YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S IN STORE;
SHOP ‘TIL REALITY DROPS

Area15 is an immersive retail and entertainment district located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip. Its crown jewel is Omega Mart, a surreal supermarket installation where vibrant and bizarre products fill every shelf, cooler, and display case. Since opening in 2021, the sheer volume of comedic detail is astonishing. If it can be picked up, it can be purchased—yes, even the oddly compelling zip-up avocado coin purse. Want a flask? Choose between banana or cucumber. Looking for a uniquely absurd air freshener? Go with Who Told You This Was Butter? Personalized bleach jugs are available—if your name happens to be Lindsoy, Biff, Jorsh, or Xaniel. There’s a croissant-shaped LED lamp, root beer-flavored vape juice, a drink called Gender Fluid, and for the truly exhausted: a 96-Hour Energy drink. What begins as a hilarious display of absurd consumerism subtly shifts into something stranger—a story waiting to be uncovered about the mysterious family behind Omega Mart. Clues hide in plain sight, daring the inner detective to ask: What happened to the daughter?

And that’s just the front of the store. Behind the refrigerator door lies a secret passage leading to dozens of rooms on three levels that spiral into stranger and more spectacular realms. Omega Mart blends interactive storytelling with art installations, all designed by Meow Wolf and dozens of collaborating artists from around the world. It’s a family-friendly, multi-sensory journey through dreamlike worlds, hidden portals, and unexpected discoveries. You truly have no idea what’s in store—so to speak.

Through August 9th, Phenomenomaly introduces a troupe of performers who wander the Omega Mart world, blurring the line between guest and character. Its title—a portmanteau of phenomenon (a remarkable person, thing, or event) and anomaly (something deviating from the norm)—perfectly captures the spirit of the experience.

The mysterious group of characters help guide you and spark the migration to WermBloom and the arrival of the elusive Flickerwerm. Don’t expect to sit and watch. This is theater that moves—literally. You’re expected to wander, follow, question, and interact. It’s part immersive theater, part performance art, part installation, improv, ritual, puppetry, dance, and soundscape—blended into one massive, mind-bending experience.

What’s extraordinary is the freedom: you can observe from a distance or dive in fully, depending on how much of the explorer you want to be. If you open the lockers, one will contain a doorknob that opens the wall of lockers into another area. If you explore the cold stone fireplace, it will lead to a rock-climbing wall to the next level. Open drawers, explore desktop computers, or just admire the layers of cut glass as the back light brings the elegant design to life. Every surface hides a possibility. The discoveries feel endless.

Additionally, different local artists are featured within the performance. When I attended, acrobats Holland and Sienna performed breathtaking feats—graceful lifts and powerful maneuvers with no safety mats in sight—eliciting gasps and delight from the crowd.

Creative directors Kent Caldwell and Sofie Cruse deserve praise for orchestrating such a staggering presentation. Costumes, puppets, and props were designed by Basqo Bim, Iggy & Andy, Kate Major, Monsters of the Underworld, Sam Johnson, Colossal Collective, and Jackson Ellis. A&A (Alexis Ochin & Arnaud Boursain) choreographed a hypnotic group dance—undulating like a peristaltic worm—that culminates in a finale featuring a massive two-headed puppet (crafted and wrangled by Whitney Lehn Meltz). Each area’s soundscape dazzles, with original music composed by Ben Wright, Senior Show Audio Designer.

The performers are part character driven, part improv, part clown, part dancer while being one hundred percent committed and open to whatever may happen. The very special ensemble includes Keke, Karl Baumann, Ari Ramirez Carrasco, Carson, Adriana Chavez, Chealsea, Jaime DeRocker, Martha Edwards, Darin Good, Betsy Lucas, Rachel Nelson, Mackenna Pieper, David Mayorga, Sean Gallagher, Simone, Austin Parrales, Raediance Terrell, and Lyd Viciouz.

There’s no wrong way to experience Phenomenomaly. Wander through strange, converging worlds. Interact with alien-like characters. Sip strange sodas and bring home exclusive merchandise. Just don’t expect the ordinary—because at Omega Mart, nothing is.

photos by Kate Russell and Christopher DeVargas

Meow Wolf Phenomenomaly
Omega Mart at Area15
3215 S Rancho Dr #100 in Las Vegas
select dates from 2-6pm
ends on August 9, 2025
for tickets, call 866.636.9969 or visit Phenomenomaly or Meow Wolf

Local artists amplify the experience:
July 22-26: Cyrill Rabbath’s Juggle Groove Academy showcases concentration and skill.
July 29-August 2: Willem McGowan hypnotizes with dazzling yo-yo-like diabolo.
August 5-9: Body percussion group Molodi brings the energy.

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Gregory Fletcher is an author, a theater professor, a playwright, director, and stage manager. His craft book on playwriting is entitled Shorts and Briefs, and publishing credits include two YA novels (Other People’s Crazy, and Other People’s Drama), 2 novellas in the series Inclusive Bedtime Stories, 2 short stories in The Night Bazaar series, and several essays. Website, Facebook, Instagram.