BIG FLATS, N.Y. (WENY) -- Snakes, turtles, and geckos were just some of the creatures you could find at the Corning Reptile Expo at the Arnot Mall Event Center. Hundreds of people attended the event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

"Today (Sunday) we have all kinds of things, not just focused on reptiles. This time we’ve also got a handful of craft vendors. They (people) can expect anything from snakes and geckos to turtles and hedgehogs," said Jacob Deeter, a promoter and organizer for the event.

Dozens of vendors had reptiles for sale, but some of them had items like pens, wood carvings, and stuffed animals. A few vendors sold animals like birds, gerbils, and rats.

Deeter said he brought the show to the area because he used to travel a couple of hours to reptile expos and events, and sometimes wouldn't make any money.

"All of the shows were two/two and a half hours away. By the time I wake up, pack everything away, and go there and spend 15 hours and potentially not have a single sale. Which didn’t bother me a lot, but I realized there’s nothing really in the area. I can capitalize on that, and allow myself to make money at home, but also give everyone else in the region an opportunity as well," said Deeter.

There were plenty of businesses that were selling reptiles, and one of those businesses was the Rock City Reptiles.

Rock City Reptiles is run by Bob and Britnea Bever and was started in 2020.

"We just started with some pets and grew from there, and it got into breeding ball pythons. We just really enjoy it," said Bob Bever.

While Bob and Britnea run their business, they do receive some help from their nine-year-old, Karlie Reardon.

Reardon has been interested in reptiles for the last five/six years and enjoys helping out with her parents' business.

During the expo, she was walking around with one of the snakes that were for sale, and talking to people that walked by the table.

When she walked around, she had a snake around her neck, and the two seemed to like each other.

"This is Aries, and she is one of our younger snakes. As long as she gets fed every 10 days, then she’s good," said Reardon.

But not everyone likes snakes for various reasons. Reardon and her dad have advice for people who may be skeptical of snakes.

"Some people just never get over it (their fear of snakes.) For some people, if you just get them to hold a snake or interact (with it, that's good.) The first thing is just talking about it. They are very friendly. They all have their own personality, just like dogs or cats really," said Bob Bever.

"I would say, don’t let your fear get to you because they are very harmless animals. It’s just that some are venomous and some aren’t," said Reardon.

The next Corning Reptile Expo is still being figured out, according to Deeter. He said the expo will be expanding.

"I'm planning on having something more like a kid-friendly petting zoo area in the next couple of shows. (We're) looking to make many more improvements for our next shows," said Deeter.