/mlp/arty at @babscon Friday / Saturday 9:30PM Suite 2016

/mlp/arty BABScon 2017
Room: 2016
Friday / Saturday nights starting 9:30 PM
Age 21+

As we prepare to enter Season 7 of My Little Pony, and the 5th year of /mlp/arties, we would like to look back on how the fun times got started. 

This weekend is BABScon, and it's no secret that they're one of our all-time favorite gatherings of horse enthusiasts. The reasons for that are many, but most importantly is that they will be playing host to the 4th consecutive /mlp/arty in San Francisco. For many attendees, the /mlp/arty is one of those things that has just, always sort-of "been there", as old as pony cons itself. Many would be surprised to learn that the regularly-scheduled drinkathons had very...disorganized and turbulent beginnings. 

The very first usage of the phrase "/mlp/arty" in reference to an event was made by yours-truly on Sunday July 28th, 2013, nearly 4 years ago now. And, in a rather ironic turn of events, it was telling someone NOT to drink. 

The /mlp/arty then, was intended to be an organized meetup of /mlp/ users at BronyCon 2013, for drinking and shenanigans; a concept that had never been attempted before on /mlp/, which was founded just 1 year prior. 

While I won't go into any major details of that event here, if you ask around, you'll find it was a total shitshow. Coordinating anonymous people together into one location was a recipe for disaster. We didn't even have a specific room to use at first. The one we eventually found and invaded for drinking, it turned out no one knew who owned it. One recovered missing child, flag-waving stunt, police encounter, deportation, and convention-ejection later, one thing became clear: we needed to try this again, and vowed to get our shit under-control.

Which we did that very same year, at Nightmare Nights Dallas.

NMND quickly jumped to top of the "best con for nor/mlp/eople" list, when they gave us an opportunity to repent for our past mistakes and embrace our absurdity in the form of charity.

Another event at BC13 prompted the creation of the "Memorial Pasta Fund" (anons thought I had been killed by police officers). The fund yielded 4 tons of food for the needy, proving that /mlp/ does have a heart, even if they choose to ignore it frequently. It was here that conventions really started to warm up to the /mlp/resence at their events. NMND continues to be one of our favorite party venues to this day.

Charity efforts continued to be an aspect of /mlp/arty functions at future events as well.

It was at BABScon 2014 that /mlp/arties took the form that we know today. Through the coordinated efforts of a small group of anons who had come to know each other from the previous 2 conventions. Multiple-room suites complete with stocked bars and entertainment, and a desire to constantly one-up the previous event (strippers...DJs...horse dildo shots...bondage demonstrations...). After the BABScon party of 2015, all planning efforts fell upon the core group who had made it all happen, as I departed for Korea with no return in sight.

To those of you about to take part in the 4th BABScon /mlp/arty, enjoy yourselves, drink responsibly, have one for me, I'm with you in spirit.