Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo
- Dates
- Nov 13 to 15, 2026
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- Radisson Hotel Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek
- Price
- $20 to $40
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo returns to Fort Worth, TX, Nov 13 to 15, 2026. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
No organizer age or ID rule is published. Under Texas law a person generally must be 18 to be tattooed, with a narrow exception only for covering or removing an existing tattoo when a parent or guardian consents and is present. This is a legal floor on the artists rather than a stated organizer policy, and should be confirmed with the organizer
No bag policy, security screening or first-aid arrangement is published by the organizer on the pages read
The organiser publishes nothing on Any organizer age or ID rule, Any organizer statement on sterilisation, single-use needles or ink, or workstation barriers, Any organizer consent form or aftercare sheet and Any first aid, medical or security arrangement. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo is a first-year, hotel-based tattoo convention held at the Radisson Hotel Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek in Fort Worth, Texas from November 13 to 15, 2026, despite the Illinois-sounding name. The organizer pitches it as bringing 'the tattoo holiday and a tattoo convention together under one roof', with a floor of roughly 35 artists, live entertainment and after-parties. Its draw is a serious contest program: Best of Day pays $500 in cash each day and Best of Show pays $1,000, judged across category lists that run from Small Black and Gray and a tongue-in-cheek Best Shitty Tattoo on Friday through Realism, sleeves and Best of Show on Sunday. Admission is door-only at $20 to $25 for a single day or $40 for the weekend
What happens on the floor
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Stage acts between judging: sideshow, suspension and burlesque are common. Worth knowing before you sit down with a child.
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.
The organizer publishes an artists and vendors page but no central booking system; contact a specific artist directly to pre-book
Not explicitly stated; the expo format is a floor of participating artists
Who is tattooing
The artists and vendors page listed about 35 tattoo artists by Instagram handle on 5 September 2026 (for example davinkdiaz, kyle.chaney.tattoo, mr_standifer). Display names and studio names were not separately paired. At least one entry (nomadictattoosupply) reads as a supply vendor rather than a tattoo artist
12 artists are listed for this edition, and Instagram handles where the show publishes them.
Tattoo artist
- andrecookie
- aro_tattoos
- beowulf.ink
- black.collar.tattoos
- davinkdiaz
- deviousink1
- fallenone_tattoo
- jmhtattoos
- kyle.chaney.tattoo
- mikehamill17
- mr_standifer
Vendor or supplier (handle suggests a tattoo supply vendor)
- nomadictattoosupply
Contests and judging
26 categories are judged across the weekend. Judging pulls the whole floor to the stage, so it is the best hour of the day to watch even if you are not entering.
- Small Black & Gray
- Small Color
- Best Shitty Tattoo
- Best of Day
- Traditional
- Neo Traditional
- Comic/Cartoon
- Unusual
- Dark art/Horror
- Portrait
- Best Military/Patriotic
- Best Painting
- Best of Day
- Realism
- Cover-Up
- Medium Black & Gray
- Large Black & Gray
- Medium Color
- Large Color
- Chest/Back Piece
- Arm Sleeve
- Leg Sleeve
- Overall Male
- Overall Female
- Best of Day
- Best of Show
How entries work
Entry Best of Day and Best of Show $20 entry fee; all other categories $10 entry fee per piece.
Best of Day tattoos must be started and finished at the show that day. Best of Show tattoos must be started and finished at the show. All other categories can be fresh or healed. Category names are the festival's own vocabulary, including a 'Best Shitty Tattoo' category on Friday
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. No tattoo prices are published by the organizer; each artist sets their own rate at their own booth.
Extras, bought separately
Best of Day / Best of Show entry: Contest entry fee paid by the entrant, not admission and not the price of a tattoo
All other competition categories entry: Contest entry fee, not admission
If you are exhibiting
Booth and vendor fees are what the show charges artists and traders. They are not visitor prices.
Artist side, not a visitor price
All four gate prices are door prices; there is no online sale and so no booking fees. Two money categories here are NOT visitor admission prices: the $10 and $20 contest entry fees, and the cash prizes paid to winners
The market and the food
No food program is published on the pages read. The venue is a full-service hotel with its own food and beverage
Hours and the floor
The Radisson Hotel Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek, a full-service hotel at 2540 Meacham Blvd in north Fort Worth, just off I-820. The expo is held in the hotel's event space
An indoor, climate-controlled hotel venue. As a hotel it offers on-site rooms; the organizer publishes no visitor comfort detail of its own
Getting there
Nearest airport Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), about 15 miles east; Fort Worth Meacham International (FTW) is adjacent.
How do I get to Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo?
By car
The Radisson Hotel Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek is at 2540 Meacham Blvd in north Fort Worth, just off I-820 and adjacent to Fort Worth Meacham International (FTW, general aviation, under 10 minutes). Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW) is the mainline hub about 15 miles / 20 to 25 minutes east. The venue is a hotel with its own free lot
Most people drive to Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo. The nearest major airport is Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), about 15 miles east; Fort Worth Meacham International (FTW) is adjacent, 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 Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), about 15 miles east; Fort Worth Meacham International (FTW) is adjacent
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
Radisson Hotel Fort Worth North-Fossil Creek
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near Crystal Lake Tattoo Expo?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Mid-range hotels 1
2540 Meacham Blvd, north Fort Worth off I-820: this IS the expo venue. A full-service hotel with an indoor pool and restaurant, adjacent to Meacham airport and about 15 miles from DFW; staying here means walking to the show. No festival room block is published
Book direct →Airbnb & private camping
North Fort Worth around the Stockyards and Alliance carries rentals 10 to 20 minutes out; downtown Fort Worth is 15 minutes south. With the venue itself a hotel and DFW/Meacham close, most fly-in attendees just stay on-site
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
The organizer publishes no age policy on the pages read: neither an admission age nor a tattooing age is stated. Texas law is the governing floor: a person generally must be 18 to be tattooed, with a narrow exception only to cover or remove an existing tattoo when a parent or guardian consents and is present.
Confirm any age or ID rule with the organizer and each artist
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
Got fresher info? Tell us, a real person checks every tip, and we love fresh info.