ROB EDWARDS | PUBLISHED AUG 19, 2022

After a 2-year hiatus, the city of Winnipeg was primed for the return of the Winnipeg Tattoo Convention, and to be honest so were we. So many more clients than we could count were there for all three days, and were getting tattooed by multiple artists over the course of the weekend. And hey, why not? This show was attended by some of Canada’s best artists as well as a few surprises from around the world.

Show organizer Rich Handford traded in his machine for a microphone during the event and served as the show MC, keeping us all in stitches with his ad hoc advertising style that made fun of vendors and artists alike.

Let's take a minute to show some love to Rich and the Winnipeg Tattoo Convention team!

If you didn’t make it to this show, you truly missed out on seeing an incredible mix of Canada’s best tattooers alongside some up-and-comers, all under one roof. We’re talking artists like Safwan, Anthony Fleming, Anne-Marie Dupuis, Eric Brunning (who created the poster art for the show this year), James Tex and Ali Charbonneau - If we don't have your attention yet, how about we throw in Jee Sayalero who made the journey all the way from Spain!

As I mentioned before, Winnipeggers were “so f*cking ready” for this show to take place, and they came out in full force. The crowds at this show were awesome, not only supporting the artists by getting tattooed, but also by buying shirts and prints. In case I didn't say it already, the t-shirt and print game was on point! A true collector's dream.

One of the things we (and the crowd) loved about this show was the outdoor market that included local vendors pimping their wares, along with 5-6 food trucks, and a legit coffee shop that kept us caffeinated all weekend long.

Although the ‘Peg (aka Winterpeg) is known for being one of Canada’s coldest cities, I can tell you it was on fire this weekend, not only because of the level of tattooing, but it was just damned hot all… weekend… long. No A/C meant that the infamous Winnipeg Pool Party was the only way to cool down and as always, it lived up to the hype… our apologies to the Sandman Hotel’s pool cleaning crew!

Wow, what a weekend… Thanks again to Rich, Sheri and the entire Convention team. We felt so welcomed from day 1, and we can't wait to be back for the 2023 show.

To all the artists who swung by our booth, chatted with us in the halls, taxi or shared a dinner table with us… Thank you! This is why we do what we do, and we couldn’t do it without you.

If you want to see even more cool action from the Winnipeg show, head on over to the Eikon Instagram page and click on the Story Highlights, or just click HERE

If you’re interested in attending the next Winnipeg show, email Sheri at: Winnipegtattooconvention@gmail.com

The dates for next year’s show are August 11-13, 2023. Visit www.winnipegtattooconvention.com for more info.

Up Next: Moncton aka Hub City Tattoo Expo.