NYC FurMeets 2025: Year in Review
- Champion Mayor Zane
- 7 days ago
- 22 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
From the Desk of Champion Mayor Zane:
The year 2025 has been pivotal for the NYC furry community. NYC FurMeets came together out of a desire to give the furries of this city the opportunity to gather, make new friends, make new memories, and generally foster the vibrant, connected community that a city this large and diverse deserves. What started as a small gathering run by just myself and Fane grew into this incredible series of events supported by an even more incredible team I have the honor of calling our Staff.
Over the second half of December, I have asked as many of our staff as possible to share their stories with our group; not just as a member of Staff, but as a member of the NYC furry community more broadly. Amongst the stories of those who were able to respond, we gain a more introspective look into the history of NYC FurMeets, providing insight into both our organization and the individuals who help make all our events possible.
Please enjoy the chronicles of our Staff as they look back at their own 2025 with NYC FurMeets.
Keiron
Founder
"Eleven months later and several FurWalks personally done, I’m just honestly amazed at what has come of a little friend get-together..."
11 months ago, myself, Zane, Fane, Koda, 10art, and some other friends decided to hang out around NYC to get to know each other better. The day before I came up, I was a bit reluctant, since I’d been traveling a lot, but Zane persisted that I should join along.
I decided he was right and came up. The next day, we took PATH over to Herald Square to meet eventually. This was the first time we got to meet a couple of NYC friends, such as Fane.
Zane and I didn’t really think of it much; we planned to go to B&H so he could purchase a new Fujifilm camera. Zane spent around two hours at B&H deciding if he was getting the correct camera, while our friends looked at items they wanted to buy, and even suited up at a news studio setup.
Zane finally got the camera, and we decided what to do next. We wanted to walk the High Line in Fursuit, and we did exactly that, walking from one end of the High Line to the other all suited up, and even making a stop at our friend, Dinosaur.
We still really haven’t thought of it much until Zane randomly messaged me that he was starting an event with Fane called NYC FurWalk.
Eleven months later and several FurWalks personally done, I’m just honestly amazed at what has come of a little friend get-together that wasn’t even planned to be done monthly, and didn’t include rides, going to bars, eating good food, and seeing movies.
Looking forward to the future of NYC FurMeets, I’m even more excited about the events we have planned for everyone, especially the first anniversary of NYC BirdStrike (minus the two hours at B&H).
For anyone who’s been to our events, thank you so much for coming. You put the biggest smile on my face every time, and here’s to next year and the future of NYC FurMeets.
Ezekiel
Graphics Team / Husband of Founder Keiron
I’ll be honest, I’ve been drawing a blank towards this year’s ending blog post from all the staff, particularly because of my late arrival to the pack of furs you all depend on to make these events shine and sparkle. However, when it really comes down to it, I’m truly thankful for the work I’ve put in, small as that has been. Having ventured into this without many expectations, I was blown away by the consistency throughout from both the staff, coordinators, planning, and the events themselves. My first experience of one of these events was amazing, and I’ll deeply cherish the memories made on Governor’s Island. Unfortunately, this year has also been rough for me, as losing my job and then gaining one has made it nearly impossible for me to see many of the other events since my entry as the team’s backup Graphic Designer. Yet, despite it all, I’m looking forward to all of the new, big things we’ve got cooking for next year… And maybe this time I’ll match that consistency with my event attendance.
Cheers to you all, Merry Christmas, and here’s to another year of us furs walkin’ ‘ere!
Rose
Safety Team
"...Every subsequent FurWalk has felt more impressive in its own way. I have watched the team grow and change - I have watched challenges be faced and overcome - I have watched this go from a team to an organization."
As someone who doesn’t come from the city, doesn’t live in the city, and will likely never have the means to do so - I am happy that this community accepted me. This community has allowed me to connect directly with some of the coolest places I have ever been. These places may seem like rather small adventures to most locals, but coming from upstate these are places I have seen in stories, heard in songs, and seen in history books. The meaning of spending a “Saturday in the Park” or “Taking the A Train” may seem small and mundane when you live in the city, but when the journey home is 100 minutes on the Metro-North and 30 minutes driving the impact is so much larger.
As the newest member on the team, I hardly feel qualified to look back on this year as a team member - so I won’t. Instead I will mention the determination and risk given by all of the staff. This group does not exist without their direct contribution and risk. It is easy to lay back and do nothing, to assume that others will handle the heavy lifting - instead this select few put their necks out to grow everything from the ground up. I am grateful for that.
I have been attending Furwalk since #4, where I hit the ground running looking for anybody to help. I know that was the biggest traditional FurWalk, even so, every subsequent FurWalk has felt more impressive in its own way. I have watched the team grow and change - I have watched challenges be faced and overcome - I have watched this go from a team to an organization.
Every Furwalk comes with a favorite memory - some complex, some simple. Starting simple, seeing Fork at Furwalk 4 came as a welcome surprise, interacting with them is always fun. Being in New York City Pride is a lifelong memory all of its own for Furwalk 5, however I remember specifically when it hit me - While I was staring down the Flatiron Building. Furwalk 6 has too many moments to pick - watching Big Jay and Lil Jay have a big day out was extremely adorable - Soren and Zane with the Fishing pole on the pier - and talking with Moon on the Beach. Furwalk 7 was a disaster, but Smorgasburg was fantastic. The slides at Furwalk 8 could have been the entire Furwalk, that was fantastic. Furwalk 9 had the luxury of taking place at a park I had already been to a few times, but watching traffic grind to a halt to wave to the furries crossing over the Long Island Expressway was amazing. Furwalk 10 has a very personal memory and an admission. After Furwalk 4, I began carrying around a frisbee in my bag, waiting for the perfect weather, perfect field, and perfect moment to break it out - Furwalk 10 had such a stop. I knew I had nailed my timing when Goldie radio’d asking if we wanted to extend the break because people were enjoying the location so much.
I hope these events go indefinitely. I hope this organization continues to grow stronger. Lastly, I hope we can redeem Prospect Park in 2026.
Goldie
Logistics & Planning / FurRide Lead
"As someone who works in public transit, helping to plan and run FurRides has been a really fun intersection of two of my biggest interests."
Of all places, I found out about NYCFM through my school’s Discord server. Zane had made a post about a (somewhat informal seeming) furry meetup in lower Manhattan, and since it wasn’t a busy weekend for me, I decided on a whim to come along. That event ended up being FurWalk 1, and my participation there and at almost all following ones has given me a unique, inspiring opportunity to see this group grow from an informal meetup to a large, active community in a city that previously didn’t have much of a furry scene. Ever since I joined furry back in 2018, I’ve always wished for a more visible, active community here in my home area. I’m so happy and grateful to have seen that happen over the last year, especially now that I have a whole bunch of new friends I didn’t have at this same time one year ago. <3
That said, I’ve also had the unique opportunity to work as part of NYCFM staff, particularly in organizing our FurRides. As someone who works in public transit, helping to plan and run FurRides has been a really fun intersection of two of my biggest interests. Fane (a fellow train nerd) had approached me with the idea after our walk at Central Park— an idea that had been in tried in other cities like Washington DC to a ton of success. Our first run on the F line to Coney Island ended up being really fun, well-attended, and smooth-running, setting a template [for] an event that often serves as the “warm up” to our larger events. I’ve been so grateful to contribute to the growth of this community in my niche, train-tistic way, and can’t wait to see where we all get to take this in 2026. Cheers!
Lepi
Logistics & Planning Team / Master of the Cart
Despite being at the High Line FurWalk, my story with NYC FurMeets really started in May, where I had pulled The Cart(tm), loaded with water, supplies and other goodies needed for a romp through Central Park. It turns out running off no sleep and a single coffee was enough fuel to get me through hauling all of that through the entire event! That was pretty much what got me onto the staff team, for reasons I still don't fully grasp, and I've been pulling The Cart for every FurWalk since! You'll probably also see me at the FurRides leading up to the walks, as well as some FurFeasts as just a regular attendee.
Concerning the more social angle of it all, despite having more responsibility with keeping The Cart safe and hauled, I've really found myself getting out of my social cocoon more consistently with every FurWalk. Before May, I was a sort of recluse that hardly engaged with anyone outside of a few people, even at fur meets, but nowadays I can find myself striking up a conversation with pretty much anyone! Pandemic really hit hard for me in that aspect, so I'm really glad this community, and especially everyone on the staff team, are so friendly and inviting that I can just open up naturally again. Oh, and parties! I never went to one before this year, but now I'm finding myself dressing up the best I can for one this coming New Year's!
Orchest
Logistics & Planning Team
"Each event pulled me in a little more, not just because they were fun, but because NYC FurMeets felt like a space built on genuine care of the fandom. It felt intentional. It felt safe."
Hi everybody,
My name is Orchest (@OrchestWusky on pretty much everything), and I’m that chaotic musical Wusky that joined NYC Fur Meets around August when I went to my very first event, FurFlix 1: Bad Guys 2. I came in not really knowing what to expect, just hoping for a fun night and to meet some new friends. What I didn’t expect was how quickly I would feel welcomed compared to other groups, meets, and even cons. There was something about that meet, the warmth, the openness, the sense of shared joy, and the genuine vibe that stuck with me long after it ended. I walked in as a newcomer and walked out feeling like I had found something I didn’t even realize I was missing in this fandom and started to become active with the group.
After that, I kept coming back to NYCFM and started coming to all of the FurWalks, FurBars, and even the other events like FurThrift. Each event pulled me in a little more, not just because they were fun, but because NYC FurMeets felt like a space built on genuine care of the fandom. It felt intentional. It felt safe. It felt like a community where people truly wanted to be there for one another and create a space similar to cons but on a smaller scale.
One moment that really stands out to me was the FurRide to Flushing. That experience connected me to the fandom in a way I’ve never felt before. Being on the train together, sharing that space, that excitement, that collective energy of chaotic furs on a subway, it felt surreal in the best way. As someone who’s also a bit of a train enthusiast (a proud foamer), it hit on such a personal level. Riding together as a group, and seeing Zane do subway takes and others taking photos on the 7 train for the entire ride, it was awesome to experience. Huge thanks to Bolt for one of my favorite photos ever of Orchest taken on this FurRide.
Not long after, Zane asked me to be a part of the staff team, specifically helping with logistics and planning, after seeing my vision for ideas that could be brought to life here in NYC. That meant more to me than I can easily put into words. Even though I haven’t fully had the chance to show everything I’m capable of yet, I’m truly excited to be a part of a team that I’ve felt confident in since my first meet with the group.
Being on staff has given me a deeper appreciation for just how much heart goes into NYC Fur Meets. Seeing the behind-the-scenes work, the problem-solving, and the care that goes into making each event happen has been incredibly inspiring. Everyone contributes differently, and together it creates something far greater than the sum of its parts.
Even though I joined later in the year, NYC Fur Meets has already become an important part of my fandom journey. I’m really excited to see what 2026 brings, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue supporting NYCFM in any way I can, bringing ideas to life, helping things run smoothly, and making sure this community keeps feeling like home for everyone who finds their way into it, just like I did back in August.
Cheers to the future of NYC FurMeets, and the NYC Furry community as a whole.
With love,
Orchest 💙🎶
Dakota
Logistics & Planning Team / FurFlix Lead
"I met some of the most important people in my life, including the love of my life. It’s hard to believe how much my life has changed."
I won’t lie, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what I wanted to say before this year ended. There were so many topics I thought about, but this one feels the most important. 2025 was the year I finally found my community—right here in New York City, my hometown. For years, I’ve struggled as a furry in a city that felt too big and too busy to find others like me. Having something so core to who I am, but feeling totally alone, was both frustrating and kind of funny. You’d think that wouldn’t happen in the biggest city in the country, but that’s exactly how it felt.
Then, in March, everything changed. On March 24th, I got my fursuit, and it marked a huge turning point in my life. I was absolutely buzzing with excitement to finally have my boyo in person! About a week later, I heard about CLAW 4, a furry rave happening in the city. It was the first time I’d ever seen another fursuit besides mine, and the first furry event I’d ever been to. It was a game-changer. Seeing so many furries in one place felt surreal—it made the city feel less lonely.
At that rave, I met Zane, who’s now a huge part of my life. What started as a simple "hello" turned into me joining NYCFM as staff and eventually hosting my own event, FurFlix. That night really set the stage for everything to come.
One of the funniest moments from that rave was when Zane mentioned there was a FurWalk the very next day. I was exhausted and had work in just a few hours, but something inside me told me, “Don’t miss this.” I knew I wanted to be a part of this world, so I made a promise to myself: no more missing FurWalks. That promise led to so many things: I joined the staff, hosted three more FurFlix events, started a new event called FurFeast with JoeyTesseracts, and, of course, attended every FurWalk I could. I made more friends than I ever thought possible.
The best part? I met some of the most important people in my life, including the love of my life. It’s hard to believe how much my life has changed. I’m so proud and grateful to be part of the NYC furry community and NYCFurMeets. It came into my life when I needed it most, and it’s given me energy and happiness I didn’t even know I was missing. I’m beyond thankful for all the amazing people I’ve met and the experiences we’ve shared. Being a furry has turned out to be the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I can say that now, with complete certainty.
Saucy / Rune
Social Media Lead
"...I found that the social media lead role fit me the best. It allowed me to expand my involvement in social media not with just personal gain but something as a community."
NYC Furmeets was a completely unexpected shift for my year, which all began with Furwalk 4 at Central Park back in May. The reason why I attended a NYCFM event in the first place was because my boyfriend, Zane, runs the damn thing. And we officially got together the day before the Central Park FurWalk!
Alongside many adventures with my Mayor boyfriend and NYCFM events, I’ve met some of my best friends this summer as well, including Dakota and Rezed!
I first ‘met’ Dakota at the Central Park FurWalk but we never really talked until FurFlix 1. We did not realize we had so many yet little things in common with our one brain cell, and have been through many adventures since. The four of us have been traveling like husbands and wives to cons, events, parties, and just simple double dates excluding the furry stuff!
I am extremely thankful for the people I have met so far and I hope these connections continue to flourish and grow.
To talk about my role here: Already being an active user of social media for my personal furry accounts, I found that the social media lead role fit me the best. It allowed me to expand my involvement in social media not with just personal gain but something as a community. I love that people are now able to recognize us on a whim and we are slowly but surely expanding!
Now let me talk a bit about FurBar 5, which was my birthday FurBar! I've been meaning to write the blog for this but it’s been difficult getting the time being both a full time college student and a full time intern. FurBar 5 was truly a night I cannot forget, as it was my 21st birthday as well! It may have not been my first drink ever (shh), but seeing so many people show up, wish me well, and have a good time meant so much to me. The people in this community are truly special and you guys are most certainly what makes us “a community”!
I bid farewell now, as I am writing this on iPhone Apple Notes, while a baby screams nonstop from a distance, all while on a plane to another country.
From maybe the dumbest yote you know,
Rune
Fad
Videographer
"I was going to make Total Fad my purpose. The thing I fight for. And NYC FurMeets gave me the opportunity to build on this right from the start."
When the first full-fledged, organized FurWalk on the High Line was plotted earlier this year in March, I had no idea what I was going to be walking into. My first time on NJT, my second time in New York City, three friends in tow, and my camera I’d only ever used once or twice before around my neck set the scene. Literally.
I’d only been a furry for about a year at this point. This was my third furry event ever. I have literally no clue what I’m doing. I’m just some guy calling himself Fad trying to figure out what all the buttons on this camera do. I had the idea of shooting a vlog for this trip, and it turned into so much more than that.
I had to come back for more, so I did. My second FurWalk was Central Park, and I knew the game plan this time. I showed up with a new lens, new ideas, and even a pair of Heelys to skate around with. The staff began to develop, there was a new safety division in place, the number in the crowd broke 100. It was May, and even the common folk were happy to see us flaunting about in our truest colors.
That’s when I knew that this whole “FurWalk” idea was going to be big. Big enough to earn it’s own spot in the New York City Pride Parade. Big enough to split off into new sister events such as FurRide. I kept getting asked if I could come to this or that to shoot, and I already planned to.
After FurWalk on Coney Island and the first ever FurRide, I was wrapping up my video on FurWalk at Central Park. That’s when Fane asked if I wanted to join staff as videographer.
“I would be honored.”
That was July. I took on this new gig and got fired from my human job. One made me substantially happier and was opening the door to new experiences every time I said “yes” to something, while the other put me in such a position to be put on an anti-depressant. On the surface level, my priorities were completely out of whack, because I damn sure wasn’t about to lose this opportunity because of some entry-level career strife.
I take an immense amount of pride in my work. I consider it a dutiful service to provide meaningful, memorable, personal content for the people who built this project and the attendees that are the entire reason everyone on staff does what they do. As my mental health deteriorated, my coping mechanisms growing unhealthier by the day, and the effects of isolating myself from these people setting in, Fane and the staff finally pushed me to come out of my hole and mingle, just a little staff outing and scouting. It was the first time I had genuinely smiled sober in a very long time.
It was this day that made me decide I was going to make Total Fad my purpose. The thing I fight for. And NYC FurMeets gave me the opportunity to build on this right from the start. I took out a loan to fund this passion, thinking, if I can do it as Fad, I can do it for myself. I was working on FurMeets like a college course, slowly building my skills and confidence every time I said “yes” to a new challenge.
My f***ing mom died the night I got the loan, a week after I had seen my friends in New York. It wasn’t expected. It wasn’t pretty. I had just adopted my Fadsuit a few weeks prior and now I was back in the Adirondacks thrown right back into my old life with all eyes on me. Planning and coordinating arrangements, working with police, an outpouring of community and I couldn’t tell any of them what I had been doing with my life for the last year because how do you explain something like this when you coming out was a town-wide announcement in the first place?
I was stuck between two identities. Working my hometown festival, I decided I was going to own Total Fad, and I filmed my town, in fursuit. I don’t think anyone put two and two together then. I thought back to my mom hanging out with me when I was working here years prior, and thought how much she would adore what I’m doing and how she would love Fad to pieces.
After almost a month trapped in my little valley hometown, I made it back to PA, and then back to NYC. Scouting for Corona Park, and the Corona Park FurWalk itself was all a blur to me. I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Staff rules said no fursuiting between checkpoints for safety, and no one bothered me about it. My job was to shoot video and make sure everyone was shaving a good time, and vulnerability has never been my strong suit.
My car broke down as I tried to leave. As I screamed and cursed through tears at the angry motorists who refused to let me roll my crappy car backwards onto the shoulder, I thought about how everything in my life was going to hell, how much debt I had put myself in, how unhappy I was in my relationship and how I had tarnished it in the process. I limped it home and nearly made the worst mistake of my life.
I haven’t drank since that night. My friend and righthand-man Walt, who I had met on the same fateful day as Zane at a car show in rural PA, stayed by my side as I built myself back up over the next few weeks (and that’s understating it).
And when all the details for the final FurMeets events of the year dropped, I knew I had one chance to do it right.
I needed to know this city. I needed to feel it. I needed to understand it. I needed to drive up and down every street, I needed to ride the trains I hadn’t ridden. I camped in Brooklyn the first night after FurBar, I bobbed around the city the next, I drove all the way out to Montauk from Brooklyn and then to the park that would hold New York City FurWalk 10 at Fort Tryon Park. I scouted out the location by myself in the dark, and wandered back to my car and napped for a few hours in one of the parking lots. I woke up, checked my phone, and saw that FurRide was about to take place.
I got out of my car and ran to the subway. I caught the southbound A to Manhattan and right as I got off the train, I saw dozens of furry dorks lined up on the opposite platform. I yelled “those are my friends!!!!” to the inattentive subway crowd who didn’t think twice and sprinted up the stairs and back down another set to get to the platform.
The weather had held up. The park was just as dynamic as the crowd. As the sun set and we pooled at the end of the line at Dyckman Marina, my camera died. I switched to my phone and kept working. I cried again, because what did I do in the first place to be so lucky to be a part of this group? What did I do to deserve to be here again? Because how would I ever truly express what this silly little walking meet meant to me to another human being?
The answer is simple. I have a year’s worth of New York City FurMeet’s footage to work through. A lifetime of experience in a few months to filter it through. I get dizzy trying to remember all the names and faces of the people I’ve met. I find it hard to believe that we are going into year two.
I still find it hard to believe I get to say “we.”
A passerby at the last FurWalk said they were so pleased that we were “bringing joy into the city.” I got to be a part of that. And every single person that comes and supports our amazing lineup of 5 dynamic events are a part of that. And the small team of a little over a dozen that fights tooth and nail to make it happen each and every month are the biggest part. I hold all the love in my heart for you guys. Thank you isn’t enough.
I am so excited to present the first season of New York City FurMeets to you all.
Fane
Co-Owner / Graphics / FurRide Lead
2025, the year that I never had ever thought would be where I not only found local friends, but helped so many others find their friends. What started as a group chat I didn’t realize I had to be in for a meetup in the city, I had no idea what I was getting into. Making friends with Zane that day and having the special experience of seeing fursuiters public suiting in NYC was so much of a treat. Though having witnessed Keiron at a low after hearing the crunch of the monitor he just had gotten pinned through the turnstile, to know him better and become good friends. I think the “If you don’t like me at my worst, you don’t deserve me at my best” really applies here. In the months after having run so many more FurWalks, meeting people, being recognized for not just mine, but the team that I helped build’s work to make NYC the Furry Community it deserves.
Having asked the same searches on google, “NYC Furries,” “NYC Furry Meets,” “Where can I find Furries in NYC” and not finding that much. It brings me so much joy to hear that we have become the solution.
Zane
Co-Owner / The "Mayor"
"Through NYCFM was I able to find the confidence in myself to do so much more than I thought possible..."
The phrase “be the change you want to see” is the most apt wording I could use to describe what happened to me and the journey that created what would become NYC FurMeets.
For as long as I have lived in this area and considered myself part of the fandom, I have wondered where all the furries were in what is quite literally the largest city in the entire country. It almost seemed like a statistical anomaly. I have had my fair share of travelling up and down the northeast, visiting different cons, different furry meets, different friend groups, and remarking how closely knit these other communities seemed to be. I felt like I was missing that right in my own backyard. I felt that the only way to have a chance at experiencing the furry community in real life was to drive at least three to four hours from home just to experience a little bit of that magic of the fandom for myself. While I absolutely love the friends I have made in these areas and the memories I’ve made with them, there had to be something a bit closer to home. This thought has stuck with me for quite some time, but never would I have ever anticipated being one of the leading figures in bringing about the solution to the problem I had described.
The intent from the start wasn’t to build out the entire NYC furry community - but to share with others the wonderful experience I had public suiting in the city, like I did for the first time on the High Line. I still think back to the passing remark I made in the Telegram chat for BirdStrike (the name of our informal gathering) and how it inspired talks between me and our friends in that chat to try doing something like it again, but in the Financial District where there would be similarly stunning locations for photography.
Fane and I set out to make it happen, with her working on the graphics to showcase where we would visit, and me reaching out to as many friends and groups as possible to share this idea of furries walking around the city. For a first time run with only two days' notice and two days of planning, I was impressed by the turnout and it gave Fane and I cause to try it again with a bit more thought and planning. The explosive growth in attendance between FurWalks 1 and 2, and the subsequent FurWalks after made me realize that this could truly be one of the things the furries in the city needed to build that close-knit local community I have been craving for so long. People who happen to be furries getting together to do something cool in NYC was the fundamental concept that lead to all the other other events we now have under the NYCFM umbrella. Through all that, we have become the changing force that brought the NYC furry community into the daylight. We were becoming the change we wanted to see.
The change was far from just affecting the furry community in NYC - it also changed a lot about who I am as a person. Through NYCFM was I able to build and grow my abilities as a leader. Through NYCFM was I able to find the confidence in myself to do so much more than I thought possible. Through NYCFM was I able to find some of my closest friends within the city. And while it would be cliche and inaccurate to say I “found love” at NYCFM, I did find the strengthening of the relationship between me and my incredible boyfriend Rune. Our relationship with each other grew as the organization grew, and it cannot be overstated how thankful I am to have him by my side to see us through whatever challenges we may face next.
NYC FurMeets is easily one of my proudest accomplishments in this fandom, and I hope that we continue to take this community to even greater heights in 2026.
The Staff
Recognizing our staff who weren't able to write for the blog. Thank you to all your work in making our events as incredible as they are. 🫶
Moon
Safety Lead
Hotfox
Safety Team
Joey
Logistics & Planning Team / FurFeast Lead
Euphoria
Photography Lead
Maru
Logistics & Planning Team / FurBar Lead
As I finish writing this from the lobby of the NYFB hotel, a very Happy New Year to all, and here's to an amazing 2026 for both NYC FurMeets and the NYC community as a whole!
Cheers,
Champion Mayor Zane & The NYCFM Team 🧡