About Philly FatCon
Philly FatCon is a revolutionary two-day convention curated for fat people, by fat people.

Join us this November for the third annual Philly FatCon!
The website is being updated on a regular basis. Check back for more details soon!

New this year:
- New, modern location with views of Philadelphia: CYTO PHL in University City
- Breakfast and lunch are included
- New speakers and topics
- New vendors
- Podcast recording studio: email us to rent it! 
- Quiet room
- Professional Roundtables: discussion groups for licensed professionals
...and more!
Saturday, november 1st
> Breakfast and lunch
> Marketplace with dozens of vendors
> Keynote Speaker, Breanne Fahs, PhD: Fat and Furious
> 4 expert panels
> 4 movement classes
> 2 professional roundtables

> After Dark Party filled with costume contests, music, and burlesque
Sunday, November 2nd
> Breakfast
> Marketplace with clothing and fashion vendors
> Invited Speaker, Kenna Libes: History of Fat Fashion
> 5th Annual Philly Plus Swap
2025 Ticket Options

There is a ticket type for everyone, whether you want VIP treatment the whole weekend or can only come for a single day. Additional ticket types may be offered including After Dark Party tickets.
Ultimate VIP
A weekend full of perks like:
Dedicated Check-In
VIP Lounge Access at CYTO
Swag Bag with tons of goodies!
Reserved Seating
Philly FatCon T-Shirt

Saturday: Breakfast, Lunch, + Dinner
Sunday: Breakfast

Philly FatCon After Dark
Reserved VIP Section
Dinner Buffet
Complimentary Drink Ticket

All Access Pass
General Admission to all of Philly FatCon's events

Access to dozens of size inclusive and fat-friendly vendors, entry into expert panels and keynote speaker, and movement classes.

Saturday: Breakfast + Lunch
Sunday: Breakfast

Dozens of raffle prizes!

Saturday Convention Pass
You can only make it on Saturday? That's okay!

General admission to Convention Day 1 (Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM) including breakfast and lunch.

Marketplace, expert panels and speakers, movement classes, quiet room, and friends!

Sunday Convention Pass
You can only make it on Sunday? We gotchu!

General admission to Convention Day 2 (Sunday, 9 AM to 1 PM) including breakfast.

Fashion talk, 5th Annual Philly Plus Swap, size inclusive clothing vendors, and textile recycling.

Schedule
Friday
7:00 PM
Welcome Party Happy Hour
To be announced to our ticketholders only. 
Saturday
9:00 AM
Check-in and Breakfast @ CYTO | PHL
Enjoy a breakfast buffet and hot coffee while you meet fellow attendees and enjoy spectacular views of Philadelphia from our beautiful space at CYTO | PHL.
10:00 AM to
5:00 PM
Convention Day 1
Saturday will feature a keynote speaker, expert panel discussions, professional roundtables, our bustling inclusive marketplace, and a variety of movement classes. Get ready to for a busy day! Lunch will be served.
8:00 PM
After Dark Party @ World Cafe Live
Throw on your best Halloween costume and join us for an exciting evening of fat burlesque performances, music, and costume contests. Food and drink available for purchase. Ultimate VIPs will enjoy a dinner buffet and complimentary beverage.
Sunday
9:00 AM to
12:00 PM
Convention Day 2
Mix and mingle with your new besties while enjoying breakfast and a fashion talk before the 5th Annual Philly Plus Swap starts.
"You'll find beautiful artwork, amazing vendors, great panels, and a Great group of people."
- 2024 Philly FatCon Attendee
2025 Keynote Speaker
Philly FatCon is proud to present scholar and author, Breanne Fahs, as our 2025 Keynote Speaker.
2025 Keynote Speaker Sponsor: Aubrey Gordon, star of the 2023 documentary, Your Fat Friend.
Breanne Fahs, PhD
Professor of women and Gender studies
Breanne Fahs is professor of Women and Gender Studies at Arizona State University, where she specializes in studying women’s sexuality, critical embodiment studies, feminist histories, and political activism. She has authored many books, including most recently Unshaved and Burn It Down! Feminist Manifestos for the Revolution. Her most recent book, Fat and Furious: Igniting Radical Fat Resistance, explores the role of fury as a tool for fat liberation.
She is the founder and director of the Feminist Research on Gender and Sexuality Group at Arizona State University, and she also works as a clinical psychologist in private practice.

Breanne's new book, Fat and Furious will be available for purchase at Philly FatCon!
Fat and Furious
By Breanne Fahs
A bold takedown of the ways women are terrorized about fatness, and a treatise on the revolutionary power of fat fury

Anti-fatness and fat-shaming are used most often as a way to inspire fear in others about being or becoming fat. Scholar and therapist Breanne Fahs breaks down how the dread of fatness is used to control and capitalize on women’s fears of their unruly bodies and demonstrates how rejecting shame and instead igniting feelings of anger can help us collectively move towards justice.

Weaving together the voices of fat people and activists with damning psychological and sociological evidence, Fahs chronicles how fat oppression and fear-mongering impacts every aspect of our lives, from media representation to workplace and healthcare discrimination to the problem with body positivity movements, and even how we handle fat death. She argues that rage, or fat fury, becomes the necessary antidote to the resignation and powerlessness that anti-fatness so often generates.

Illuminating and infuriating, Fahs intertwines the personal and systemic impacts of anti-fatness and calls on all of us—fatter and thinner alike—to reflect and revolt.
2025 Sponsors
Infini sponsor
Ulla Popken is committed to delivering superior fashion and clothing for plus size people.
Created exclusively for you.

Find your perfect fit and use ULLAFATCON to get 25% off your order! 
Super Sponsors
Mid Sponsors
Locations, Travel, Parking, Accessibility
Centrally Located
CYTO | PHL 2929 Arch Street, Suite 250, Philadelphia PA 19104 
CYTO | PHL is located in the Cira Center and is connected to William H. Gray III 30th Street Station by a skywalk bridge. From 30th Street Station you will enter the second floor of Cira Center and be just outside the doors of CYTO.

There is onsite, paid parking and a rideshare drop-off location. There is an escalator and elevators that take you to CYTO on the 2nd floor of the Cira Center. Onsite garage parking will be validated at the rate of $15. Please refer to the Arrival Instructions you will receive after registration.

Check out our Google map with all of the important locations marked!

SEPTA IS CURRENTLY EXPERIENCING CHALLENGES. Confirm your route beforehand!
Budget conscious travelers may wish to take the train from the airport to 30th Street Station. You can find more information on that here. It is $6.75 each way if purchased at the kiosk or with a SEPTA card.
Hotel Accomodations
Sheraton Philadelphia | University City Hotel
3549 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia PA 19104
We have secured a room block at the Sheraton Philadelphia | University City with check-in on Friday, October 31st and check-out on Sunday, November 2nd, starting at $225/night. ADA compliant rooms are also available, please call to make reservations for ADA rooms.

Rooms are limited and must be booked before September 30, 2025. Book using this link

This hotel is less than 1 mile from CYTO | PHL, our primary venue. Philadelphia public transportation (SEPTA) runs a trolley every 5 minutes from the same block as the hotel to 30th Street Station (connected to CYTO).
Accessibility
Philly FatCon is committed to making our events accessible to as many people as possible. This year we are making efforts to visualize information in different ways and providing information to our volunteers on interacting with all of our attendees but please keep in mind that our volunteers are not mental healthcare professionals.

If you have mobility need or disability that requires assistance within the convention, you can request a volunteer assistant via email and then meet your volunteer at the registration desk at the event.

The Cira Center (building that CTYO | PHL is located in) has an attached parking lot with accessible parking on each level (vans only on the first level).
If you enter the Cira Center from the ground floor, you can take the escalator to the second floor to access CYTO's suite. If you need an elevator from the ground floor, check in at the main desk in the lobby and they will give you a badge to access the elevator. You can also enter by taking the parking garage elevators to the third floor. Full arrival instructions will be sent to all ticketholders. The venue is connected by footbridge to 30th Street Station.
We will have a dedicated quiet room at Philly FatCon this year for those with sensory needs. 
The After Dark Party will take place at The Lounge at World Café Live, an independent non-profit venue a few blocks from the Cira Center. The lounge is located on the ground floor of WCL, there are no steps or ramps into the building or into The Lounge, it is a very short distance from the front door. Multiple ADA parking spaces are available on Walnut Street directly outside of WCL. If you are using a wheelchair or scooter, we recommend parking (or being dropped off) at the corner of Walnut Street and 30th Street due to limited curb cuts and sidewalk ramps along Walnut Street.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bring My children?
Unfortunately, no. As much as we love and value children we believe that some content would be inappropriate, we cannot guarantee the safety of your children. Philly FatCon Convention Days are 18+. Philly FatCon After Dark is 21+ only. 
What are your covid provisions?
Philly FatCon encourages attendees to wear masks and consult with their medical providers on additional vaccines and their general attendance at large group events.
How Do I get there?
We encourage the use of public transportation. The venue is connected to 30th Street Station which allows attendees to travel by SEPTA Regional Rail and Amtrak. There is paid parking onsite for those that drive and a convenient rideshare drop-off directly in front of the building.
ARe meals included?
Yes! We are proud to offer breakfast and lunch on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday. VIP guests will also enjoy a buffet dinner on Saturday at the After Dark Party. We will do our best to accommodate dietary restrictions, please indicate them in your ticket registration. If you have extreme allergies, please consider bringing your own food for safety.
How do I get invited to the Discord?
When you purchase a ticket, you will get a confirmation email containing a link to our Discord server. The Discord is for ticketholders only. 
Can I be a volunteer?
Our volunteer spots have already been filled by dozens of amazing people. Join our mailing list to learn about future opportunities.
How Do I find out about the Welcome Party?
The Welcome Party is for ticketholders only so join the Discord to get the details or wait for the email to find out where and when to meet us! Any ticket will grant you entry to the Welcome Party.
Can non-fat people attend?
We encourage allies to attend to support their friends or family. The After Dark Party is a great event to invite your straight-sized friends to.
How do I apply for a Press Pass?
Please email us at [email protected] to request your press pass. Include the publication or media outlet that you are working for, the angle of your story, and an example of your previous work.
How can I participate as a vendor?
All vendor selections have been made for 2025. Please sign up for our email list and we'll keep you updated on applications for next year.
Is pFC Requiring Masks?
At this time, we are not requiring attendees to wear masks at PFC events but we encourage all attendees to discuss their participation in large events with their medical providers and to seek vaccinations as appropriate.
Are there scholarships?
This year we were able to offer 5 scholarships thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, Aubrey Gordon and Wide Open, plus the Philly FatCon ticket holders who donated. Hilltop Books and Mavey Books donated copies of Fat and Furious for all of our scholarship recipients. 
The HIstory of Philly FatCon
Philly FatCon was conceptualized in 2022 by Donnelle Jageman, Adrienne Ray, and Kenyetta Harris while the group admired the atmosphere at 2nd Annual The Philly Plus Swap, a clothing swap founded by Donnelle in 2021. Adrienne and Kenyetta participated in the Plus Swap as vendors with their respective brands: Curve Conscious and Curvy and Seductive. The group was inspired by the energy at the event and need for fat community, they started planning Philly FatCon in November 2022. The first Philly FatCon was held in October 2023 and the second annual convention was held in October 2024. Since its inception, Philly FatCon has been featured in several national and regional publications including The Philadelphia Inquirer and NPR.
"Philly FatCon aims to bring fat liberation to Philadelphia..."
"Philly's first-of-its-kind fat-focused convention..."
"Fat, happy and healed: A movement toward fat liberation"
Jackie Molloy for NPR Picture Show, 2023
"Behind Philly FatCon: An Origin Story"
Body Equity Alliance, Weight Stigma Awareness Week, 2023
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