A new spooky event has landed in Pittsburgh’s Frankie Pace Park. Artists and vendors from across Pittsburgh and neighboring cities have come together to participate in the inaugural Steel City Spooky Market. Each stand was adorned with festive Halloween decorations, and many vendors wore festive attire ranging from witch hats to pumpkin sweaters. The artists’ works included screen-printed clothing, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, candles, spells, crystals and more. There were also a variety of food vendors with Halloween-themed treats and drinks for visitors to enjoy as they strolled through the market.
While each stand had its own style, each and every vendor shared an appreciation for Halloween. Some stands explicitly followed a Halloween aesthetic, selling witch hats, homemade love spells and spiritual crystals. Other tables created work within their medium specifically for this Halloween event, with many stands selling items like clothes, blankets and earrings that featured spooky characters and designs. Even the stands whose art maintained their typical themes featured signs, banners and lights promoting the Halloween spirit.
This is the inaugural year for the market, and it’s the first of its kind for the Pittsburgh area. The event’s creator, Emily McGrady from Plum, Pennsylvania, made the event in an effort to bring a Halloween-themed market to Pittsburgh.
“There is a market in Tacoma, Washington … called the Haunted Farmer’s Market,” McGrady said. “I wanted to bring something like that to Pittsburgh, where it’s Halloween year-round instead of just in October.”
This year, the market is open every Saturday starting at the beginning of August and finishing at the end of October. Each week, a set list of vendors appears at the park to present and sell their work. McGrady is responsible for choosing the vendors and ensuring the ones that are selected match the aesthetic she wants for the event.
“Typically, most of the artists get in because of their unique style,” McGrady said. “But I do lean more towards the Halloween, alternative, gothic style.”
One stand that displays this style is AJ Conway’s Conway Family Crystals. The business sells healing crystals gathered from all over the world. They also have various crystal creations, including skulls and gemstone spheres. Conway, a resident of Robinson Township, started their shop by being an avid crystal collector.
“We bought too many crystals and didn’t know what to do with them,” Conway said. “And [we] were like, you know what? Other people love crystals — let’s see if other people want our crystals. And slowly, but surely, here we are with a full-blown crystal business.”
The Conway family loves getting to know the different people who stop by their stand. Conway hopes to provide visitors with an uplifting spirit through their crystals by promoting healing and well-being.
“Our goal is just passing on energy and love,” Conway said. “Along with healing work, protection work, grounding work and just sort of passing it on from our family to others.”
Another stand at the market creates work of all different themes, but focuses its stand on the Halloween style for this event. Elena Goss, from Marian City, Pennsylvania, owns EG Designs PA, a T-shirt printing shop, and creates designs for all seasons and holidays. For the Spooky Market, Goss displayed her collection of Halloween T-shirts, with designs that included things like costumed geese and dancing skeletons. Goss got her inspiration for the company from her work as a teacher.
“Being a teacher, I always love to dress for the different holidays,” Goss said. “So I was like, ‘Oh, it’s fun to make Halloween shirts, Christmas shirts, any holiday.’”
Goss has only been in business for about a year and has only featured her work at a few local markets, but she loves seeing how many people visit her stand.
“I think it’s cool to see how people enjoy what you make and they support you,” Goss said.
The Spooky Market has been well-received, especially considering this is its first year of operation. McGrady has received positive feedback from visitors and plans to expand the market in the future.
“Next year, I’m planning [the market] to go from March to October,” McGrady said. “It’s not just a spooky market in October — it’s [a] spooky market in March, it’s in the middle of June, you can find it year-round. And honestly, it’s gotten a lot of support from the community.”
The Spooky Market is open for two more weekends in October before it closes for the season. Come out to support local artists and to celebrate the spooky season in a fun and friendly atmosphere.