Deals and services to help cut costs

Author: Ronnie Noodles

Reading time: ~5 minutes

There are some deals and services that can help make your Anthrocon experience a little easier on the wallet. Though this isn’t an exhaustive list of deals and services, these are some typical ones we’d recommend taking advantage of!

Many local businesses in the area offer Anthrocon-themed specials during the week of Anthrocon. One of the most famous examples of this is the Pizza Parma on Liberty Avenue, formerly known as Fernando's (or Furnando's). During the convention they become "Furryland" and serve a wide variety of affordable, filling eats. In addition, attendees that help out Anthrocon by volunteering for the convention may also earn additional discounts and coupons that are useable at partnered restaurants and food establishments, providing even more savings.

Around the city, there are restaurants and establishments that may have “themed” menus or offers which might offer something novel for you to try while being priced more reasonably. If you’re looking for more details on establishments for food and drinks, and looking to see which ones have deals or good price points, we’ll have our 2023 options updated soon on our Dining Guide.

Here’s an important one if you are staying at a further hotel: Anthrocon is chartering shuttle buses to transport attendees to and from the convention center and your partnered hotel, free of charge. These buses will also come with a tracking system so you’ll be able to see where the shuttle bus is, and how long it will take to get to your hotel. For more information on the shuttle buses and route maps, see our At The Convention page.

If you’re driving to the city, you might be looking for a place to park for the weekend without having to pay a hefty premium. Pittsburgh has many different options for public parking lots that allow for cheaper overnight parking, with many of them in covered garages that are monitored. This will help you save a good chunk of change rather than having to always valet park your vehicle, unless you’ve got a need to access your car frequently. We’ve got a list of some nearby parking lots that attendees have used in the past, which you can access on Google Maps. Please note that Anthrocon does not currently have any sort of deals or discount partnerships with any parking garages or lots.

Pittsburgh is also a major city with different methods of transportation available to get around town, for those feeling adventurous and/or wanting to save on taking rideshares. For example, the Pittsburgh Regional Transit system (PRT) operates bus, light rail, incline and paratransit services all around the city and Allegheny county, making it easy to get from one end of town to the other. PRT fare is $2.75 for unlimited rides within a three hour period, and travel between the Downtown and North Shore is free on the light rail system. Find out more about the Pittsburgh Regional Transit.

It’s likely that you’ll be staying at a hotel during the convention, and many hotels have a slew of services and amenities that might be free or charge or cost a small fee. Since you’re already paying a good amount to stay there, why not take advantage of these amenities?

For example, the Drury hotel has free breakfast every day for guests that are staying at that hotel, helping you to save money on eating. Other hotels may offer things like free coffee or beverages at specific times. You can often find information about amenities and perks that your hotel may offer as a guest there by going to their website, or by calling them through their contact information.

When you’re lost in the sea of booths and tables selling wonderous wares, it might be hard to keep track of how you’ll get all your goods home - especially if you’re flying to Anthrocon. You may want to ask dealers or artists if they’re able to offer you shipping for any purchases you make, instead of having to lug it all in your luggage and pay extra bag fees. This might also come in the form of “take-home” commissions, where an artist may offer to send your commission to you as an added service (fees dependent). However, it’s best to be prepared with a plan for how much you’ll be buying at the convention, and how much you’re able to take home without paying too many extra fees.

On the last day of conventions, some dealers or artists may even offer “end of con” sales or discounts when they’re looking to clear out their inventory. This could translate into a great opportunity for you to save some money on artwork or merchandise; the exact discounts will vary between dealers, and you may not see the same level of inventory that they had earlier in the convention.

Though these are only some of the deals and services that you might be able to find at Anthrocon, there might be other tips you can find by asking the furry community online through platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Discord. We pride ourselves on being a community based on help and shared knowledge (hence why we’re writing these articles), and you might make a new friend along the way!

If you’ve got any other suggestions on deals or services that might help, let us know at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to hear from you.

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