{"id":18512,"date":"2025-10-22T22:14:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-22T22:14:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/18512\/"},"modified":"2025-10-22T22:14:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T22:14:08","slug":"spooky-san-jose-market-celebrates-halloween","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/18512\/","title":{"rendered":"Spooky San Jose market celebrates Halloween"},"content":{"rendered":"

Editor\u2019s Note: This article was written for Mosaic, an independent journalism training program for high school and college students who report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.<\/p>\n

On a Sunday afternoon in San Jose, a teenage girl in a witch\u2019s hat rushed toward a table piled with crystal jewelry while down the aisle a boy in a Spider-Man suit stopped to stare wide-eyed at a jumping spider crawling in a display case.<\/p>\n

This is the Peculiarities Market, a parking lot on 866 Park Ave. transformed on Oct. 12 into an unusual gathering of spooky craftmakers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to create something that gets you into the Halloween spirit but also brings together people who share this love of the odd and unusual,\u201d said director Bernadette Gasga, who designed the craft market with San Jose Makers, an organization that hosts market spaces for local creatives.<\/p>\n

\"Vendor<\/p>\n

Vendor Eliana Banda, known for her crochet creations shows off one of her handmade dolls at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Crochet<\/p>\n

Crochet dolls made by vendor Eliana Banda on display at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Vendors<\/p>\n

Vendors Phoenix Artifex and their daughter, Kayla Wally, at their booth during the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Light-up<\/p>\n

Light-up pumpkins created by Quad Crafted, a San Jose family business, glow at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Viviana<\/p>\n

Viviana Hauzer and her mother, who sell handmade art featuring bones and taxidermy, dressed as pirates for the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Shoppers<\/p>\n

Shoppers walk through rows of booths filled with oddities and Halloween-themed crafts at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

\"Shoppers<\/p>\n

Shoppers lined up for burritos, tacos and more at a popular Mexican street food truck parked at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 7<\/p>\n

Vendor Eliana Banda, known for her crochet creations shows off one of her handmade dolls at the Peculiarities Market in San Jose, Calif., on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (Sonia Mankame\/Mosaic)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The sound of mariachi music and the smell of churros filled the air as people in Halloween costumes wove through rows of booths.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a maker myself and I love spooky stuff, so this event is right up my alley,\u201d said Kat Alcoser, who was dressed as a cheetah. \u201cThere aren\u2019t many communities like this, so it\u2019s great to have a place where everyone can come out (and) be festive.\u201d<\/p>\n

By midafternoon, families and teens filled the outdoor space. Some stalls leaned into gothic and horror themes \u2014 creepy dolls, crocheted bats and taxidermy shadow boxes \u2014 while others were more classic fare, selling plastic pumpkins, ghosts and skulls.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just love that everyone can be themselves,\u201d said vendor Elianna Banda, who sold multiple items like crochet pumpkins and bats. \u201cThey can be spooky, they can be anything. That\u2019s the fun of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some who came appreciated seeing a range of communities represented.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou see pagan and witchy communities here and even Mexican culture with D\u00eda de los Muertos,\u201d said Rebekah Kerby. \u201cIt\u2019s wonderful to represent the people of the dead.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crystal tables were especially popular, drawing customers to sift through bowls of sparkling stones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe both like crystals \u2014 it\u2019s something my mom and I can bond over,\u201d said Jenna Rosetta, a teen who came to buy crystals with her mother. \u201cShe got me into them, but now I think I\u2019m even more obsessed than she is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Affordability was important for many sellers. \u201cI want everyone to enjoy them, no matter what they can afford,\u201d said Banda, whose top price was $15.<\/p>\n

Rosetta, browsing the booths, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvents like this make it easier to find unique things locally,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Nearby, the Delgado-Salazar family\u2019s table drew crowds with their \u201cghost booties\u201d (small ghost figurines) and tiny tea light pumpkins.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring Halloween season people really love the crafts and it gives us a chance to be creative with what we make,\u201d said Lori Salazar.<\/p>\n

For others, the day carried deeper cultural meaning.<\/p>\n

\u201cBeing Mexican American, Chicana, the Day of the Dead is such a big part of that experience,\u201d Guerrero said. \u201cFor me, Halloween ties into that tradition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dressed in goth black, 15-year-old Jessica Flores, noted the overlap between communities celebrating Halloween.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of Mexican American people in San Jose,\u201d Flores said. \u201cHalloween and D\u00eda de los Muertos kind of blend together \u2014 you see people celebrating both, and it really reflects who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the costumes and churros, the sense of community stood out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about selling \u2014 it\u2019s about connecting,\u201d said Phoenix Artifex, whose booth featured creepy dolls.<\/p>\n

For Kahlo Dior, dressed as a devil, that sense of belonging was especially important.
\u201cI think it\u2019s a small community that really deserves more visibility, especially for queer people who don\u2019t always have spaces to be themselves,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n

One particularly peculiar booth drew in many with unusual goods.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Bay Area, there\u2019s only a couple places you can get captive bred spiders, and I think I\u2019m the only person that does it exclusively,\u201d said vendor Ruthie Schaeferle.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the Peculiarities Market, one story stood out to teen vendor Kayla Wally. The young customer who described how one of their family\u2019s creepy dolls comforted her in the hospital after surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a really moving story,\u201d said Wally. \u201cIt showed how impactful (our crafts) can be.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sonia Mankame is a member of the class of 2026 at Santa Clara High School.<\/p>\n

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