One part horror convention and one part dark arts – The Oddities and Curiosities Expo featuring over 150 local and national vendors and will visit McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois on Saturday, August 28th. Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at https://odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com/tickets

Attendees can expect to see vendors and small businesses showcasing taxidermy, preserved animal specimens, original horror and Halloween-inspired artwork, antiques, handcrafted oddities, quack medical devices, creepy clothing, odd jewelry, skulls, bones, and funeral collectibles.

Local vendors include Sideshow Gallery, Scavenged PARTS, and Wolf Hollow, to name a few.

“The Oddities and Curiosities Expo was created purely out of the excitement of bringing communities we care about together through events,” said Michelle Cozzaglio, who owns the expo with her husband, Tony. “Honestly, we had no idea it would turn into what it has today! Our goal has always been to uplift those around us while giving everyone, including ourselves, the opportunity to truly do what they love.”

The Cozzaglios are based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and have been taking The Oddities and Curiosities Expo on the road from coast to coast since 2017, after observing there was a market for this type of large scale event. Long-time collectors of oddities and obscure memorabilia, the pair also own a record store and screen printing business, and operate punk festivals across the country.

In addition to visiting the showroom floor, guests of The Oddities and Curiosities Expo are able to purchase tickets to a day-long taxidermy class where they can learn to make their own jackalope – a rabbit with antlers. Participants will work with frozen rabbits and learn the basics of taxidermy, including skinning and preserving the pelt.

The O&C Expo also hosts Rainy Day Revival, a carnival sideshow experience from Atlanta, Georgia. For an additional $5, guests can meet Simon the Cyclops Lamb and Beefcake the Bulldog Calf.

All animals in the taxidermy class and other parts of the show – like preserved specimens – are sourced ethically and died of natural causes.

EVENT INFO
The Oddities and Curiosities Expo will take place Saturday, August 28th, from 10am to 6pm at McCormick Place – Hall C1, 2301 S King Dr. Chicago, IL 60616. Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and children 12 and under are free. The event is all ages – however parents are advised to use their best judgement about if their children should attend.

Tickets can be purchased at https://odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com/tickets

The Jackalope Taxidermy Class hosted by Heather Clark of Sleeping Sirens Art & Oddities will be held from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. with breaks built-in for lunch and exploring the expo. The class is $210, and is available to those aged 16 and up, or younger with parental approval. All materials and tools will be provided. Tickets for this class also include admission to the expo.

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Tags: Chicago, McCormick Place, Near South Side, The Oddities and Curiosities Expo