Convention Dates: October 23-24, 2021
Location: Arlington, TX
Booth Cost: $125
Will I do it again?: No
Would I recommend?: No Load in/out Ease: ★★★★★ - Very easy and quick load in and out. Loading dock was available.
I've never come out of a convention in the red before. Retropalooza was an unfortunate first in that regard. Retropalooza hosts two events, one in Houston and one in Arlington. I remember my experience in Houston being very boring and slow and also not a show I would never do again or recommend, but I did Retropalooza Houston in 2018. Whether or not things have changed with it are uncertain, but what is certain is that I cannot even remotely recommend its Arlington counterpart.
Retropalooza benefits one type of exhibitor and one type only, and that would be exhibitors that specialize in selling old games, consoles, and toys. I am an artist and fall nowhere in that category. Interestingly enough, there also weren't that many artists either, and apparently, I got lucky with placement and was put near vendors that were selling their retro wares. Even though the sales were abysmal, I did make some sales. However, I feel like the kind of people that buy my merch tend to be teenage girls, young women, and people in the LGBTQ+ community. However, there were more men than anything at this convention.
This is not a convention for artists. Retropalooza Arlington is a hard pass for me.