Vegas Ventriloquist Convention

Festival Location: Las Vegas, NV, USA

Festival State: Nevadan Festivals

Festival Type(s): Puppet Festivals, Bizarre Festivals, Arts Festivals

By: © Nelson Taylor 2009

What most people know about ventriloquism they learned at their seventh birthday party. Maybe you remember Bob, the dummy from the television show Soap. But there is a burgeoning crew of worldwide vents ranging in age from 10 to 100 who get together every June to celebrate, teach the public and learn about the art of figure manipulation. "There's more demand now for ventriloquists in comedy clubs than there has ever been," says Valentine Vox, who is not only the festival organizer, but he's also a professional vent and the Director of Magic & Movie Hall of Fame, which houses the only ventriloquist museum in the nation. Just like any Vegas attraction, legends in the industry like Taylor Mason and Dan Horn showoff their talents.

Throughout the weekend, workshops are held on topics ranging anywhere from the basics of comedy writing to making your own figure to using light and sound to improve an act. But the hub of the convention is the dealers room, where attendees can purchase joke books, scripts, figures and memorabilia. Amateur vents flock to the festival for a chance to be noticed by a talent scout. "We also have a lot of people come who are not ventriloquists," Vox says. "It's a great, fun package. Where else do you get to see and interact with all of ventriloquism's top performers under one roof?" The only kicker is that the price for the entire weekend is $175 for non-members, or one-day passes can be purchased for $100.