The Reptilian Nation Expo showcased thousands of reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, isopods, and other bugs and was held at the Fort Worth Convention Center this past weekend.
The expo featured a plethora of vendors looking to sell, entertain, and educate the many attendees of the Reptilian Nation Expo.
The Dallas Express was on hand to witness the wide variety of snakes, spiders, and lizards on display and to speak with the event’s creator, Ryan Minardi.
“I started this in 2015 in Fresno, California, and you know, it was really kind of small when we started. It was about 20,000 square feet, and it just got bigger and bigger and expanded into different cities,” Minardi told The Dallas Express.
The expo toured cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, and San Francisco. However, Minardi encountered difficulties in California when the COVID-19 pandemic led the state to shutter many events.
“When the pandemic happened, I realized that I was not able to do my business properly in California because everything was shutting down. They wouldn’t even let us have a fence,” Minardi told The Dallas Express.
“So, I decided to move up this way, and it’s been so much better. My business has been way more prosperous out here, my events are a lot busier out here, and the vendors are so much nicer this way as well,” Minardi continued.
Since Minardi moved to Texas, he has seen an increase in people and vendors wanting to be a part of the expo.
“It’s been really nice seeing everything that they have,” said Lala Rivera, an event attendee speaking to The Dallas Express. “We will definitely come back next year.”
Many vendors at the expo seemed pleased with how Minardi has developed the event. They believe it is more than an expo but a chance to educate the public about the different species of amphibians and reptiles.
“We love doing reptile shows for education,” said Amanda Ready of Ready’s Rainforest, speaking to The Dallas Express. “I love that I can tell people that the chameleon is not hard to take care of, that way, they can learn. I love educating; that’s my main thing.”
The Reptilian Nation Expo ran from Saturday, November 5, to Sunday, November 6.