos of this event
Looking forward, its time to plan for this event all over again. These last few weeks, we were able to check into fall dates.
SoCal FurBQ 2019 will take place on Saturday, September 28th
This will be our 21st annual event, and will be back on the Summer hours. Our event is for furries of all kinds, and their fans. In the next months, we will be working on planning and gathering resources to see if we cant make this another memorable one!
The event was an even larger turnout, due to all the furs that came in from out of town to support Dogbomb. We knew there was going to be a small group for the morning, as many of you were walking it out for ALS research. We were prepared for this and, when the ALS walk was over, Stego (and Leo Tsubasa) had quite the work ahead. We were only sorry that we didnt see The Dogbomb Himself, but good dogs need to rest their paws.
By early afternoon, our usual population numbers returned, and we hit that peak time. People created groupings of blankets and folding chairs, creating social areas all along the grassy area by the wall. Furries burst out into ecstatic dance in the California sunshine. Thanks to the San Diego Furries, we hit the largest "fursuit lounge" yet, and it was so spacious even with all the fursuiters that join us. Chance the Dragon, Ceasie and other San Diego furries were happy to help keep people hydrated. You really made it that much easier for people to fursuit. Soon it was time to take the group photo. Without warning, Stego and I found ourselves pulled into the group photo. Suddenly, we were surrounded by all the fluffy good energy, even if it was an unexpected thing (oh, Chance... you are such a persuasive dragon).
Our November contingency plan did afford some cool weather. We were happy that the bees did not return. There was a decent amount of cleanup ahead of us, and the earlier park closure presented a challenge. Also, we did have more possessions left behind, that left us scrambling for room when we packed out. Thanks to Janala Blackspire, Brum Da Bronze, Kirimi Blackspire, Chance, and Howlie for being able to stick around and help us. We really wanted to get that lawn area extra clean.
Special Thanks to..
* Leo Tsubasa for taking up the extra grilling area and helping with all the furs that came in around 1 or 2, hungry as heck.
* Ubervoop for giving us a generous sized cooler to use for the event. We will work on getting this back to you. Also, this is the man responsible for those awesome buttons, gifts, and stickers celebrating our 20th year. You do not know how many smiles you created, and providing some memorable keepsakes. Oh, and the piñata! So many furries took a whack at this one.
* Chance (our fursuit photo wrangling dragon)
* Ahki for bringing your coffee set-up. Breakfast food, coffee and tea have become a regular thing for us early risers.
* Ceasie and all the San Diego furs who made this so awesome (I know I forgot so many of the names that should be on this line)
* Seppo Kun, Ryker Husky[/b] and Blue Hasia for taking so many wonderfully composed photos of this event
Looking forward, its time to plan for this event all over again. These last few weeks, we were able to check into fall dates.
SoCal FurBQ 2019 will take place on Saturday, September 28th
This will be our 21st annual event, and will be back on the Summer hours. Our event is for furries of all kinds, and their fans. In the next months, we will be working on planning and gathering resources to see if we cant make this another memorable one!
The Plotting for Our 20th Year Has Begun!
General | Posted 7 years agoRolling through March, we have stayed behind the scenes making sure we really consider what we plan for this year's annual FurBQ. Without further ado, we can now say that we have secured our spot.
SoCal Furs' 20th annual FurBQ is happening this Fall, on Saturday November 10th. We will have plenty of time to bust out some picnic supplies. The FurBQ is a long standing tradition and we will return to our green and shady spot within Irvine Regional Park
Please go to the full Event Calendar Posting for a full rundown of information: http://socalfurs.com/event/socal-furbq-2018/
Finding a date was challenging this year, as the Canyon Fire took out one of the four Reserved picnic areas. This created heavy competition for the remaining three reserved spaces. The November slot we chose was the only one available After the Pumpkin Patch festival: The alternative would have been too early in September (the week after Labor Day), which would have made it a true FurBQ (All those overheated fursuiters and costumers). Our Past Fall FurBQs, held on Nov 16th 2013 and Nov 14 2015, both fared well with the cooler weather and were enjoyed by everyone despite the shorter park time.
In the next 6 months, we have some ideas and plans. We will keep you informed with our social media network of sites. Overall, we have been wanting to do something special for our community. With this being our 20th year, its destined that we should have something to commemorate all these awesome memories.
SoCal Furs' 20th annual FurBQ is happening this Fall, on Saturday November 10th. We will have plenty of time to bust out some picnic supplies. The FurBQ is a long standing tradition and we will return to our green and shady spot within Irvine Regional Park
Please go to the full Event Calendar Posting for a full rundown of information: http://socalfurs.com/event/socal-furbq-2018/
Finding a date was challenging this year, as the Canyon Fire took out one of the four Reserved picnic areas. This created heavy competition for the remaining three reserved spaces. The November slot we chose was the only one available After the Pumpkin Patch festival: The alternative would have been too early in September (the week after Labor Day), which would have made it a true FurBQ (All those overheated fursuiters and costumers). Our Past Fall FurBQs, held on Nov 16th 2013 and Nov 14 2015, both fared well with the cooler weather and were enjoyed by everyone despite the shorter park time.
In the next 6 months, we have some ideas and plans. We will keep you informed with our social media network of sites. Overall, we have been wanting to do something special for our community. With this being our 20th year, its destined that we should have something to commemorate all these awesome memories.
Changing Clocks and Gears (Community Feedback)
General | Posted 7 years agoCan it finally be "Spring" yet? While recent SoCal weather has yet to decide, we look at March as when things start to happen. Well, we can only speak for ourselves when we say that. Really, for the Southern California area, this is a year round thing. ;)
Looking on recent weeks, I can say that events are picking up again. From photoshoot meets in Ventura and Santa Barbara, pockets of small monthly meets, to casual park meets in Pasadena and Orange County ... the mix of event types has been nice. Admittedly, we did post some meets that ...well... we arent sure how they went. We try and keep in contact with organizers, especially for the new events, but sometimes we get no answer. No matter how you communicate best, our contact form is always open.
Special thanks to Anpu42 who helps keep Meetup.com cooking and assists in finding more great events to add all around. Special thanks to Axel and Leo Tsubasa for helping with upkeep on our Facebook Page.
While SoCal Furs continues to be a side thing for our admins, there is still much that we think this site can do for our community. We have enjoyed the interactive nature of most furries in SoCal. That is partly why there is a list (albeit not completed) of things we would like add on.
» More Photo Posting - While many of our members have websites and photos of our own, SoCal Furs was always designed as a space for people to post random photos from meets that they attended or organized. This area of our website (and crossposting to our Network) can use some additions, and at a faster rate.
» Artist Connection/Directory This is probably the thing I have been wistfully discussing most often. Just like SoCalFurs.com is intended to be a central place for all content (since social sites under our Network are always subject to change), we would like to extend that centralization to the creatives' portion of fandom. This is gonna be a project in itself and so I am rolling around many concepts an aspects for the needs it could fulfill.
» Increasing our Telegram Chat and its use. As the circle of light gets larger, so does the shadow around it. Im thankful for my other moderator but the lack of more moderation help is what makes our chat one of those "message us for the link" scenarios
» New Artwork and Graphics. We havent had any new art of our mascots, or anything we can use for some future flyers, banners. Id like to make a new theme for SoCalFurs.com eventually and some awesome graphics and event photos would be ideal. The FurBQ is also coming up and, once we have things more planned, this effort would extend to doing something special (I got ideas!).
However, growth is one of those things that only sometimes comes easy. Between just Stego and I, that is pretty much what comprises our "staff". So, alot of the things listed above are things I can only brainstorm and talk about. To actually do it, its kind of something Id like to bring people together on.
Would this be something Southern California furries would be interested in? Id love to hear from other people, get discussion going outside of my own head (and copious amounts of Post-Its) ;)
Looking on recent weeks, I can say that events are picking up again. From photoshoot meets in Ventura and Santa Barbara, pockets of small monthly meets, to casual park meets in Pasadena and Orange County ... the mix of event types has been nice. Admittedly, we did post some meets that ...well... we arent sure how they went. We try and keep in contact with organizers, especially for the new events, but sometimes we get no answer. No matter how you communicate best, our contact form is always open.
Special thanks to Anpu42 who helps keep Meetup.com cooking and assists in finding more great events to add all around. Special thanks to Axel and Leo Tsubasa for helping with upkeep on our Facebook Page.
While SoCal Furs continues to be a side thing for our admins, there is still much that we think this site can do for our community. We have enjoyed the interactive nature of most furries in SoCal. That is partly why there is a list (albeit not completed) of things we would like add on.
» More Photo Posting - While many of our members have websites and photos of our own, SoCal Furs was always designed as a space for people to post random photos from meets that they attended or organized. This area of our website (and crossposting to our Network) can use some additions, and at a faster rate.
» Artist Connection/Directory This is probably the thing I have been wistfully discussing most often. Just like SoCalFurs.com is intended to be a central place for all content (since social sites under our Network are always subject to change), we would like to extend that centralization to the creatives' portion of fandom. This is gonna be a project in itself and so I am rolling around many concepts an aspects for the needs it could fulfill.
» Increasing our Telegram Chat and its use. As the circle of light gets larger, so does the shadow around it. Im thankful for my other moderator but the lack of more moderation help is what makes our chat one of those "message us for the link" scenarios
» New Artwork and Graphics. We havent had any new art of our mascots, or anything we can use for some future flyers, banners. Id like to make a new theme for SoCalFurs.com eventually and some awesome graphics and event photos would be ideal. The FurBQ is also coming up and, once we have things more planned, this effort would extend to doing something special (I got ideas!).
However, growth is one of those things that only sometimes comes easy. Between just Stego and I, that is pretty much what comprises our "staff". So, alot of the things listed above are things I can only brainstorm and talk about. To actually do it, its kind of something Id like to bring people together on.
Would this be something Southern California furries would be interested in? Id love to hear from other people, get discussion going outside of my own head (and copious amounts of Post-Its) ;)
December is Here.. Time To Chill
General | Posted 8 years agoThe first bits of the Santa Ana winds are licking at our mountaintop, and that reminds us admins that it is Winter Time. Last weekend, the holiday season kicked off with a celebration of lights. Furry event organizers from all over SoCal have more in store for you during the coldest months, and sometimes giving you the opportunity for celebrating the holidays.
Link to Map: http://socalfurs.com/wp-content/upl.....s-web-rev1.jpg
* Saturday, December 9th: Holiday Furmeet[/b](Orange County)
Gather in the park for a holiday gathering in the park. Share fun, food and maybe a game of frisbee. This event is pretty close to where Group Area 3 (home of the FurBQ!) is, so just make sure to keep going along the road.
* December 9th & 16th: Fursuit Photoshoot (Santa Barbara County)
Out with pumpkin patches... in with the Christmas Tree farm. Blue Hasia has found a great spot for some holiday photo hijinks.
* Saturday, December 9th: Prancing Skiltaire (Orange County)
Holiday fun at the original furry party house. The house is packed with furry but there is always room for more during the holidays. The annual gift exchange will begin around 9pm.
* Sunday, December 10th: Ontario Fur Christmas Meet (San Bernardino County)
This is a holiday potluck so be sure to bring a tasty dish. Possible Secret Santa or gift exchange, so contact Necropsy if you are thinking about some gifting folly
* December 16th and 30th: Redlands Furmeet (San Bernardino County)
The regular Redlands Furmeet is getting a bit of holiday spirit. Our casual meets for December are about gathering for some holiday joy.
* December 23rd: OC Fur Meet "Seasons Greetings" (Orange County)
There may not be snow on the ground, but there is plenty of holiday cheer. This monthly meet will be breaking out for the holidays with food and activities at the park. Gift exchange so please bring something to get in on the fun.
* January 19th through 21st: Big Bear Ski Weekend (San Bernardino County)
For all of you snowbirds (whether you have a bird fursona or just like the snow), get in on this. They will be staying at one the resorts (to be announced), so get in touch with the organizer to book your lodgings close-by.
Link to Map: http://socalfurs.com/wp-content/upl.....s-web-rev1.jpg
* Saturday, December 9th: Holiday Furmeet[/b](Orange County)
Gather in the park for a holiday gathering in the park. Share fun, food and maybe a game of frisbee. This event is pretty close to where Group Area 3 (home of the FurBQ!) is, so just make sure to keep going along the road.
* December 9th & 16th: Fursuit Photoshoot (Santa Barbara County)
Out with pumpkin patches... in with the Christmas Tree farm. Blue Hasia has found a great spot for some holiday photo hijinks.
* Saturday, December 9th: Prancing Skiltaire (Orange County)
Holiday fun at the original furry party house. The house is packed with furry but there is always room for more during the holidays. The annual gift exchange will begin around 9pm.
* Sunday, December 10th: Ontario Fur Christmas Meet (San Bernardino County)
This is a holiday potluck so be sure to bring a tasty dish. Possible Secret Santa or gift exchange, so contact Necropsy if you are thinking about some gifting folly
* December 16th and 30th: Redlands Furmeet (San Bernardino County)
The regular Redlands Furmeet is getting a bit of holiday spirit. Our casual meets for December are about gathering for some holiday joy.
* December 23rd: OC Fur Meet "Seasons Greetings" (Orange County)
There may not be snow on the ground, but there is plenty of holiday cheer. This monthly meet will be breaking out for the holidays with food and activities at the park. Gift exchange so please bring something to get in on the fun.
* January 19th through 21st: Big Bear Ski Weekend (San Bernardino County)
For all of you snowbirds (whether you have a bird fursona or just like the snow), get in on this. They will be staying at one the resorts (to be announced), so get in touch with the organizer to book your lodgings close-by.
Spoopy Hijinks for Halloween 2017 (Highlights Post)
General | Posted 8 years agoThe signs of fall are here but I admit it kind of snuck up on me. Really, October waits for no one. Among restoration of our event galleries, we also had a good helping of new events to add to our calendar. Within that mix, there were more than just a couple events geared towards Halloween folly...
Link to Map: http://socalfurs.com/wp-content/upl.....2017_web-3.jpg
In summary:
* October 14th: Pumpkin Patch Fursuit Photoshoot (Santa Barbara County)
More than a couple suiters showed up for last weekend's event and Blue Hasia is ready to do it all over again. Brush up your suit, pack the car and get ready to frolic in the corn maze!
* October 28th: OC Fur Meet (Orange County)
The monthly meet for Orange County encourages a Halloween spirit. Come frolic with the OC Furs and make costumed mischief in the park!
* October 28th: Riverside Ghost Walk (Riverside County)
Follow the bouncy tail of a lion, and he will lead you on a night of frolicing in Downtown Riverside. People come to the nearby Mission Inn for the ghost tour and there will be nightlife to terrorize with cute fluffiness.
* October 31st: Halloween Spooktacular Festival Fur Walk (Los Angeles County)
Family friendly trick or treating event in the Montrose Shopping Park. Fursuits are encouraged (but please keep props and costumes to PG13 rating) to come out trick-or-treating. Free to attend (but you will get hungry). Make sure to bring water for braving the crowds.
Link to Map: http://socalfurs.com/wp-content/upl.....2017_web-3.jpg
In summary:
* October 14th: Pumpkin Patch Fursuit Photoshoot (Santa Barbara County)
More than a couple suiters showed up for last weekend's event and Blue Hasia is ready to do it all over again. Brush up your suit, pack the car and get ready to frolic in the corn maze!
* October 28th: OC Fur Meet (Orange County)
The monthly meet for Orange County encourages a Halloween spirit. Come frolic with the OC Furs and make costumed mischief in the park!
* October 28th: Riverside Ghost Walk (Riverside County)
Follow the bouncy tail of a lion, and he will lead you on a night of frolicing in Downtown Riverside. People come to the nearby Mission Inn for the ghost tour and there will be nightlife to terrorize with cute fluffiness.
* October 31st: Halloween Spooktacular Festival Fur Walk (Los Angeles County)
Family friendly trick or treating event in the Montrose Shopping Park. Fursuits are encouraged (but please keep props and costumes to PG13 rating) to come out trick-or-treating. Free to attend (but you will get hungry). Make sure to bring water for braving the crowds.
Fuzzy Frolic with SoCal FurBQ 2017
General | Posted 8 years agoSometimes when you find something that is so much fun…. you just gotta bring a friend (or two… or three…). The sheer experience of organizing something this big for this many people is astounding. With a few breaths taken, we have our post-FurBQ report..
http://socalfurs.com/fuzzy-frolic-w.....al-furbq-2017/ (detailed report with pictures and more!)
As we neared our 9pm "clear out" deadline, we did find a few odds and ends left that didn't look like stuff meant to be trashed. So, we have put up a Lost and Found Gallery. Check it out if you have something missing. We got quite the mix.
There are some awesome photographers at our event, so here is a rundown of the photo galleries which have gone up about the event:
* Chatah Spots' Gallery
* LostWolf321's FurBQ Gallery
* Ashland Puppy's FurBQ 2017 Album
* Seppo Kun's FurBQ Gallery
* SouthKitsune's Gallery
* Kureno's Gallery
With all the camera fiends in attendance, video was inevitable. Enjoy the highlights, filmed by members of our community.
https://youtu.be/G6UXANKovso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKr_iX-rS8
....and a comphrehensive highlights video:
https://vimeo.com/235497179
http://socalfurs.com/fuzzy-frolic-w.....al-furbq-2017/ (detailed report with pictures and more!)
As we neared our 9pm "clear out" deadline, we did find a few odds and ends left that didn't look like stuff meant to be trashed. So, we have put up a Lost and Found Gallery. Check it out if you have something missing. We got quite the mix.
There are some awesome photographers at our event, so here is a rundown of the photo galleries which have gone up about the event:
* Chatah Spots' Gallery
* LostWolf321's FurBQ Gallery
* Ashland Puppy's FurBQ 2017 Album
* Seppo Kun's FurBQ Gallery
* SouthKitsune's Gallery
* Kureno's Gallery
With all the camera fiends in attendance, video was inevitable. Enjoy the highlights, filmed by members of our community.
https://youtu.be/G6UXANKovso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKr_iX-rS8
....and a comphrehensive highlights video:
https://vimeo.com/235497179
Prep-Prep-Prepping: We Have An Update
General | Posted 8 years agoLabor Day has given way for rainstorms (yes… in August) and it has drawn us inside. While we have been cooped up, we have begun the annual “crunch time for FurBQ”. Stego and Kat have been looking over supplies, making lists and otherwise keeping track of all that awaits us in 3 weeks. We got the reservation, and a budget for meat (and starter items for our early crowd), and we are almost ready to go
… however, we have decided to do some rearranging of our space within our rented group area (Group Area 3). Please look at our updated calendar entry, which gives all information about our event and includes info about our FREE grilling areas for those that like to get proactive about cooking good food.
Regarding other events, we have been checking in with organizers and our September and October months have gotten some returning events, as well as some modifications. Please check out the calendar to see all the updates.
****
As a further side note, we will be working on some more things after FurBQ (sadly our site/social maintenance staff is just down to Kat). Within the last week or two, we were able to get our Facebook page into our possession. Thankful to some furs with a powerful voice to help solve this without relying on FB admins.) Kat also is working to restore more of our website (mostly the artwork and event galleries took the big hit).
In a nutshell, with some of those fixes, we are hoping to pull in more on local artists (regardless of medium) on something that will further bring in that local flavor. Given the variety of artists (and the variety of content ratings), Kat has been taking some notes.
… however, we have decided to do some rearranging of our space within our rented group area (Group Area 3). Please look at our updated calendar entry, which gives all information about our event and includes info about our FREE grilling areas for those that like to get proactive about cooking good food.
Regarding other events, we have been checking in with organizers and our September and October months have gotten some returning events, as well as some modifications. Please check out the calendar to see all the updates.
****
As a further side note, we will be working on some more things after FurBQ (sadly our site/social maintenance staff is just down to Kat). Within the last week or two, we were able to get our Facebook page into our possession. Thankful to some furs with a powerful voice to help solve this without relying on FB admins.) Kat also is working to restore more of our website (mostly the artwork and event galleries took the big hit).
In a nutshell, with some of those fixes, we are hoping to pull in more on local artists (regardless of medium) on something that will further bring in that local flavor. Given the variety of artists (and the variety of content ratings), Kat has been taking some notes.
SoCal Furs Annual FurBQ: Its A Date! (Sep 23rd)
General | Posted 9 years agoMarch has come and we find ourselves with this long awaited piece of news concerning our annual event. While all that wonky webpage stuff was happening, Stego and Kat have been checking into whats possible for FurBQ 2017. As many know, FurBQ traditionally happened in the spring months. However, with the added necessity of using a reserved group area (due to our crowd size) and the changing of some local events, its become necessary to place our annual FurBQ event in the fall.
Last year’s date of September 17th really worked well for us, with that week being just when the weather starts to get comfortable (especially for the fursuiters). However, from talking with the park rangers and Reservations, we learned that October is entirely blocked out due to the parking situation created from Irvine Regional Park’s annual pumpkin patch event.
So, with all that is possible, we have put in our reservation request. The $300 fee has been paid,and we are ready to roll. I can say that with advanced planning (from choosing to do this in the fall only), we will have more time to work on the event and make improvements. Feel free to view the vent posting on our calendar and make your plans now.
Last year’s date of September 17th really worked well for us, with that week being just when the weather starts to get comfortable (especially for the fursuiters). However, from talking with the park rangers and Reservations, we learned that October is entirely blocked out due to the parking situation created from Irvine Regional Park’s annual pumpkin patch event.
So, with all that is possible, we have put in our reservation request. The $300 fee has been paid,and we are ready to roll. I can say that with advanced planning (from choosing to do this in the fall only), we will have more time to work on the event and make improvements. Feel free to view the vent posting on our calendar and make your plans now.
Socal Furs (.com) Returns!
General | Posted 9 years agoWelcome back everyone! Feel like its been a while since I updated, but many of you might know why. SoCal Furs (.com) suffered a bit of a loss to its database structure, and we found that we needed to take the site down and re-group. Consider what you see now our new(or new-ish) website. Apologies for everyone (who does not use Meetup) who had to access our calendar there for this past week.
The calendar has been updated, giving you an idea of what is coming up in March and April. Most other info is back up, but we are still waiting on contact from the subregion groups we had listed on our map. If you are one of these people, by all means, contact us....
Improved aesthetics will come soon, as we could definitely use an aesthetic tune up (and maybe new header images featuring both of our mascots). Just hang tight....
The calendar has been updated, giving you an idea of what is coming up in March and April. Most other info is back up, but we are still waiting on contact from the subregion groups we had listed on our map. If you are one of these people, by all means, contact us....
Improved aesthetics will come soon, as we could definitely use an aesthetic tune up (and maybe new header images featuring both of our mascots). Just hang tight....
About FurBQ 2017... (Clarification)
General | Posted 9 years agoIt would appear that there is a Facebook page that has posted an event for Spring. While SoCal Furs encourages all sorts of events (esp great events in our wonderful local regional parks), we feel that we need to make people aware that such a spring event is not being held by us even though they seem to be associating with the name “SoCal Furs”. We can see how the use of this Facebook page, with our name and artwork, may cause confusion for people who have been patiently waiting for info concerning the annual FurBQ*
If you have visited our website in the last week, we apologize for the sparse webpage. Our ETA for getting all our great events and website back up is in the beginning of March.
Feel free to visit the "https://www.meetup.com/SoCalFurs/events/" in the meantime...
* We have attempted to address the Facebook page itself (as it is using artwork and characters that belong to us) but they have not helped us in this regard.
If you have visited our website in the last week, we apologize for the sparse webpage. Our ETA for getting all our great events and website back up is in the beginning of March.
Feel free to visit the "https://www.meetup.com/SoCalFurs/events/" in the meantime...
* We have attempted to address the Facebook page itself (as it is using artwork and characters that belong to us) but they have not helped us in this regard.
Call for the Holidaze....
General | Posted 9 years agoIts the week of Thanksgiving and plans are afoot for many of us as far as visiting those we call "family" for the holidays. While we do have some annual events for this time of year, we'd like to see our calendar with more events like this.
Know of a meet that is coming up? Is it public (vs invite-only)? Let us know
http://www.socalfurs.com/calendar/submit-an-event/
Know of a meet that is coming up? Is it public (vs invite-only)? Let us know
http://www.socalfurs.com/calendar/submit-an-event/
Clearing Obstacles, Making Way For Fall Fun (Plus FurBQ)
General | Posted 9 years agoHey guys. Kat here finally breaking the silence and wanting to present a long-overdue update on our FurBQ event. While it has been many weeks since our event, there was alot of other activity that surrounded our local community in the weeks after, and so we know that some of the information we wanted to present got buried under all of that.
http://www.socalfurs.com/socal-furs.....rs-of-fun-fur/ (this also contains Lost and Found info, so please make sure you check the links on that page out)
***
For those who are looking to plan Halloween, we got a few additions to our our calendar . Mainly we are looking at a house party and a few smaller get togethers.
If you are part of a furry friendly Halloween event in the Southern California area, by all means submit it and we can add this to our site (and Meetup.com calendar).
http://www.socalfurs.com/socal-furs.....rs-of-fun-fur/ (this also contains Lost and Found info, so please make sure you check the links on that page out)
***
For those who are looking to plan Halloween, we got a few additions to our our calendar . Mainly we are looking at a house party and a few smaller get togethers.
If you are part of a furry friendly Halloween event in the Southern California area, by all means submit it and we can add this to our site (and Meetup.com calendar).
SoCalFurs - 18th Annual FurBQ
General | Posted 9 years agoHey there.... sorry for some extreme silence. Admittedly, 
stegosaurus and I have been caught up with work and also working to bring some developments in the next months. However, the one thing that has been on our minds for the last few weeks is our upcoming annual event. This is our traditional event, to show our love for the local community and its diversity.
Here are words from our the plated one, stegosaurus
Yup! We are crazy enough to try this whole thing again. With the summer nearing its end, we find ourselves with just a month to go before our second attempt for the 18th Annual FurBQ, Saturday September 17th.....
SoCal FurBQ 2016.... Take Two!
With the cancellation of our event at Irvine Regional Park this past May, we were granted a rescheduled reservation for our new area. We are expecting a great turnout and a successful event, but we encourage any assistance when it comes to seeding our event with food and supples: For those who are planning on arriving early and wish to bring supplies, here is our list of requested supplies:
* * Cups
* * Cutlery
* * Plates
* * Meat
* * Condiments
(((Special note for mayonaise: We will not accept mayonaise that is in a jar as it will go bad very quickly. Single serving packets only))
* * Vegetables for grilling (such as corn on the cob, stuffed peppers, etc)
* * Tablecloths and Plastic for our food prep area
If you are arriving later in the day or would like to contribute differently, we are accepting donations via Paypal. You can click the Donation button on the sidebar of Socalfurs.com or use this handy direct link direct link
Attention Artists! If you are interested in doing the art and design for this year's posters, please let us know! Examples of prior years can be viewed in our FA Gallery, and for this year we would like to include Noah, SocalFur’s newer mascot. Prior year posters have also included Dume (a character created by <~jonas> that he allows us to use, with credit -- WikiFur Info), as well as Tamerlaine, our original mascot
Also, please be aware that, due to Park Rules, No Vending is allowed at the event area (which would require us to have a different reservation type): You are more than welcome to arrange for payment of artwork being picked up there Prior to the event, but no monies can exchange hands for merchandise during the actual event.
stegosaurus and I have been caught up with work and also working to bring some developments in the next months. However, the one thing that has been on our minds for the last few weeks is our upcoming annual event. This is our traditional event, to show our love for the local community and its diversity.Here are words from our the plated one, stegosaurus
Yup! We are crazy enough to try this whole thing again. With the summer nearing its end, we find ourselves with just a month to go before our second attempt for the 18th Annual FurBQ, Saturday September 17th.....
SoCal FurBQ 2016.... Take Two!
With the cancellation of our event at Irvine Regional Park this past May, we were granted a rescheduled reservation for our new area. We are expecting a great turnout and a successful event, but we encourage any assistance when it comes to seeding our event with food and supples: For those who are planning on arriving early and wish to bring supplies, here is our list of requested supplies:
* * Cups
* * Cutlery
* * Plates
* * Meat
* * Condiments
(((Special note for mayonaise: We will not accept mayonaise that is in a jar as it will go bad very quickly. Single serving packets only))
* * Vegetables for grilling (such as corn on the cob, stuffed peppers, etc)
* * Tablecloths and Plastic for our food prep area
If you are arriving later in the day or would like to contribute differently, we are accepting donations via Paypal. You can click the Donation button on the sidebar of Socalfurs.com or use this handy direct link direct link
Attention Artists! If you are interested in doing the art and design for this year's posters, please let us know! Examples of prior years can be viewed in our FA Gallery, and for this year we would like to include Noah, SocalFur’s newer mascot. Prior year posters have also included Dume (a character created by <~jonas> that he allows us to use, with credit -- WikiFur Info), as well as Tamerlaine, our original mascot
Also, please be aware that, due to Park Rules, No Vending is allowed at the event area (which would require us to have a different reservation type): You are more than welcome to arrange for payment of artwork being picked up there Prior to the event, but no monies can exchange hands for merchandise during the actual event.
Back from Califur 2016 (and new things happening)
General | Posted 9 years agoIn a swirl of suitcases and action packers, we return home just a bit more refreshed than when we left for Califur 2016. The convention was a combination of old ideas and a new setting to put it all in. Admittedly, we did not have a SIG/panel there at the con this year (first time in a long time) so we dont really have any current updates for you.
However, this doesnt stop us from wanting to ask the community (that went to Califur) for some help in providing our local convention some feedback. For those that attended the convention this past weekend,
Califurcon has created this neat survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gJ.....OxIVI/viewform
**************
SoCalFurs is undergoing some changes of our own. Admin (and staff) changes have happened and we are working on dealing with the results of those changes. None of this really relates to the (rescheduled) 2016 FurBQ. That is still on for September 17th, and we will post more information as we get that taken care of.
For now, we look forward to stuff heating up for June and July, and hopefully that means more events for our calendar (but feel free to let us know of your event by submitting to our form
-
SageHendrix
However, this doesnt stop us from wanting to ask the community (that went to Califur) for some help in providing our local convention some feedback. For those that attended the convention this past weekend,
Califurcon has created this neat survey:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1gJ.....OxIVI/viewform
**************
SoCalFurs is undergoing some changes of our own. Admin (and staff) changes have happened and we are working on dealing with the results of those changes. None of this really relates to the (rescheduled) 2016 FurBQ. That is still on for September 17th, and we will post more information as we get that taken care of.
For now, we look forward to stuff heating up for June and July, and hopefully that means more events for our calendar (but feel free to let us know of your event by submitting to our form
-
SageHendrixFurbeque is GO!
General | Posted 9 years agoHey all!
We're looking at the weather, and with a peak chance of rain at 24% in the morning for the specific location of the park, we are go for the Furbeque tomorrow, sans any changes in the next 10 hours or so.
Do remember that the Furbeque is in a different location within the park this year, and we will have signs up showing the way.
As a semi-side note:
summercat is driving up from Oceanside and doesn't mind driving a bit out of his way to pick up people. Contact him via Facebook or Telegram to arrange something; he'll hoping to arrive by 6am to assist with setup.
We're looking at the weather, and with a peak chance of rain at 24% in the morning for the specific location of the park, we are go for the Furbeque tomorrow, sans any changes in the next 10 hours or so.
Do remember that the Furbeque is in a different location within the park this year, and we will have signs up showing the way.
As a semi-side note:
summercat is driving up from Oceanside and doesn't mind driving a bit out of his way to pick up people. Contact him via Facebook or Telegram to arrange something; he'll hoping to arrive by 6am to assist with setup. 18th Annual SoCalFurs FurBQ - Important Information
General | Posted 9 years agoWith some organizational stuff complete, we now have an official listing for the 18th Annual SoCalFurBQ for 2016! Please have a look at our main posting as it contains some very important information and updates, especially concerning our new location within the park.
We are expecting a great turnout and a successful event, but we need a bit of extra help this year due to new Reservation Fees. Some of these fees were covered thanks to a generous donation, but paying the remaining fees reduced our ability to purchase ‘seed goods’ (the starting food and supplies that help us get through the first part of the event).
For those who are planning on arriving early and wish to bring supplies, here is our list of requested supplies:
* Cups
* Cutlery
* Plates
* Meat
* Condiments -- no jars of mayo, please (packets are fine)
* Vegetables for grilling (such as corn on the cob, stuffed peppers, etc)
* Tablecloths and Plastic for our food prep area
For those who wish to assist and are arriving later in the day, the FurBQ Organizers are accepting donations via Paypal to help pay for seed supplies. You can click the Donation button on Socalfurs.com or use this handy direct link!
We are hoping that the generosity of the community will assist us in making this year’s FurBQ as great as prior years.
As a final note.. Attention Artists!
Think our Programmer Art Poster is groanworthy, and interested in doing this year's poster? Let us know! Examples of prior years can be viewed in our FA gallery, and for this year we would like to include Noah, Socalfur’s newest mascot. Prior year posters have included Dume (a character created by Jonas that he allows us to use, with credit), as well as Tamerlaine, our original mascot.
We are expecting a great turnout and a successful event, but we need a bit of extra help this year due to new Reservation Fees. Some of these fees were covered thanks to a generous donation, but paying the remaining fees reduced our ability to purchase ‘seed goods’ (the starting food and supplies that help us get through the first part of the event).
For those who are planning on arriving early and wish to bring supplies, here is our list of requested supplies:
* Cups
* Cutlery
* Plates
* Meat
* Condiments -- no jars of mayo, please (packets are fine)
* Vegetables for grilling (such as corn on the cob, stuffed peppers, etc)
* Tablecloths and Plastic for our food prep area
For those who wish to assist and are arriving later in the day, the FurBQ Organizers are accepting donations via Paypal to help pay for seed supplies. You can click the Donation button on Socalfurs.com or use this handy direct link!
We are hoping that the generosity of the community will assist us in making this year’s FurBQ as great as prior years.
As a final note.. Attention Artists!
Think our Programmer Art Poster is groanworthy, and interested in doing this year's poster? Let us know! Examples of prior years can be viewed in our FA gallery, and for this year we would like to include Noah, Socalfur’s newest mascot. Prior year posters have included Dume (a character created by Jonas that he allows us to use, with credit), as well as Tamerlaine, our original mascot.
Socalfurs Furbeque 2016 Date! May 7th!
General | Posted 9 years agoAs a quick announcement: The 2016 SoCalFurs Furbeque will be on Saturday, May 7th!
While it was not the winner of the poll, the May 21st date was not available to us at the time of our booking. (Looks like someone reserved the spot before we did) May 7th was the next most popular date chosen - and available! So, the paperwork has been submitted and the spot was officially reserved.
With the fact that SoCalFurBQ is now in a paid group reserved area of the park, there is alot of information and things for SoCalFurs staff to go over. A full announcement (complete with extensive information) will follow sometime towards the end of March/start of April.
Thanks for voting, and we hope to see you all at the Furbeque!
While it was not the winner of the poll, the May 21st date was not available to us at the time of our booking. (Looks like someone reserved the spot before we did) May 7th was the next most popular date chosen - and available! So, the paperwork has been submitted and the spot was officially reserved.
With the fact that SoCalFurBQ is now in a paid group reserved area of the park, there is alot of information and things for SoCalFurs staff to go over. A full announcement (complete with extensive information) will follow sometime towards the end of March/start of April.
Thanks for voting, and we hope to see you all at the Furbeque!
Furtopia Screenings!
General | Posted 10 years agoSorry for the delay; FA went down!
**************(this is in HTML. I can convert final copy to BBcode if it will help... I know you are pressed for time) **************
Title: Zootopia? or is it Zoomania?!
The furry world has been laying in anticipation of the latest "furry movie", and now that wait is over. Zootopia screenings have made up a majority of our calendar for this weekend, and we have put together a comphrensive list of all the SoCal based Zootopia meets (that we know of) for those who may still be planning to treat themselves to an awesome movie like Zootopia:
For March 3rd Screenings:
Zootopia FurMeet - One of the only meets (that we know of) in Ventura County. While most Zootopia screenings start on March 4th (Opening day), the Regal Cinemas in Simi Valley will be showing Zootopia. This meet is for the 7:30pm showing
While it isn't listed on our website(s), there is also another showing happening in Garden Grove at 9:50pm. This is hosted by some of our staff from Califur. You can find out more about this meet here: http://califur.com/zootopia-movie-watching-meets/
For Friday, March 4th:
Zootopia Movie Night - Kailin Fox is hosting a meet at Victoria Gardens for Friday Evening. Likely we will be catching this one ourselves. Show starts at 7pm.
Ani-mato and DragonBun's DD Zootopia Meet - Take your Zootopia experience closer to its' roots (so to speak). This screening will be right in Downtown Disney. Bring your favorite tail and ears (sorry, no fursuits!) and enjoy hanging with some Orange County furs.
For Saturday, March 5th:
Zootopia FurMeet at the El Capitan - ♫♩ Holllywooood... ♩♬♪ Yup... no doubt that this place will be crawling with people eager to see this movie. Giveaways and heavy promotion of this venue mean crazy parking and a frenzy for those still needing tickets. Get them now!
Inland Empire Zootopia Meetup - Anpu42 of the Inland Empire Furry Association (IEFA) will be hosting a meet at Harkins Theater (Moreno Valley) for anyone in the IE on Saturday. This will follow after the monthly downtown Riverside meet.
Zootopia at RSM Cinepolis - Orange County furs can enjoy another screening of this movie down in Rancho San Margarita. Yin Yang (the Angel Dragon) will be hosting this meet.
While it isn't listed on our website(s), there is also another showing happening in Garden Grove. This is hosted by some of our staff from Califur. You can find out more about this meet here: http://califur.com/zootopia-movie-watching-meets/
**************(this is in HTML. I can convert final copy to BBcode if it will help... I know you are pressed for time) **************
Title: Zootopia? or is it Zoomania?!
The furry world has been laying in anticipation of the latest "furry movie", and now that wait is over. Zootopia screenings have made up a majority of our calendar for this weekend, and we have put together a comphrensive list of all the SoCal based Zootopia meets (that we know of) for those who may still be planning to treat themselves to an awesome movie like Zootopia:
For March 3rd Screenings:
Zootopia FurMeet - One of the only meets (that we know of) in Ventura County. While most Zootopia screenings start on March 4th (Opening day), the Regal Cinemas in Simi Valley will be showing Zootopia. This meet is for the 7:30pm showing
While it isn't listed on our website(s), there is also another showing happening in Garden Grove at 9:50pm. This is hosted by some of our staff from Califur. You can find out more about this meet here: http://califur.com/zootopia-movie-watching-meets/
For Friday, March 4th:
Zootopia Movie Night - Kailin Fox is hosting a meet at Victoria Gardens for Friday Evening. Likely we will be catching this one ourselves. Show starts at 7pm.
Ani-mato and DragonBun's DD Zootopia Meet - Take your Zootopia experience closer to its' roots (so to speak). This screening will be right in Downtown Disney. Bring your favorite tail and ears (sorry, no fursuits!) and enjoy hanging with some Orange County furs.
For Saturday, March 5th:
Zootopia FurMeet at the El Capitan - ♫♩ Holllywooood... ♩♬♪ Yup... no doubt that this place will be crawling with people eager to see this movie. Giveaways and heavy promotion of this venue mean crazy parking and a frenzy for those still needing tickets. Get them now!
Inland Empire Zootopia Meetup - Anpu42 of the Inland Empire Furry Association (IEFA) will be hosting a meet at Harkins Theater (Moreno Valley) for anyone in the IE on Saturday. This will follow after the monthly downtown Riverside meet.
Zootopia at RSM Cinepolis - Orange County furs can enjoy another screening of this movie down in Rancho San Margarita. Yin Yang (the Angel Dragon) will be hosting this meet.
While it isn't listed on our website(s), there is also another showing happening in Garden Grove. This is hosted by some of our staff from Califur. You can find out more about this meet here: http://califur.com/zootopia-movie-watching-meets/
Zootopia Grouped Screenings!
General | Posted 10 years agoHey all!
sagehendrix is interested in building up a listing of open invite group screenings of Zootopia, coming out this week.
If you're going to see Zootopia and want to see it with other furries, go ahead and list the *theater, location, day and time* you intend to do so.
So if you know of any open invite screenings, let us know where and when so we can let others know! We'll be posting the list as we get it compiled.
sagehendrix is interested in building up a listing of open invite group screenings of Zootopia, coming out this week.If you're going to see Zootopia and want to see it with other furries, go ahead and list the *theater, location, day and time* you intend to do so.
So if you know of any open invite screenings, let us know where and when so we can let others know! We'll be posting the list as we get it compiled.
Socal Furbeque Planning time! YOUR INPUT REQUESTED FOR DATES
General | Posted 10 years agoHey there, otter here!
Due to the growing size of the Furbeque, there's a bit more prep and planning required this year. Kat and Stego went down to the Irvine Regional Park to scout around for some spots, and found a decent area that'll handle our numbers! There is the one drawback: These spots have to be reserved, in advance - and it's first come, first serve.
As such, we're asking you guys for feedback on what date to hold it on a little earlier than normal. We'll be applying for the date with the most votes, and if that's taken by the time we submit, we'll be doing the second choice, etc.
Stego wrote up a full rundown on the new location and put up a poll. You can find it here.
http://www.socalfurs.com/furbq-reco.....ission-report/
edit:
Also, if you want to do a poster for this year, now's the time to start thinking on designs. You can check out our prior designs on FA, the following submissions:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/16253461/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/13119841/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/13118387/
Due to the growing size of the Furbeque, there's a bit more prep and planning required this year. Kat and Stego went down to the Irvine Regional Park to scout around for some spots, and found a decent area that'll handle our numbers! There is the one drawback: These spots have to be reserved, in advance - and it's first come, first serve.
As such, we're asking you guys for feedback on what date to hold it on a little earlier than normal. We'll be applying for the date with the most votes, and if that's taken by the time we submit, we'll be doing the second choice, etc.
Stego wrote up a full rundown on the new location and put up a poll. You can find it here.
http://www.socalfurs.com/furbq-reco.....ission-report/
edit:
Also, if you want to do a poster for this year, now's the time to start thinking on designs. You can check out our prior designs on FA, the following submissions:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/16253461/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/13119841/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/13118387/
Otter back in the Saddle - Feb Highlights/Gatherings?
General | Posted 10 years agoHeyo, summercat here! Back in the saddle after a recharge and a return to regular hours at work.
Sorry for being so long gone, but the ott is back in town!
So hey, got any events going on for February? Let me know, I'll post about 'em!
~Summercat
Events Reported:
TAIL [$5 Cover after 8pm]
https://twitter.com/tail_party
Friday, Feb 5th, 8pm to 1:30am
Executive Suite Long Beach
3428 Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach, CA, 90804
https://twitter.com/tail_party/stat.....86946734129153
Big Rock Entertaining Anthro Kickback! #2, San Diego Furs
Sat, Feb 6th, Noon to 5PM
Big Rock Park
8125 Arlette St, Santee, California 92071
Includes Potluck BBQ, sports, and chatting.
Suggested to Join the San Diego Furs group on Facebook and RSVP
Furries On Ice! [$12/person - ish]
Wed, Feb 24th, ~11am to 2pm
San Diego Ice Arena
11048 Ice Skate Pl, San Diego, California 92126
Suggested to join the San Diego Furs group on Facebook to RSVP when event is active
$12 per person going onto the ice. Includes skate rentals. Groupon is available, http://gr.pn/1ONHtQB
summercat here! Back in the saddle after a recharge and a return to regular hours at work.Sorry for being so long gone, but the ott is back in town!
So hey, got any events going on for February? Let me know, I'll post about 'em!
~Summercat
Events Reported:
TAIL [$5 Cover after 8pm]
https://twitter.com/tail_party
Friday, Feb 5th, 8pm to 1:30am
Executive Suite Long Beach
3428 Pacific Coast Highway
Long Beach, CA, 90804
https://twitter.com/tail_party/stat.....86946734129153
Big Rock Entertaining Anthro Kickback! #2, San Diego Furs
Sat, Feb 6th, Noon to 5PM
Big Rock Park
8125 Arlette St, Santee, California 92071
Includes Potluck BBQ, sports, and chatting.
Suggested to Join the San Diego Furs group on Facebook and RSVP
Furries On Ice! [$12/person - ish]
Wed, Feb 24th, ~11am to 2pm
San Diego Ice Arena
11048 Ice Skate Pl, San Diego, California 92126
Suggested to join the San Diego Furs group on Facebook to RSVP when event is active
$12 per person going onto the ice. Includes skate rentals. Groupon is available, http://gr.pn/1ONHtQB
A Small Break in Our Signal / December Highlights
General | Posted 10 years ago Holidays are upon us. In just 2 days, many of us will be visiting family (blood or otherwise) and feasting on turkey, ham, and other tasty and traditional treats. For us, 2015 has us celebrating Thanksgiving somewhere different... by taking a trip to New York City.
While the holidays have never affected this website in previous years, we find ourselves likely without a way to check mail and messages too much. It will be a week of no computers and visiting with family and friends from "the other coast" (we mean that in total tongue-in-cheek humor). For now, you can check out some of these upcoming events...
** December 5th: Riverside Ponies, Furries and Gamers Under the Lights - Celebrate the holidays under the holiday lights. This annual event can be a lot of fun and fursuits are encouraged.
** December 11th: Ani-Mato's December Meet! - Last month was alot of fun. Time to take it to the beach...Newport Beach that is. Enjoy the afternoon/evening at Balboa Fun Zone.
** December 19th: Rose Bowl Furmeet (RBFM) - Hang out and relax at Brookside Park. Share food and fun with other furs at this potluck event. You can check this event out every third Saturday of the month.
Apologies in advance for anyone who might have wanted to announce their events happening this weekend but we just wont be able top process new event submissions. You are welcome to submit anything for the last half of December (end of year) and we will get that posted ASAP. For those who follow us over on Twitter, you can always send us an @ request and we may be able to RT important events, at the very least.
While the holidays have never affected this website in previous years, we find ourselves likely without a way to check mail and messages too much. It will be a week of no computers and visiting with family and friends from "the other coast" (we mean that in total tongue-in-cheek humor). For now, you can check out some of these upcoming events...
** December 5th: Riverside Ponies, Furries and Gamers Under the Lights - Celebrate the holidays under the holiday lights. This annual event can be a lot of fun and fursuits are encouraged.
** December 11th: Ani-Mato's December Meet! - Last month was alot of fun. Time to take it to the beach...Newport Beach that is. Enjoy the afternoon/evening at Balboa Fun Zone.
** December 19th: Rose Bowl Furmeet (RBFM) - Hang out and relax at Brookside Park. Share food and fun with other furs at this potluck event. You can check this event out every third Saturday of the month.
Apologies in advance for anyone who might have wanted to announce their events happening this weekend but we just wont be able top process new event submissions. You are welcome to submit anything for the last half of December (end of year) and we will get that posted ASAP. For those who follow us over on Twitter, you can always send us an @ request and we may be able to RT important events, at the very least.
SoCal Fall FurBQ's Return, The Furriest
General | Posted 10 years agoSunday morning came and we have become the walking dead. Stego and I will be spending today just recovering from a full day of bringing the fun of Fall FurBQ back for the masses. We had awoken at 3:30 and tackled the day, hardly ever sitting down. Now that it is catching up to us, we can thank our lucky stars that our fingers aren't too sore to give you an after-action report. :)
Stego and I had prepared well on Friday night, grabbing the rest of our food supply and putting our cooking utensils and supplies into bags to pack the car. Got on the road about 4am and picked up one of our friends. As the sun was coming up, we arrived at the park's gates. After a short wait, we rolled into the park and began set up (as well as setting up our directional signage).
Within a very short time, we found some familiar faces joining us. Leo Tsubasa and Mischief were there soon and naturally fell into the act of helping us with our morning meals (including "cowboy coffee"). By 10am, people were enjoying bacon, sausage and some donuts another fur brought. Picnic tables started getting stacked with great sides to go along with the meat we would make for lunch, and others brought some tasty treats.
Our usual "art table" had also formed with people breaking out sketchbooks and socializing with fellow creatives. Others took advantage of the "fursuit weather" of cool November and showed up to experience the park as their character or fursona. The amount of fursuiters grew throughout the day and made for some fun photos.
We are pleased to see so many people show up and contribute to the event in various ways. Collaborations and chance meetings are part of the FurBQ experience. As much as we sounded stern in announcing the event's closure (park closes at 6pm and we want to keep the rangers happy), we were pleased to see how many people were enjoying themselves. 5pm came and we were grateful for the people who had stopped to help us clean up and return the park to its non-furry state. :)
Overall, our event was trouble free and it is the community we have the most to thank for this. Many of you guys know that dedication and discipline are involved in making sure this event can serve the community but without being at the expense of the park authorties or eachother. However, inevitable change is upon us in regards to our FurBQ events (both spring and fall)
Growing Pains
Every year, we are stunned to see how big our local furry community has grown. However, and for the first time ever, we need to say that our event has outgrown its nest. Officially, we were told by the rangers, that we are over capacity. This means change is inevitable for our event. Although we would like to continue using Irvine Regional Park for this event, we are going to have to start looking into options for areas that will allow for groups of 150+ people.
Kat did a headcount throughout the event and we noticed something. In previous years (and during our Spring event), many people from our event wandered over to some of the neighboring areas for fursuit nature photos, to take a hike on the nearby trail, or to visit people by the zoo and railroad. In the fall, the railroad looked to be closed up and that most people seemed content to play on the field. Even some of the ARENA antics were playing out, with people practicing combat skills and movement.
Park rangers check on our group throughout the day, but for this event, its possible that we just had too many people at our event at one time. So, they have asked us to address this population increase by use of a larger group area within the park. Irvine Regional Park has some areas with pavilion structures and other features which may help our event grow.
This wont be without some increased procedure on our part and possibly some changes into how we do our event in the future. Other furry events have experienced this kind of "growing pain", as its common for parks to have policy regarding groups that exceed ~100 people. Before FurBQ (spring) happens this year, Stego and I will need to look further into the park's choice of areas which can accommodate our growing fandom.
Lost and Found Report
This event was no exception in that some items got separated from their owner. We do apologize if, towards the end of the day, some of you felt like you were rushed to pack up and leave. Im sure that contributed to this ritual:
* One Red D&D T-shirt. Size 2XL
* Bag of red fur. This was passed to us by another attendee who found it off to one side. We didnt think it was meant to be trashed.
* Fire extinguisher. We know that people have sometimes lent us things that can help our job at the grill easier but this isnt ours. Please let us know if you are short this item when you unpack.
* Soccer Balls (2) From previous spring FurBQs, some soccer balls got misplaced and so we still have these.
Please check the above list and [url=http://www.socalfurs.com/contact-us/]contact us[/u] so we can reunite you with your stuff. We will ask that you describe your item to us and then work with you on getting it back to you. In addition, we are wondering if anyone has found an iPhone from the event. The owner would really like this back so please help us by letting us know if you have an extra phone you may have picked up from the event.
Stego and I had prepared well on Friday night, grabbing the rest of our food supply and putting our cooking utensils and supplies into bags to pack the car. Got on the road about 4am and picked up one of our friends. As the sun was coming up, we arrived at the park's gates. After a short wait, we rolled into the park and began set up (as well as setting up our directional signage).
Within a very short time, we found some familiar faces joining us. Leo Tsubasa and Mischief were there soon and naturally fell into the act of helping us with our morning meals (including "cowboy coffee"). By 10am, people were enjoying bacon, sausage and some donuts another fur brought. Picnic tables started getting stacked with great sides to go along with the meat we would make for lunch, and others brought some tasty treats.
Our usual "art table" had also formed with people breaking out sketchbooks and socializing with fellow creatives. Others took advantage of the "fursuit weather" of cool November and showed up to experience the park as their character or fursona. The amount of fursuiters grew throughout the day and made for some fun photos.
We are pleased to see so many people show up and contribute to the event in various ways. Collaborations and chance meetings are part of the FurBQ experience. As much as we sounded stern in announcing the event's closure (park closes at 6pm and we want to keep the rangers happy), we were pleased to see how many people were enjoying themselves. 5pm came and we were grateful for the people who had stopped to help us clean up and return the park to its non-furry state. :)
Overall, our event was trouble free and it is the community we have the most to thank for this. Many of you guys know that dedication and discipline are involved in making sure this event can serve the community but without being at the expense of the park authorties or eachother. However, inevitable change is upon us in regards to our FurBQ events (both spring and fall)
Growing Pains
Every year, we are stunned to see how big our local furry community has grown. However, and for the first time ever, we need to say that our event has outgrown its nest. Officially, we were told by the rangers, that we are over capacity. This means change is inevitable for our event. Although we would like to continue using Irvine Regional Park for this event, we are going to have to start looking into options for areas that will allow for groups of 150+ people.
Kat did a headcount throughout the event and we noticed something. In previous years (and during our Spring event), many people from our event wandered over to some of the neighboring areas for fursuit nature photos, to take a hike on the nearby trail, or to visit people by the zoo and railroad. In the fall, the railroad looked to be closed up and that most people seemed content to play on the field. Even some of the ARENA antics were playing out, with people practicing combat skills and movement.
Park rangers check on our group throughout the day, but for this event, its possible that we just had too many people at our event at one time. So, they have asked us to address this population increase by use of a larger group area within the park. Irvine Regional Park has some areas with pavilion structures and other features which may help our event grow.
This wont be without some increased procedure on our part and possibly some changes into how we do our event in the future. Other furry events have experienced this kind of "growing pain", as its common for parks to have policy regarding groups that exceed ~100 people. Before FurBQ (spring) happens this year, Stego and I will need to look further into the park's choice of areas which can accommodate our growing fandom.
Lost and Found Report
This event was no exception in that some items got separated from their owner. We do apologize if, towards the end of the day, some of you felt like you were rushed to pack up and leave. Im sure that contributed to this ritual:
* One Red D&D T-shirt. Size 2XL
* Bag of red fur. This was passed to us by another attendee who found it off to one side. We didnt think it was meant to be trashed.
* Fire extinguisher. We know that people have sometimes lent us things that can help our job at the grill easier but this isnt ours. Please let us know if you are short this item when you unpack.
* Soccer Balls (2) From previous spring FurBQs, some soccer balls got misplaced and so we still have these.
Please check the above list and [url=http://www.socalfurs.com/contact-us/]contact us[/u] so we can reunite you with your stuff. We will ask that you describe your item to us and then work with you on getting it back to you. In addition, we are wondering if anyone has found an iPhone from the event. The owner would really like this back so please help us by letting us know if you have an extra phone you may have picked up from the event.
