This week, likely more than 60,000 people from more than 100 countries will have descended on Anaheim. Some are in funny costumes. Many are in branded T-shirts and hats. Still more are filling up bags with free samples from thousands of brands in attendance.

No, this isn’t an event at nearby Disneyland: It’s the annual Natural Products Expo West at the Anaheim Convention Center, a gigantic, four-day gathering that mostly centers on the natural, organic and conscious consumer products industry. The event is said to be the largest of its kind in the world, representing goods like new grocery products, supplements and personal care brands. The marathon event is filled with exhibitors, buyers, distributors and even investors, all roaming across huge chunks of the convention center’s 1.8 million square feet with one goal in mind: to find the next big thing.

Exterior sign for the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

A vendor puts out Vaca Chips tortilla chip samples at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

An attendee displays their custom branded jumpsuit at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

Walking through the main hall is like being at a grocery store on steroids. Big brands are out in force with elaborate displays, from Organic Valley’s farmhouse-style installation featuring a photo moment with popular cartoon character Bluey to La Croix’s tropical-themed display to promote its newest flavor debuting at Expo (that would be Pineapple Coconut, for bubbly water fans). Califia Farms supplies Expo-goers with caffeine at its espresso bar. Caulipower’s team passes out piping-hot slices of pizza on its signature cauliflower crusts. A large structure dedicated entirely to products from Korea displays items ranging from Latte Pop drinks to Dashima crunchy snacks.

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The recognizable names are endless: Oatly. Method. Mrs. Meyer’s. Applegate. Chobani. Blue Diamond Almonds.

Expo West is celebrating its 45th year, having skipped a year in 2020 due to the pandemic, and is seen as a feeder system to retail success for many brands like LA-based chile crisp brand Fly by Jing. It’s one of the most important food expos not just in the country, but in the world, with more than 3,000 different exhibitors, plus panels on everything from mushroom products to food allergies, and keynotes from industry experts like Gary Vaynerchuk. Buyers here for powerhouse places like Costco, Trader Joe’s and other major retailers come to be impressed — and are often inundated. They hold immense power in getting fledgling brands in front of consumers.

Giada De Laurentiis reacts in her Giadzy pasta booth at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

The Califia Farms installation at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

Alldae beverages at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

For many, the real discovery happens upstairs in a smaller hall dedicated to “Hot Products.” There, many early-stage California brands — and even food luminaries like Giada De Laurentiis — are shilling their stories and samples, trying to find buyers and investors for their fledgling companies. (Side note: The recurring theme in that particular hall? Protein, which shows up in everything from “healthy” sodas to dessert balls to powdered bone broth.)

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Alfonso Aguilar, the Mexico-born co-founder of Topanga-based condiment company Maestro Kitchen, is at his first Natural Products Expo West promoting his line of jalapeno- and serrano-laced chile crunches.

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“It’s amazing to be here with all of these brands. This is a family company,” Aguilar says. “We’re showing our kids the power of an idea and the commitment to hard work. We’re Mexicans, and we’re proud of our heritage. This is a Mexican recipe, and this is from Mexico to the world.”

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Irvine-based frozen modern Cantonese dim sum brand House of Joy, which just launched, is also there, promoting products like its marinated pork bao and pork-and-shrimp shumai. 

Alldae vendors pose with their product at Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

House of Joy frozen dim sum products at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

The Wholesome Bakery booth at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

“I grew up in a family that operates one of the oldest Chinese dim sum tea houses,” founder Jade Cao says. “The US is my home. I’d love to have a brand that brings that dim sum party to the home. Hopefully, in a year you’ll be able to see us in the retail channel.”

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Even slightly more established brands, like San Francisco-based vegan and gluten- and dairy-free cookie line Wholesome Bakery, are there to get the word out.

“We’re in California, and we’re about to launch in the Pacific Northwest,” says founder Mandy Harper, who operated a brick-and-mortar bakery on Divisadero Street that she shuttered in 2024 to focus on the packaged cookies. “I want to be in New Jersey! I’ve spent over a decade perfecting these products.”

Deepak Bansal of Irvine-based frozen rice brand Simply So is also there, on the main floor, promoting his fully integrated company that offers Asian and Mediterranean flavors and more.

“We want people to know that we have a rice for everyone,” Bansal says. “Frozen rice is a new category, so we want to get the word out.”

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Simply So frozen rice products at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

The Caulipower installation at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

Attendees walk through the Anaheim Convention Center at the Natural Products Expo West 2026 in Anaheim, Calif., on March 4, 2026.

There are plenty of celebrity-endorsed brands, like tennis star Novak Djokovic’s sorghum-based, corn-free popcorn; occasionally those famous folks make appearances (like a Jason Momoa sighting in 2022). The most impressive thing, though, might be how exceedingly positive and energetic the thousands and thousands of people milling about are as they wander the aisles. The crush of people (and all the smiles) can be overwhelming, but that’s just life at Expo West. To make it here, as a hopeful packaged goods brand, is to make it anywhere.

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Newport Beach-based Vaca Chips, known for beef tallow tortilla chips made with organic corn, is less than a year old but is already in 170 retail stores and available online. 

Co-founder and CEO Brian Gibb says, “The goal is to get into as many retailers as possible but it would be great if we could get a few thousand more doors. I’m very proud of the brand and how it’s presenting here.”

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