Blog

Sep 22, 2023

A Big Tattoo Convention Will Return to Iowa This Spring

Tattoo artists and enthusiasts will be gathering in Iowa for a huge event in

Tattoo artists and enthusiasts will be gathering in Iowa for a huge event in April! For the third year in a row, the Middle of the Map Tattoo Convention will be back at the Iowa Event Center in Des Moines.

If you're not familiar with the Middle of the Map Tattoo Convention, the three-day event is filled with live entertainment, vendors, and competitions. The website says that "200 of the nation's top tattoo artists will be showing off their talent." Some of the featured artists from Eastern Iowa include Jazmin Raymer & Maureen Villavicencio from Waverly, Kalvin Rosario & Fartman from Dubuque, Kitty Lightning & Brandon McDaniel from Waterloo, Chuck Day from Burlington, and Aries & Kayla Lowman from Iowa City. There are plenty of other Iowa artists in the lineup, as well as artists from Minnesota, Illinois, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, Kansas, and more. The special guest for 2023 is DJ Tambe, a Las Vegas tattoo artist that has won the show Ink Masters THREE times!

One of the coolest features of the Middle of the Map Tattoo Convention is that you can schedule a tattoo appointment with an artist and be tattooed during the event. Sometimes artists are available for walk-ins, but many of them will book the entire weekend in advance, so it's recommended that you reach out to the artists you're interested ahead of time. You can check out the full list of exhibitors (so far) HERE.

The 2023 Middle of the Map Tattoo Convention is coming up Friday, April 14th through Sunday, April 16th. It will run Friday from 2 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. All ages are welcome to attend, with ages 6 and under free. Ages 7 to 12 can get a one-day wristband for $10 or a weekend pass for $20. For all other guests, one-day wristbands are $20 and weekend passes are $40. You can get more information on the event on the official website HERE.