All things peculiar and extraordinary: The Oddities & Curiosities Expo returns to ABQ

Michelle and Tony Cozzaglio had a dream to create an event that would welcome everyone.

Sure it would highlight everything odd.

Yet, it would bring out curiosity in those who attend.

Most of all, it would be a fun experience for like-minded people.

All things peculiar and extraordinary: The Oddities & Curiosities Expo returns to ABQ

“We are the first and largest traveling expo that features oddities, businesses and dark artists worldwide,” Michelle Cozzaglio says. “We have a deep passion for supporting odd small businesses and artists worldwide. We started this expo to provide a safe place for anyone to be themselves surrounded by a community of like-minded people.”

The Oddities & Curiosities Expo returns to Albuquerque again this year. The two-day event will run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 9, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, March 10, at Expo New Mexico.

“This is the ultimate celebration of all things peculiar and extraordinary,” Cozzaglio says. “This time, it’s bigger and better as we’re expanding to a weekend event.”

Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com.

The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is a one-of-a-kind traveling showcase featuring over 150 oddity vendors and artists from across the country.

“This is where the weird, wonderful and the downright bizarre come together in a fascinating display of the extraordinary,” she says.

The event will travel coast to coast and visit 31 cities in the United States and Canada in 2024.

Cozzaglio says the expo is for those who appreciate the strange and unusual.

“Step into a world where you can browse and shop for rare and unique items, including taxidermy, preserved animal specimens, original horror and Halloween-inspired artwork, antiques, metaphysical accouterments, handcrafted oddities, skulls, bones and funeral collectibles,” she continues.

But it’s not just about shopping; it’s an immersive experience.

The expo offers photo ops, tarot readings, sideshow performers and concessions to keep attendees entertained and engaged throughout the day.

The Cozzaglios founded the event in Oklahoma in 2017 and have hosted over 200 events across the country.

“Our event is so successful because we have strong DIY ethics and have evolved to provide the best expo possible for our exhibitors and attendees,” she says. “We work with the best exhibitors in the world and curate our show to highlight exactly what our wonderful attendees hope to see.”

Guests of expo can also purchase tickets to a day-long taxidermy class where they can learn to make their own full-sized taxidermy mount, which will vary by city, or insect pinning classes.

In both classes, hosted by The Sleeping Sirens, students will work with sustainably sourced specimens to learn the basics of taxidermy and entomology and will be provided with a variety of tools and materials. These classes are both an extra cost.

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