Many of the artists were fully booked for the three-day event and it seemed like there were fewer art and shopping vendors than in the past. Humboldt County’s Ohana Organics with its locally produced tattoo butter and other tattoo suppliers filled the remaining space.
The event’s activities included the usual daily tattoo contests, a photo booth and an excellent outdoor fire dancing show on Saturday evening by Lost Coast Flow Fusion. Live music followed each night in the casino Wave Lounge, including Saturday’s expo tradition, Safety Orange, a rock group from Southern California.
Since I last attended the expo in 2020, there have been a few changes, including the familiar droning buzz of tattoo guns being drowned out by the steady and loud DJ music played daily over the sound system. The expo also dropped the often overheated competition for the Miss Inked Hearts contest prizes.
Ted Marks also said other changes are ahead for the Inked Hearts Expo next year, as he and his wife, Amy, are looking for a different venue for the event. They’re looking to double the number of tattoo artists to 60 or 70 booths, and add a car show, food trucks and other new ideas for the event. He expressed his appreciation for all that the Blue Lake Casino and Hotel has done over the years hosting Inked Hearts, but said they’ve simply outgrown the venue and are looking forward to adding more “heavy hitters” from their wait list of tattoo artists wanting to participate in the expo.
The winner of the expo’s Best of Show tattoo was Connor Keene, of Redding, with his tattoo done by artist Joey Sanchez, also of Redding.
Our daughter is well-known tattoo artist in New York City and, when asked if my 76-year-old self has a tattoo, I always say: "No, my mom won’t let me get one.”