Calling all Huntsville Reptile lovers!
Are you looking for an excellent opportunity to purchase pet reptiles and talk to professionals within the reptile community? Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to look at and meet new species?
Look no further than Repticon!
What is Repticon?
Repticon is – as the name suggests – is a reptile convention. Repticon is a convention that travels throughout the US, mostly concentrated in the Southern states and along the East Coast. The convention welcomes many different exotic and reptile vendors to come and set up booths. Repticon has a variety of different sponsors, and they support a cause called USARK that defends the right of reptile owners to keep reptiles as pets within the US.
Repticon in Huntsville
As you can probably imagine, though it is a traveling convention, each experience varies due to the changes in location, venue, vendors, etc. Because of this, we will only be discussing the Huntsville convention that we were able to attend.
The Huntsville Repticon Convention took place in the Jaycee Community Building, near John Hunt Park and the US Veterans Memorial Museum. The Jaycee Community Building is a moderately sized event space, but it was a good fit for the number of vendors present.
Tickets
Tickets to the event were sold exclusively online, which did cause some congestion at the entrance of the event, as there were many’s people who had to stop and purchase tickets on their phones. If you are planning on attending, it would be best to purchase your ticket at home and have it ready on your phone to make getting into the event as easy as possible. Tickets varied in price based on what kind of ticket you purchased. They offered tickets to attend both days of event, the afternoon of the first day, and the second day. They also offered children’s tickets at a discounted price.
The event offered free entry for active and retired military, first responders, and teachers (with their teaching ID).
The Vendors
The vendors at the Huntsville Repticon were lovely. All of them were involved and seemed to be well-educated and informed in their specific areas. Most of the vendors were friendly and greeted us when we arrived at their table, and they let us know that they were more than happy to answer any questions that we had. The ones who didn’t speak directly to us still seemed open and kind.
What Do They Sell at Repticon
Though it was called Repticon, there were a variety of different things available for purchase. The vendors had various snakes, lizards, frogs, turtles, tortoises, insects, and invertebrates for sale. There was a good number of ball pythons in many different morphs, lots of fat-tailed and leopard geckos, and hognoses, as you would expect to see, but there were also some surprises.
By far the most surprising thing to me was the sheer number of spiders available. Several different vendors were offering all types and varieties of tarantulas and jumping spiders.
I was also a bit surprised to find some furry friends who were looking for new homes. Although there were not many, we even saw some chinchillas, bunnies, cats, hamsters, hedgehogs, and even some hairless rats!
If you weren’t in the mood to bring home a reptile, some vendors offered reptile basics and needs, like food, enclosures, and decor. Many vendors also offered starter kits, where they would sell you a pet as well as everything you need to get started.
A few vendors also sold reptile-related products that weren’t necessarily used for reptiles, like reptile-based toys, clothing, and jewelry.
Who is Repticon for?
Repticon is for the reptile lover in your life! Anyone who has an interest in reptiles, or animals in general, could enjoy themselves at this event.
I am an animal lover myself, and I had so much fun being able to look at and watch all of the different animals and talk to all of their breeders.
What You Need to Know
When is the best time to go?
The Jaycee Community Building is a smaller building, and though the vendors fit well, it can get a little bit crowded when all of the reptile enthusiasts arrive. We were able to avoid the crowd by visiting when the event first opened on Sunday. You could also, likely avoid the crowds by visiting at other “odd” times.
Should I bring my kids?
Repticon is a family-friendly environment! Your little reptile lover would likely love to see everything! If you have a little one who is not as interested in reptiles, they may still be able to have a good time while looking at some of the booths that have toys (though there weren’t a ton of these). But who knows, your child may discover a love of reptiles during their visit!
How long should I expect to spend?
The amount of time a person could be there may vary from person to person. We spent about an hour and a half at Repticon and looked in every booth, but I could see situations where people might be there for more or less time. It is a small convention, which is something to remember when considering how much time you need to budget for the event.
Repticon Huntsville Alabama
Overall, Repticon is definitely an event I’ll be looking forward to next year! I’m excited to see it hopefully grow and expand. But for the price, you definitely can’t go wrong with visiting the convention (even if it is just to look).
