The Marine Aquarium Expo (MAX) is coming up this Saturday and Sunday (April 10-11) at the Orange County Fairground and will be packed full of goodness for the whole family. Besides the typical array of really cool reefing gadgets and gizmos and a great selection of coral and livestock, MAX is looking to provide a fun experience for both hobbyists and kids. With over 13 lighting vendors including many of the LED companies we showcased at Reefstock last month and 20 coral and livestock vendors among the 200 exhibitors the two-day event is boasting, there will be plenty to see and buy.
Just by showing up you’ll be ahead with three freebies at the gate — your typical swag bag full of goodies and sponsored by Hikari, a copy renown author and hobbyist Robert Fenner book “Fishwatcher’s Guide to the Tropical Marine Aquarium Fishes of the World” and a free issue of Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine.
For the kids, MAX invested a lot of energy in putting together a quality “Fin Zone” area with information, special guests Aqua the Mermaid and Captain Jack Sparrow, and a touch tank to let the kiddies get a closer look at the oceans’ critters. Don’t worry about admission for kids since all kids 12 and under are free to attend the event. It’s a nice touch to help inspire the next generation of reefers!
MAX will also be the first event held in the Orange County Fairgrounds new building so you get a chance to see some cool stuff, grab some corals and enjoy that new car smell. An added bonus is the building even had new INDOOR speaker rooms, so no more speakers outside the main hall. With the exceptional weather we’ve had in California the last day or so, being outdoors wouldn’t be so bad but its nice to have a quality indoor setting to enjoy the slides.
Admission is $15 a day with tickets available at the gate.
