After the holidays you might need a break to help you unwind from the chaos. How about something totally weird and off the beaten path?
The Oddities and Curiosities Expo, the original traveling oddities event that hits significant cities across the country and features 150+ oddity vendors and artists, will return to the Del Mar Fairgrounds – O’Brien Hall on Jan. 14, 2023.
The Oddities and Curiosities Expo draws people from all walks of life who enjoy the strange and unusual and the event offers something for everyone.
Visitors will have the opportunity to browse and shop for a wide variety of rare and unusual items from local and national vendors including taxidermy, preserved animal specimens, original horror, and Halloween-inspired artwork, antiques, handcrafted oddities, skulls, bones, and funeral collectibles.
In addition to the vast array of vendors, the expo will also feature photo-ops, tarot reading, sideshow performers, and concessions.
“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.”
On the Road
The Cozzaglios have been taking The Oddities and Curiosities Expo on the road from coast to coast for the past six years after observing there was a market for this type of large-scale event.
Long-time collectors of oddities and obscure memorabilia themselves, the pair also own a record store and screen printing business and operate punk festivals across the country.
Guests of The Oddities and Curiosities Expo can also purchase tickets to a day-long taxidermy class where they can learn to make their full sized rabbit mount. In the course, hosted by The Sleeping Sirens, students will work with sustainably sourced frozen animals to learn the basics of taxidermy and will be provided with a variety of tools and materials.
The O&C Expo also hosts The Oddities Museum which will have its curated show “The Cryptic Collection of a Mad Clown”.
The museum is a 1,600-square-foot carnival sideshow reminiscent of big top attractions of the early 1900s. For an additional $7 ($5 advance), guests can be taken back in time to an old carnival and gaze upon real and rare oddities.
It is important to note: 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, Jan. 14, 2023, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Del Mar Fairgrounds – O’Brien Hall at 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar.
Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and children 12 and under are free. The event is for all ages – however, parents are advised to use their best judgment about if their children should attend.
Tickets can be purchased here.
The Full Rabbit Mount 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 $235, 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.
For additional information, follow The Oddities and Curiosities Expo on Facebook and Instagram.