East Texas Tattoo Expo
- Dates
- Next edition to be announced
- Status
- Confirmed
- Venue
- W.T. Brookshire Conference Center
- Price
- $20 to $50
- Camping
- None on site
- Last checked
- Sep 5, 2026
East Texas Tattoo Expo's next dates haven't been announced yet. The last festival was 9 to 11 October 2026 in Tyler, TX. Froligo tracks current ticket prices, attendee feedback and travel details.
Age, licensing and hygiene
The organizer publishes no tattoo-service age or ID policy. Its only age rule is commercial: children 12 and under enter free
The organiser publishes nothing on licensing, sterilization/single-use, bloodborne pathogen procedures, tattooing minimum age, ID checks, consent forms and aftercare. Ask the artist you are booking with, and expect a licensed booth to answer without hesitating.
Checked 2026-09-05The experience
What's special
East Texas Tattoo Expo is a three-day show at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler, run by tattooers Justin Fasulo and Brian Meier, with live tattooing, live music and a contest program that runs deeper than most shows this size: seven to eight judged categories every day at $15 an entry, daily Best of Day awards in black and grey and in color, a Friday costume contest with a $300 prize, a Sunday Apprentice Showdown, and a $1000 cash Best of Show decided on the final day. Admission is $20 a day or $50 for the weekend at the door, children 12 and under free, and walk-up tattoos are part of the pitch alongside booking ahead. Friday and Saturday run 10am to 10pm with live music from Preston Barrett & The Haze and Indulge, and six local food vendors cover barbecue, tacos, desserts and coffee
What happens on the floor
Pieces go on in the open, start to finish. You can watch, and talk to artists between clients.
Finished and same-day work is judged on stage in named categories, usually late in the day.
Bands or DJs playing alongside the tattoo floor.
Food on site, so a whole day on the floor does not mean leaving to eat.
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's published wording covers both modes: 'Whether you're caught up in the excitement of a walk up tattoo, scheduling with an artist ahead of time, OR just enjoying the massive amounts of creativity under one roof'. Booking ahead means contacting the artist directly; the site publishes no artist contact list, so the per-artist announcement posts on the expo's Facebook and Instagram are the practical route
Walk-up tattoos are explicitly advertised ('the excitement of a walk up tattoo'). No availability guarantee and no tattoo prices are published
Who is tattooing
The official Attending Artists page publishes no roster text, only the event poster, so the ten staged names all come from the organizer's social announcement posts. The six vendors counted are the published food vendors
2 artists are listed for this edition, by name only, which is all the organiser publishes.
On the floor
- Preston Barrett & The Haze
- Indulge
Contests and judging
9 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.
- Costume Contest ($300 prize)
- Best Small B&G Tattoo
- Best Small Color Tattoo
- Best Lettering Tattoo
- Best Realistic Tattoo
- Best Anime Tattoo
- Bold-Will-Hold Tattoo
- Best of Day B&G
- Best of Day Color
How entries work
Entry $15 per entry, Best of Day entry is $20 per piece.
10 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.
- Best American Traditional Tattoo
- Best Neo-Traditional Tattoo
- Best Asian Tattoo
- Best New School Tattoo
- Best Cover Up
- Best Bio-Mech Tattoo
- Best Arm/Leg Sleeve Tattoo
- Best Front/Back Tattoo
- Best of Day B&G
- Best of Day Color
How entries work
Entry $15 per entry, Best of Day entry is $20 per piece.
10 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.
- Apprentice Showdown (starts at noon)
- Best Portrait Tattoo
- Best Large Black & Grey Tattoo
- Best Large Color Tattoo
- Best Overall Male/Female
- Best Freehand
- Tough As Nails Tattoo
- Best of Day B&G
- Best of Day Color
- Best of Show (winner gets $1000 cash prize)
How entries work
Entry $15 per entry, Best of Day entry is $20, Best of Show entry is $20 per piece.
Around the tattooing
Also running
- Live tattooing throughout the weekend
- Friday live music
- Saturday live music
What it costs
Admission is the only price the show sets. No tattoo prices are published by the organizer and none should be inferred; each artist sets their own rate whether booked ahead or taken as a walk-up. A walk-up costs whatever the artist charges; admission does not include tattoo work.
Extras, bought separately
Contest entry: not admission and not the price of a tattoo
Children 12 and under enter free
The market and the food
The market floor carries unique vendors.
Food on site: food vendors, barbecue and Southern food, desserts, hot dogs, Asian fusion, coffee and tacos.
The six named vendors were re-verified on the live entertainment page on 5 September 2026. Dietary accommodations and prices are not stated
Hours and the floor
Indoor three-day tattoo expo at the W.T. Brookshire Conference Center in Tyler, with live tattooing, judged contests each day, live music and food vendors under one roof
Published hours: Friday and Saturday 10am to 10pm, Sunday 10am to 8pm
Getting there
Nearest airport Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR); Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is the nearest large hub.
How do I get to East Texas Tattoo Expo?
By car
The W.T. Brookshire Conference Center is at 2000 W Front St on the East Texas State Fairgrounds in Tyler, with fairground-scale free parking. Tyler Pounds Regional (TYR) is a small commuter airport about 15 minutes west; Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is the nearest large hub about 1.75 hours northwest on I-20/US-69
Most people drive to East Texas Tattoo Expo. The nearest major airport is Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR); Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is the nearest large hub, 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 Tyler Pounds Regional Airport (TYR); Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) is the nearest large hub
Search car hire →Live price search coming soon.
Where
Venue
W.T. Brookshire Conference Center
Camping & Accommodation
Where can I stay near East Texas Tattoo Expo?
No on site camping. Here is where to stay nearby.
Airbnb & private camping
Tyler's chain hotels sit along S Broadway and Loop 323; October is the Texas Rose Festival season, so mid-October weekends can tighten, check dates. Rentals are modest but available a few minutes from the fairgrounds
Search Airbnb →Accessibility & comfort
What the organiser or venue publishes about getting around, and what they do not.
Confirm your specific needs with the organiser's access team before you travel.
Pricing
Price history and tiers
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