Taxidermied specimens, bones, pinned insects and vintage medical equipment will fill the floor at World Market Center Las Vegas this weekend as the Oddities & Curiosities Expo returns for its ninth year, running Saturday and Sunday with sideshow acts, hands-on classes and hundreds of vendors from across the country.
The traveling market, now in its ninth year, was founded by Michelle and Tony Cozzaglio and has drawn increasingly large crowds along with a growing community of curio enthusiasts, according to Las Vegas Weekly. The Las Vegas stop runs September 19 and 20, opening at 10 a.m. on Saturday at World Market Center Las Vegas. Admission runs $16 or more, per the same report.
Michelle Cozzaglio grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she found belonging in the city's punk and hardcore music scenes, the outlet reports. She and Tony founded the Punk Rock Flea Market back in 2012, and that market eventually evolved into the Oddities & Curiosities Expo. What started as a DIY gathering has since grown into a touring franchise spanning 40 North American cities and drawing thousands of visitors per stop, according to 6ix Retail.
Sideshow Acts and Sunday Scorpion Habitats
Beyond the vendor booths, the expo offers tarot readings and photo opportunities alongside sideshow performances staged every half hour, the Las Vegas Weekly report notes. Those performances include sword swallowing, glass walking, classic stunts, magic and juggling.
The Las Vegas stop also features hands-on classes over its two-day run. Sleeping Sirens, founded by Heather Clark, is hosting taxidermy and entomology classes at the event, per the same account. Saturday's lineup includes a raccoon taxidermy class, while Sunday's entomology sessions offer attendees a choice between a sunset moth or a scorpion habitat.
Those workshop offerings line up with the expo's broader sourcing rules. According to official event FAQs published by the Oddities & Curiosities Expo, vendors must source materials sustainably, with possible sources including veterinary clinics, farms, sanctuaries, roadkill, foraging and antique or vintage auctions. Organizers say no animals are harmed or hunted specifically for the expo's workshops or vendors.
Strict Bans Reflect Past Controversies
The expo also enforces policies banning the sale of real bats, human remains and AI-generated artwork at every stop on its tour, citing ethical, legal and sourcing concerns. Reports on the issue include a Portland cadaver event connected to the expo and a Seattle cancellation, while KGW reported on a Multnomah County ban on pay-per-view displays of human remains.
Nevada law adds another layer of boundaries for vendors setting up in Las Vegas. Nevada Revised Statutes Chapter 501 contains wildlife-related prohibitions relevant to vendors, according to the Nevada Legislature. Separately, vendors must comply with other applicable laws.
The venue itself was built to handle exactly this kind of high-volume convention. The Expo at World Market Center Las Vegas opened in April 2021 as part of a $103.5 million development, offering 315,000 square feet of total facility space, including nearly 200,000 square feet of exhibit space in downtown Las Vegas, according to Exhibit City News.
A Gathering Place Built on Personal Roots
For Michelle Cozzaglio, the tour's mission runs deeper than commerce. She has said Tulsa has a thriving alternative scene while other places still lack one, and that bringing the expo to smaller cities feels meaningful to her, per Las Vegas Weekly. She has also said that bringing communities together in each city was important to her.
For Michelle Cozzaglio, the tour's mission runs deeper than commerce. She has said Tulsa has a thriving alternative scene while other places still lack one, and that bringing the expo to smaller cities feels meaningful to her, per Las Vegas Weekly. She has also said that bringing communities together in each city was important to her. That mission has translated into a business model built without corporate investors or silent partners; Michelle and Tony Cozzaglio personally manage and attend every stop on the tour, per 6ix Retail. The expo also offers programming beyond the vendor floor.
For dark-art vendors and independent artisans who set up booths, touring stops can be part of a calendar of events used to build a living, per 6ix Retail. The Las Vegas stop serves as a gathering place for punk, hardcore, metal and goth subcultures alongside artists, collectors and curious visitors, and attendees can expect to leave with preserved specimens, antiques, macabre artwork or handmade jewelry, according to Las Vegas Weekly. More details on the Las Vegas dates are available at odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com.
