By Gary Hatt

Tiny Fest 2026 was held in Costa Mesa, California, on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19^th at the Orange County Fair and Events Center.  The weather was great, and thousands of people attended.  There were many tiny house builders showing off their latest creations, and several van, truck, and bus conversion enthusiasts had their rigs on display for visitors to check out.

There were several exhibitors in the exhibit hall with tables set up, selling a variety of items related to tiny living. There were seminars throughout the day on how to get started in tiny living, such as how to live more with less, and the laws, rules, and regulations governing building and living in a tiny house or mobile unit.

There were also seminars on choosing the right type of conversion for how you want to live, as well as how to make money on the road as a nomad.  They talked about how to design your nomad home, how to power it with solar and lithium batteries, and portable power stations, which are becoming very popular now.

Nomad Village had many different types of mobile units on display so attendees could see the difference between a van, truck, or bus conversion.  Here, you can talk to the people who live in these units, full-time and part-time, and learn from their experiences. Many have been living on the road for years, and they can tell you the trials and tribulations of their experiences. 

A common theme at these festivals that Renee Severs hosts is freedom. Freedom to travel and explore the country while making money from your unit to pay for expenses, or maybe to travel to a different country.  Nomads know where to cut costs so their money lasts longer, so they can work less and enjoy life more.

You have seen many of them on social media on their YouTube channels, on Facebook, and on Instagram, with highlights of their travels. You may have seen some of them in Quartzsite in January, as many spend time there to meet up with others who live as they do. At this event, you have a chance to meet them in person and learn from their experiences.

There were several tiny houses at the show built to be stationary on a piece of property and connected to the grid for unlimited power and water.  Many people buy these, place them on their property, and power them solely with solar and lithium batteries.  Once set up, they are like any other house, just smaller, more compact, and less expensive to live in.

Below are some of the units I visited, which were designed as mobile units for nomads who love traveling and the outdoors.

If you are interested in attending the next Tiny Fest, check out their website at https://www.tinyfest.events/event/ for more information.