This is a call for submissions for the July 2026 Midway Menagerie, a monthly furry blogging carnival.

A blogging carnival is an event that gets people blogging around a particular topic. Every month, there's a theme or discussion prompt for folks to respond to, and at the end of the month there's a roundup post linking to everyone's submissions. A rotating "host" decides that month's theme, collects responses, and posts the roundup. The idea is to encourage discussion and helps folks discover new blogs. Think of it like a book club, except instead of reading books you write essays and share them.

This month's theme is "Fandom and Community". Here are some specific prompts to get you started, but feel free to take the theme in a different direction!

  • We often call ourselves the "furry community" or the "furry fandom", but what does that mean? What makes something a community; where does "community" start and end, and what does it mean to be part of one?
  • What aspects of furry community have you found rewarding or challenging?
  • How have you seen the furry community evolve over time? What do you think about the direction it's headed?
  • What was your introduction to the furry community like?
  • What has your experience of online vs IRL community been like? To what extent do you engage with each, and what is different between the two for you?
  • Some folks use the terms "furry fandom" and "furry community" interchangeably. Others use them differently, or prefer one over the other. How do you feel?
  • What makes the furry community different from other affinity, interest, or identity groups you may be a part of?

Submissions are due by the end of July. I'm posting this first edition of the carnival mid-June, but giving folks until the end of July so the people who told me they're interested in setting up their own blog have a little extra time to do so.

You don't need a blog to participate! If you don't have anywhere to post your submission, feel free to send it to me anyways and I'll host it here as a guest post. I'm also happy to post your submission anonymously.

You can send me your submission by commenting on this post, via email or Signal, or messaging me on any other platform (Telegram, etc.) where you have my contact info.

Still not sure how this whole carnival thing works? Check out the home page for the carnival.

Happy writing!