Not every November weekend calls for pumpkin spice and sweater weather. If your idea of a good Saturday involves taxidermy, preserved insect specimens, hand-forged gothic jewelry, and art that makes most people do a double-take, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo is returning to Sacramento—and it’s worth two days of your calendar.
The show lands at Cal Expo on November 14 and 15, 2026, running both days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cal Expo Race Track, 1600 Exposition Blvd. Admission is $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Kids 12 and under get in free.
What the Oddities & Curiosities Expo Actually Is
The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is a touring vendor market that has been crisscrossing North America since 2015. It is not a haunted house, a horror convention, or a Halloween pop-up—though it shares a certain aesthetic with all three. Think of it as an art and antique fair with a distinctly darker curatorial eye.
The Sacramento stop is one of roughly 40 cities the expo hits in 2026. Each show brings together dozens of independent vendors selling things that do not easily fit anywhere else: mounted animal specimens, natural history curiosities like skulls and insect collections, original paintings and prints in gothic and Victorian styles, handmade clothing and accessories, occult objects, antique medical equipment, Victorian mourning jewelry, and the kind of taxidermy that ends up in carefully lit display cases. Some cities also feature hands-on workshops—preservation techniques, oddity assembly, that sort of thing—though availability varies by location.
The crowd skews eclectic: artists, collectors, history enthusiasts, people who grew up watching too many nature documentaries, and curious newcomers who were dragged along by a friend and ended up buying a framed moth. The vibe is friendly and unhurried. Vendors tend to be knowledgeable about their goods and genuinely happy to talk provenance.
Two Days or One?
Both days run identical hours (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) with the same vendor floor. Most attendees find a single day plenty of time to work through the show, though two-day passes are available if you want to come back for a second look—or to pick up something you talked yourself out of the first time.
Saturday (November 14) tends to draw a larger crowd. If you prefer more breathing room to actually examine the pieces, Sunday morning often moves at a slower pace, especially in the first hour after doors open.
Getting There and Planning the Visit
Cal Expo Race Track is inside the Cal Expo complex at 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento—easily accessible from Business 80. Parking is available on site. The venue is indoors, so neither Sacramento’s November chill nor the occasional tule fog will be a factor once you’re inside.
Bring cash if you have it. Many independent vendors at shows like this are set up for card payments, but having cash on hand is useful for smaller purchases and avoids any connectivity issues at indoor booths. Tote bags are a smart call if you plan to buy.
The Details
- Event: Oddities & Curiosities Expo Sacramento
- Dates: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15, 2026
- Hours: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. both days
- Venue: Cal Expo Race Track, 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95815
- Admission: $15 advance | $20 at the door | Kids 12 and under: free
- Tickets: Available at odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com
- Parking: Available on site at Cal Expo
Bottom Line
The Oddities & Curiosities Expo is one of those events that is hard to explain to someone who has never been, and immediately obvious to anyone who has. It is a well-run, genuinely interesting market that draws some of the most unusual independent vendors in the country under one roof for a weekend. Sacramento gets the show November 14 and 15. At $15 advance admission with free entry for kids, the barrier to just showing up and seeing what it’s about is low.
If you’re planning a full November weekend of out-of-the-ordinary Sacramento events, the Crocker Art Museum’s two new November exhibitions are opening around the same time. For a different kind of Cal Expo show later in the month, the Harvest Festival’s original art and craft market runs the weekend before Thanksgiving.
