32nd OCA Extravaganza
November 20 - 22, 2026
OCA Extravaganza 2026
Registration is open for a special edition of the OCA Extravaganza, “The Year of the Cat”!
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Extravaganza, our 32nd:
As we’ve done for the past 31 years, the Extravaganza will be held at the Best Western Plus, Strongsville, the weekend before Thanksgiving. This year’s dates are November 20-22, but to get the full experience, many people will arrive on Thursday the 19th. The room rate remains at $76/night, which includes the breakfast buffet (reservation link below).You must be registered for the event in order to be eligible for this rate.
In the ancient, pre-Columbian Ohio cosmological calendar, 2026 is The Year of the Cat. (I made that up.) For that reason, we are leaning more toward the Siluriform side of our interests this year, having two catfish speakers instead of our usual one, and scheduling 4 catfish talks. Last year, we were disappointed when Leandro Sousa was sent to an international aquarium trade show in China, which forced him to cancel his appearance. We didn’t give up on him, so Leandro, who is an accomplished researcher and professor at the Federal University of Para, in Brazil, and is well known in the ichthyological community as well as in the international catfish hobby, again agreed to come visit. He will be joined by Julian Dignal, of Scotland. Jools is the creator of Planet Catfish and is a popular speaker at European catfish events. He spoke at the 2015 Extravaganza and is excited to return.
Of course, cichlids won’t be forgotten. Patrick Tawil is an eminent and influential taxonomist, specializing in the cichlids of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika, who is a prominent contributor to Cichlid Room Companion. Patrick has rarely spoken in the U.S. and has heard many good things about the Extravaganza. We thought it would be interesting to have him on the slate. Speaking of Cichlid Room Companion, Juan Miguel Artigas Azas, the owner and operator of CRC, will also be on hand. Juan Miguel is the leading authority on Mexican cichlids and has also studied Mexican livebearers extensively. He is a familiar face among long-time attendees, first appearing at the 2nd Extravaganza in 1996, most recently in 2019, and several times in between.
Other features of the Extravaganza:
- Vendor Room
- Fish and accessory sales from hotel rooms
- Well-stocked Hospitality Room
- The nation’s largest Cichlid/Catfish Show (You must be registered to participate and take advantage of the increased cash prizes), but not to just come to see the fish.)
- Saturday afternoon Swap Meet
- Saturday night Pizza Party/Awards Presentation
- Huge cichlid and Catfish Auction on Sunday
You must register to enter fish into the show, to sell from your room, to attend presentations., to enjoy the Hospitality Room, and to be served pizza on Saturday evening. The other activities are open to the public, but please consider registering even if you don’t have to, so we can keep this going!
To get you started, here are 3 links:
Registration, including Swap tables: https://www.ohiocichlid.com/shop/2019-extravaganza-16721
Sponsorship opportunities: https://www.ohiocichlid.com/shop/sponsor-an-extravaganza-show-class-here-14895
Room Reservations: https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US/book/hotel-rooms.36178.html?groupId=Q17EJ7X0
Click “Edit Stay” to set the check-in and check-out dates. Link expires after 11/5/26. Please note that, if you have to cancel the reservation, it must be done by 4:00 PM EST on 11/17/26.
To apply for Vendor Room Tables, email ocamember@gmail.com. Put “Vendor Room” in the subject line and include your name, business name, and number of tables desired. The cost is $150 for the 1st table and $60 for additional tables.