Overland Expo Holding its First SoCal Event March 15-16 – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
COSTA MESA, Calif. – Overland Expo SoCal debuts March 15-16, 2025 at the OC Fair and Event Center in Costa Mesa, California. Overland Expo is the world’s premier event for overland adventure enthusiasts, drawing thousands of attendees looking to shop the latest brands in adventure travel gear, participate in the event’s education sessions, and enjoy entertainment like film showcases and live music. This is the expo’s first year in California, where a strong local community of off-road enthusiasts combined with access to abundant public lands and trails contribute to Southern California’s reputation as an overlanding hub.
Overland Expo SoCal will feature more than 300 top-tier gear exhibitors, 50 expert instructors, and over 100 hours of hands-on education, live demonstrations and workshops tailored to all experience levels.
Camping: On-site camping with fellow adventurers sharing stories from the road. Camping is currently sold out.
Exhibitors: More than 300 adventure travel and overlanding gear exhibitors provide shopping opportunities, as well as hold in-booth classes, giveaways and demonstrations. Attendees will gain access to exclusive deals, with some exhibitors offering their best prices of the year. The complete list of exhibitors can be found here.
Education: With more than 100 hours of education programming, Overland Expo sessions range from intel on finding the best dispersed campsites to cooking next-level camp meals. Classes are open to everyone and run all day long in the education pavilion, DIY area, and in the vendor area itself. Access the fullschedule here.
Community: Join thousands of overlanders from around the world during the day and stay for happy hour. While the entire event is family-friendly, the expo is also keeping the up-and-coming overland enthusiasts top of mind: its Kids Adventure Area features a scavenger hunt and a driving course.
Special event programming each day includes:
- The Oasis Bar and Food Court sponsored by Nokian Tyres, will be showing films, hosting Q&As with filmmakers and storytellers, and offering a place for Women Who Wander to meet up, network and plan future adventures.
- For people building a van, dreaming of building a van, or wondering how to enjoy life on the road, The Bivvy offers experts and enthusiasts sharing knowledge on everything from how to set up solar power (and how much power is enough) to how to get the internet to work on the road.
- For attendees looking to become the Top Chef of their rig, the Backcountry and Culinary Pavilion sponsored by Milestar Tires, is the place to sharpen your cooking skills and cut your chops with the full menu of talented outdoor chefs.
- The Overland Essentials Area sponsored by Torque Wheels is the perfect place to learn about storytelling and photography by some of today’s greatest in the business.
- Evening activities kick off with Happy Hour sponsored by Toyo Tires at the Oasis Bar and Food Court sponsored by Nokian Tyres, which runs from 5-7 p.m. Saturday evening. Enjoy food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink choices, live music, and a great place to sit, relax, and talk with newfound Overland Expo friends
- Hundreds of adventure gear prizes will be given away during the Overland Expo Foundation raffle starting at 5:30pm in the Oasis Bar & Food Court Sponsored by Nokian Tyres. Tickets at 5 for $20. All proceeds go to the Overland Expo Foundation.
“This may be our first event in Southern California, but we feel right at home in such an active overlanding community,” said Jessica Kirchner, vice president of consumer events for Emerald, owners of Overland Expo. “Camping is already sold out, and we’re expecting thousands of attendees in addition to more than 300 exhibitors – all of which will help make this event a success.”
Snag tickets for Saturday, March 15 or Sunday, March 16 for $20 per person each day, or $40 for the entire weekend. Prices will increase to $25 for each day, and $45 for the entire weekend on March 1, 2025. If you are active military, a veteran or retiree, you may qualify for a 20% discount on any pass purchase.
Download the Overland Expo mobile app to stay up to date on the special events, demos, and everything else that will be happening over the weekend. The app will be live two weeks before the event. For more information on the event series, visit overlandexpo.com and follow Overland Expo and #overlandexpo on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook. For more information, visit overlandexpo.com.
Founded in 2009, Overland Expo is the world’s premier event series for do-it-yourself adventure travel enthusiasts. Hundreds of exhibitors of adventure travel equipment, camping gear, bikes, vehicles, and services convene at every Overland Expo event. Each Expo hosts hundreds of session-hours of classes, including for off-road driving techniques, adventure motorcycling, inspirational programs, roundtable discussions, demonstrations, as well as the Overland Film Festival. Overland Expo is owned and produced by Emerald.
