Three years ago, Toronto was the first international stop on the Oddities and Curiosities Expo schedule.
For years, people had been asking Michelle and her husband, Tony Cozzaglio, to bring the expo to Toronto, so they prepared for just about anything. It is always a busy tour for the native Oklahomans, who arrived in the Six after a stop in Tulsa.
“It was really scary because it meant driving over the border with all of our equipment and figuring out all the really intricate rules,” Michelle Cozzaglio recalled while standing near the event’s merchandise booth. “It was coming here and thinking, ‘Wow, I hope people like it here like they do in the States.’”
Now, it is a trip the Cozzaglios look forward to every year and a chance to catch up with the vendors and artists who form the core of the Toronto venue, as well as the Vancouver show.
“Everything has been going great, especially with everything going on in the world,” she said on May 9. “It’s forever a learning experience.”
Getting to know the vendors is part of that experience. Maple artist Angelo Di Martino has grown with the expo, appearing as a vendor selling his quirky anthropomorphized critter art, including a raccoon with a hiker’s backpack and a chickadee pulling the pin on a grenade. He has been creating art for more than 30 years.
“With art, you just want to see it up close,” the 50-year-old said, with his wife Daiana by his side. “To see something live that someone has put time into, people appreciate it more.”
He said he enjoys watching the faces of curious attendees light up when they spot something funny or unique among his designs.
Not far from Di Martino’s booth was the team from Handmade Curiosities. Herman Mudgett, not to be confused with that Mudgett, carved into a bust mounted on a spinner. They have attended every Oddities and Curiosities Expo held in Toronto.
“This show rocks. They do a really, really excellent job. It’s the best vibe,” he said while sculpting the face of his latest monstrosity in progress. “I’ve been a horrorhead since I was wee.”
From pottery shards to leaflets, Ex Mortis: Rare and Beloved Books owner Veronica Vandersteenen was also on hand to share a few stories about Victor, the resident spirit at the Art and Oddities Parlour in Pickering. The shop specializes in books on the uncanny and spine-tingling.
Vandersteenen said she has been casting a wider net, working in Woodstock while also scouting possible brick-and-mortar locations in Hamilton.
It is the warm bodies that keep her coming back to the expo.
“The people, the interactions,” she said. “Seeing everybody’s smiles when they actually see our books and knowing that we bring a curated collection they like. That keeps us going.”
Stage performers were also on hand to entertain guests. Babyface Reid presented strongman shows, while sword swallower and sideshow daredevil Neil E Dee delivered the shock factor.
There are hopes of expanding into other Canadian cities, including Calgary and Montreal, but for now, the expo team is enjoying its stops in Vancouver and Toronto.
“I’d love to hit a few different cities, but it’s a slow roll into it,” Cozzaglio said.
Photos by Emily Baker