Columbia’s Venomous Repticon Weekend

Jay Tacey

Welcome to the show! I'm Jay Tacey, and I want to drop you straight onto a show floor: Jamil Temple, 206 Jamil Rd, Columbia, South Carolina, May 2nd and 3rd, 2026 -- and if you know the Repticon circuit, you already know Columbia has a reputation.

Lisa Parker

May 2nd and 3rd at Jamil Temple -- circle it, star it, text your reptile friends. Because this is not a sleepy little stop. Columbia is one of those weekends where the doors open and the room just HUMS. Families, serious keepers, kids seeing their first snake up close, vendors answering a hundred questions an hour... it's got that energy.

Michael Arnold

And the phrase that matters here is "fun and educational exposition suitable for all ages and personalities." I actually love that wording, because it tells you exactly what this is. If you're reptile-curious and you've never owned a gecko, you're welcome. If you've been keeping carpet pythons or ball pythons for years and you want to talk genetics, feeders, or enclosure setups, you're ALSO welcome.

Guy Mc Farlane

And from an operations standpoint, Columbia is easy to navigate for a family day. The published schedule is clear: Saturday, May 2nd runs 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sunday, May 3rd runs 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.. That's useful because you can actually plan your floor time -- seminars, animal encounters, shopping, questions, second lap.

Jay Tacey

That "second lap" is real. The best show floors do two things at once: they create discovery, and they create confidence. Repticon Columbia is built for both. You can come for the live animal encounters and seminars, and then pivot right into direct conversations with breeders and specialty vendors. That's a very different experience from just scrolling photos online.

Lisa Parker

Exactly. And that matters if you've ever tried to keep a family group moving through an expo. You want rhythm. Columbia has rhythm. You watch a live animal encounter, you browse tables, maybe you stop and talk husbandry with a breeder, then boom -- next seminar window. It keeps the day lively instead of turning into random wandering.

Guy Mc Farlane

But let's be honest -- there is one reason this stop gets talked about differently.

Jay Tacey

Yes. This is the ONLY Repticon show with venomous. Only one. On the entire tour. That's the differentiator, and it's a big one.

Michael Arnold

The ONLY one with venomous. I'm flagging that because listeners are gonna remember it. Not "one of the few." Not "sometimes." The only Repticon show with venomous. If you're the kind of attendee who wants to see the broadest possible slice of the reptile world in one weekend, Columbia becomes a must-see stop immediately.

Lisa Parker

And it changes the buzz in the room, in a good way. You can feel people talking about what they've seen. It's family-friendly, it's educational, it's truly all-ages -- but there's also that insider feeling of, "Okay, THIS is the Columbia show. This is why people make the trip."

Jay Tacey

That balance is important to me. High excitement, yes. But also well-framed, educational, and accessible. The best animal experiences let guests feel wonder while learning how to look more carefully. Columbia does that. First-time visitors get a memorable entry point. Experienced keepers get depth. And everybody gets a floor full of animals, gear, expertise, and conversation.

Guy Mc Farlane

There's also the scale of the broader Repticon network behind it. We're talking a tour that hits Tampa, Raleigh, Denver, Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, Charlotte, Houston -- major markets, big reptile communities. So when Columbia stands out inside THAT calendar, that says something.

Michael Arnold

Yeah, because Repticon already attracts thousands of enthusiasts in major U.S. cities. Columbia isn't trying to invent the formula from scratch. It's taking a proven show format -- reptiles, exotic animals, breeder access, education -- and then adding the one thing no other stop has: venomous.

Lisa Parker

So if you're listening and planning your spring weekend, here's the practical version: buy the ticket, get to Jamil Temple, and give yourself enough time. Columbia is not the show you want to rush through in 45 minutes with a pretzel in one hand and your keys in the other.

Jay Tacey

It's a destination weekend. May 2nd and 3rd, 2026. Jamil Temple, 206 Jamil Rd, Columbia, South Carolina. Family-friendly, educational, full of live encounters and seminars -- and the only Repticon show with venomous. That's not just another date on the calendar. That's a show-floor experience people remember.

Michael Arnold

Alright, once you're through the doors, let's make this practical. There are a lot of tables, a lot of animals, a lot of temptations -- so I want to give people three names to look for on the Columbia floor. And the first one is AHP Exotics.

Jay Tacey

Start there for me. What makes AHP Exotics a destination table instead of just another pass-by?

Michael Arnold

Because AHP Exotics has range. Founded in 1997 by Bill Albright, later based in South Carolina, they work with captive-bred and field-collected reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids. That's a broad scope right out of the gate. And they don't just sell animals -- they also do professional animal handling for media and education, which tells me they understand presentation, behavior, and how to communicate responsibly with the public.

Guy Mc Farlane

1997 is the piece I'd underline. That's not a pop-up operation from six months ago. That's decades of time in the space. When a vendor has that kind of runway and also works in education and media handling, it suggests process, not improvisation.

Lisa Parker

And from the attendee side, "reptiles, amphibians, and arachnids" means the table can surprise you. You're not walking up to one hyper-narrow lane. You might arrive for one thing and end up having a great conversation about something you didn't expect to see at all.

Jay Tacey

That's exactly what a strong expo floor should do -- create discovery. Okay, second vendor.

Michael Arnold

American Made Exotics. Portsmouth, Virginia. Led by Matt Shifflett. Their focus is captive-bred ball pythons and leopard geckos, which immediately makes them a smart stop for two of the hobby's most recognizable gateway species. But the reason I like calling them out is the confidence package around the animals: live arrival guarantee, health guarantee, correct-sex guarantee, plus care resources.

Lisa Parker

Wait -- correct-sex guarantee is a really specific thing for buyers. That's not vague reassurance. That's a concrete promise attached to the animal.

Guy Mc Farlane

The phrase "care resources" matters too. Anybody can say, "Here's your animal, good luck." A vendor who pairs the sale with guidance is helping set up a better long-term outcome. That's good for the customer and good for the animal.

Jay Tacey

And that aligns with what I always look for in any animal-facing experience: not just excitement at the point of purchase, but the support system around it. Alright -- third one, and this is a crowd-pleaser.

Michael Arnold

Cinderella Dragons out of Greenville, South Carolina. Boutique bearded dragon breeder. And they put their emphasis in exactly the places serious buyers should want: clean lineage, structural quality, and transparency. Hatch date, genetics, diet info -- they make that part of the conversation.

Lisa Parker

Hatch date, genetics, diet -- that's the shopping-with-confidence trio right there. You're not just hearing "trust me, this is a nice dragon." You're getting specific information you can actually use.

Michael Arnold

Yes, and they also report a 98% recommend rating on Facebook from 46 reviews. That's not the same as seeing the animal in person, obviously, but as a signal? It's useful. Then you get to stand at the table, look at the dragon, ask questions, and connect the reputation to what you're seeing with your own eyes.

Jay Tacey

That in-person layer is huge. Photos are one thing. A conversation across the table about lineage, structure, and diet is something else entirely. It's the difference between shopping and actually learning.

Guy Mc Farlane

And when you put these three together -- AHP Exotics with the broad reptile-amphibian-arachnid scope, American Made Exotics with captive-bred ball pythons and leopard geckos backed by live arrival, health, and correct-sex guarantees, and Cinderella Dragons with transparent bearded dragon information -- you get a really good snapshot of what Columbia offers. Variety, specialization, and credibility.

Lisa Parker

Plus, let's be honest, these are the tables that slow you down in the best way. You think, "I'll just make one quick pass," and suddenly you've spent 20 minutes asking about lineage, enclosure habits, or what makes a particular animal a fit for your setup. That's the fun of the floor.

Jay Tacey

And that's why Columbia works as a weekend, not just a transaction. You come for the show-floor energy, the encounters, the seminars, the one-and-only venomous draw -- but you stay because the vendor conversations pull you deeper. May 2nd and 3rd, Jamil Temple in Columbia. Bring your curiosity... and maybe clear a little extra time, because if you do this one right, you're not leaving quickly.

Michael Arnold

Yeah -- and maybe don't promise yourself "I'm just looking." That's between you and your future enclosure plans.

Lisa Parker

I'll see you on the floor.

Guy Mc Farlane

See you in Columbia.