Joey D’Auria (left), who played Bozo the Clown on “Bozo’s Circus” from 1984 to 2001, looks at a poster from Dave Stritter, who performed on the show as “Magic Dave” nine times, during the Wheaton All-Night Flea Market on Saturday, Aug. 19. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

What kind of creatures could you run into at the DuPage County Fairgrounds after dark on Saturday, Aug. 19?

There were gargoyles, grazers and gift-seekers. The curious and the collectors. You could even run into a real Bozo.

The Wheaton All-Night Flea Market brought droves of people to the DuPage County Fairgrounds. They could sample everything from fried apple doughnuts to a large stick of cotton candy. They could buy gargoyles from a guy selling them out of the back of his pickup truck. They could buy everything from Beatles posters to Dungeons & Dragons dice to a Stan Musial record on how to hit a baseball.

“I’m not sure how I wound up here,” Jeff Arnold of Franklin Park said. “I was in the car with my wife driving and I think she saw something about this on Facebook. We do a lot of flea markets.”

His daughter shared the wagon he was pulling with a blow mold skeleton.

“We are always looking for decorations. We are very big on Halloween,” Arnold said, explaining his skeleton purchase. “I love the blow molds. We didn’t even haggle with the guy. We just bought it.”

D’Auria chats with Peoria residents, including Dan Belk (center) and his father, also Dan Belk (in Stooges T-shirt), during the All-Night Flea Market. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

Charles D. Moisant, a comic book artist, writer and the creative director of Silver Phoenix Entertainment, had tables full of comics, games and Dungeon & Dragons dice. He said business at the All-Night Flea Market was “phenomenal.”

“There is such a cacophony of people who come to this. If you don’t do well, then there is something wrong with you,” Moisant said. “And the Zurkos (overseers of the All-Night Flea Market and other productions) are beyond top-notch.”

The Oak Park resident said he first knew he had a flair for creations when his sketchbook was stolen at Oak Park-River Forest High School and he saw his artwork hanging in another student’s locker.

“Somebody stole my sketchbook and sold the art,” he laughed.

A highlight for many people attending the event, which actually didn’t go all night but until 1 a.m., was the chance to meet Joey D’Auria, who played “Bozo the Clown” on WGN’s “Bozo’s Circus” from 1984 to 2001.

Charles D. Moisant (right) of Oak Park shows Flea Market patrons different Dungeons & Dragons dice. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

“It was the most fun you could have and still get a paycheck,” D’Auria said about his time on the beloved show.

To try to put a dent in the 10-year wait list for show tickets, WGN leaders went to a “kids only” audience. That didn’t last long, D’Auria said.

“The parents were mad. They wanted to be there too,” said D’Auria, who received five Emmy Awards as an on-camera talent.

“It was a family show,” he said. “We did gags for the kids, but we also did gags for the adults.”

Another time, WGN executives opted to have people call in for tickets, with a portion of each call going to charity.

“People had to phone in at a certain time. When they did, we blew up the phone lines in Chicago because there were so many calls,” D’Auria said.

During the event, one person walked around in Bozo garb, although no one seemed to confuse him with D’Auria.

At one point during the Flea Market, Dave Stritter, who performed magic tricks as “Magic Dave” on “Bozo’s Circus” nine times, stopped by to chat with D’Auria.

“I had a blast on the show,” Stritter said. “I made a 40-year career from appearing on that show.”

Jammey Waters of Wheaton creates a large cotton candy during his first day with High Rollers Company at the All-Night Flea Market. (Photo by Kevin Beese/Chronicle Media)

He said his first performances on the show, when it was still live, were nerve-racking.

“You had seven minutes. At the seventh minute, they were cutting to commercials,” said Stritter, who lives in Round Lake Beach.

He was happy when the show would bring him back year after year to perform.

“You didn’t get paid, but it was promotional,” Stritter said. “You were able to get your name out there.”

Dan Belk of Peoria was at the Flea Market with his family and was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet D’Auria.

“It was fantastic to meet him,” Belk said. “I grew up watching him.”

Belk said he always wanted to have a shot at putting ping-pong balls in the buckets for The Grand Prize Game.

“Anytime I would see the show and somebody was doing The Grand Prize Game, I was always so jealous,” he chuckled.

His father, also Dan Belk, said the Flea Market was a buyer’s paradise.

“Whatever you are into, they have it here,” the senior Belk said. “If you collect monster stuff, you can buy it here.”