MUNCIE, Ind. – Sunday, the Delaware County Fairgrounds hosted one leg of the Indiana Exotic Pet Expo. The fairground’s empty pole barn was transformed into a lively exhibit for the community.
Creator, Ron Billingsley, says the Indiana Exotic Pet Expo is something he’s wanted to bring to Indiana for quite some time after working shows in Michigan and Ohio.
“I started by vending other shows, and Indiana was lacking,” Billingsley said.
Billingsley began his show after viewing the expo at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, but his love for animals began much earlier than that.
“I’ve had animals my whole life. I started by catching baby raccoons and skunks to catching little turtles and stuff in the creek,” Billingsley said.
Along with the pets, this event was also an expo of passion for many like Billingsley.
“As I got older, my passion got larger,” he said.
For vendor Zachery Keeler, passion is what got him involved in the exotic animal business 15 years ago.
“The passion comes from a lifelong love for animals,” Keeler said.
Keeler encourages anyone looking to uncage their excitement for animals to check out the expo the next time it comes to Muncie.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet people in the industry, to learn about the animals that you love, and to potentially make this a hobby of your own,” Keeler said.
The Indiana Exotic Pet Expo is making a return to Muncie on November 27. Billingsley also shared that the show might expand to a two-day event in 2023.
For more information on the next upcoming expo, be sure to visit the Muncie Calendar.
Contact Grace Bentkowski with questions and comments at gmbentkowski@bsu.edu or @gbentkowski on Twitter.
