Central PA Tattoo & Horror Expo
- Dates
- Next edition to be announced
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
- Price
- $20 to $25
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Central PA Tattoo & Horror Expo's next dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 2 to 4 October 2026 in Grantville, PA. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
The convention is open to all ages and children 12 and under are admitted free. The organizer does NOT publish a minimum age for getting tattooed, which is unusual and worth confirming with an artist. Under Pennsylvania law (18 Pa.C.S. Section 6311) it is an offence to tattoo or body-pierce a person under 18 without the consent of a parent or legal guardian
Pennsylvania does not license tattoo or body-piercing studios at the state level and has no statewide sanitation code for them; oversight, where it exists, is local. The organizer publishes no licensing or health-department statement for the expo
The organizer advertises bars and VIP areas and states that admission is cash only with ATMs on site. No security, first-aid or medical arrangement is published. The venue is a casino, so casino-floor areas are restricted to ages 21 and over under Pennsylvania gaming law, separate from the all-ages expo
The organiser publishes nothing on Any organizer hygiene, sterilization or single-use-needle statement, Any minimum age for getting tattooed, Any organizer consent or aftercare form, Any health-department licence or inspection for the expo and The verbatim text of 18 Pa.C.S. section 6311 (source unreachable 5 September 2026). Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
The Central PA Tattoo and Horror Expo is a hybrid tattoo-and-horror weekend at Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course in Grantville, running October 2 to 4, 2026. Horror runs through the whole event: a Hall of Horror Guests celebrity signing lineup (Ginger Lynn, Andrew Hubatsek, Michelle Santiago and Michael Alcott), a Saturday Living Dead Pageant where contestants come dressed in their best dead outfit, a Halloween Horror tattoo category judged every day, a free Kids Halloween Party, and cosplay or Halloween attire encouraged all weekend for discounted admission. Adult admission is $20 to $25 a day or $50 for the weekend, cash only at the door with ATMs on site, VIP is $100 online only, and children 12 and under enter free. Daily tattoo contests cost $10 per category with 1st Place and Runner Up in each, and a beard and mustache contest is new for 2026
What happens on the floor
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Machines, inks, aftercare, art and clothing. Aimed at artists, but open to anyone through the door.
Getting tattooed here
Admission gets you through the door, not into a chair. Tattoo work is arranged with the artist, not with the show.
Per the organizer: attend the show, review artist portfolios and speak with an artist in person; it is possible to get tattooed on the spot or at a designated time during the expo. Artists can also be reached on Facebook and Instagram to set up an appointment for during the expo
Walk-ups are expected. The organizer states it is possible to get tattooed on the spot or at a designated time during the expo, subject to artist availability, and that artists book up fast
Who is tattooing
The organizer's /artists page ('Hall Of Shops & Artists') invites visitors to 'click the artist name to view their work' but publishes no artist names in its page content, and the WordPress REST copy of the page is likewise empty of names, so no tattoo-artist roster could be recovered on 5 September 2026. The only individuals named on the site are the celebrity 'Hall of Horror Guests' (Ginger Lynn, Andrew Hubatsek, Michelle Santiago, Michael Alcott) and the 'Voices of the Show' emcees (Hoon, Jen Shade). A human should re-check the /artists page nearer the event, or ask the organizer for the artist list
4 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
Hall of Horror Guests
- Ginger Lynn
- Andrew Hubatsek
- Michelle Santiago
- Michael Alcott
Contests and judging
How entries work
Entry $10 per piece.
Around the tattooing
On the entertainment stage
- Hoon
- Jen Shade
Also running
- Live tattooing
- Living Dead PageantSaturday 4:00 PM. 'Come dressed in your best dead outfit.' Categories Most Unusual and Best Overall (male and female 1st-place winners). Discounted expo admission $15 for contestants; $10 entry fee
- Beard and Mustache ContestNew for 2026, sponsored by Bonehead Beard Care. 'Show off that beard and/or mustache.' A Category 4 open to everyone rewards over-the-top imaginative builds from unconventional materials like paper, metal and candy. Discounted expo admission $15 for contestants; $10 entry fee
- Kids Halloween PartySunday 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Crafts, snacks, parade and costume contest. Free signup, limited to 20 children ages 3 to 12, on Eventbrite only
- Cosplay / Halloween AttireEncouraged all weekend for discounted expo admission ($15 per day, $45 weekend). Saturday's Living Dead Pageant at 4:00 PM is the best-dead-outfit contest
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. The organizer says attendees can review portfolios and speak with an artist for an on-the-spot tattoo or a designated time.
Extras, bought separately
If you are exhibiting
Booth and vendor fees are what the show charges artists and traders. They are not visitor prices.
Only the day/weekend/VIP admissions and the discounted costume and contestant admissions are visitor gate prices. Tattoo booths ($500 to $1800), vendor spaces ($200 to $700) and sponsor packages ($25 to $750) are participant fees, not admission. Contest entry fees ($10) are contestant fees. Admission is cash only at the door with ATMs on site; online tickets on Eventbrite add fees and are non-refundable
The market and the food
The market floor carries unique vendors and goods/services exhibitors.
The organizer advertises bars and VIP areas but does not publish a food-vendor list or dietary information. The venue is a casino resort with its own restaurants and bars
Hours and the floor
Indoor expo at Hollywood Casino with bars, VIP areas, live entertainment and a family programme advertised by the organizer
Laid out as expo floor, artist booths, contest area, bars, VIP areas and kids Halloween party area.
Getting there
Nearest airport Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), about 20 minutes by road per the organizer.
How do I get to Central PA Tattoo & Horror Expo?
By car
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is at 777 Hollywood Boulevard in Grantville, just off I-81 exit 80. Harrisburg International (MDT) is about 20 minutes south per the organizer; Harrisburg city is about 25 minutes southwest. Free casino parking
Most people drive to Central PA Tattoo & Horror Expo. The nearest major airport is Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), about 20 minutes by road per the organizer, and from there it is a straightforward drive to the venue. Check current road and traffic conditions before you set off, and see parking below.
By train
No direct passenger rail to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
By bus & public transit
No scheduled intercity bus or public transit route to the venue was found. Drive, fly in, or use a shuttle instead.
Taxi & rideshare
Taxis and rideshare such as Uber and Lyft can be limited near the venue, especially late at night or in rural areas. Agree a pickup point and time in advance and keep a backup plan.
🚙 Car hire
Compare car hire at Harrisburg International Airport (MDT), about 20 minutes by road per the organizer
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Central PA Tattoo & Horror Expo?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Airbnb & private camping
Harrisburg and Hershey (about 15 minutes west) carry the area's hotels and rentals; the casino's own hotel and the organizer's half-mile block hotel are closest to the expo floor
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
The convention is open to all ages and children 12 and under are admitted free. The organizer publishes no minimum age for getting tattooed. Under Pennsylvania law there is no statewide tattoo-studio licence, and it is an offence to tattoo or body-pierce a person under 18 without the consent of a parent or legal guardian (18 Pa.C.S. section 6311)
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
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