Bakery Square hosted a free screening of “Twilight” and showcased local artists in an artisan market this weekend. The event was co-hosted by “I Made it! Market” and Neighborhood Flea.
Starting at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30, the “Spooky Art and Vintage Market” took place on the lawn of Bakery Square, with around a dozen vendors surrounding the outer walkway. Attendees had many shopping options, ranging from vintage clothing booths to small businesses, including local artists. Hungry guests had an array of food chains to choose from, including Panera, Playa Bowls and Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, that were built into the venue.
To kick off the night, a live band welcomed attendees. The lawn had chairs set up where older patrons listened to the rock performance, while kids in attendance chose to sway and dance to the tunes. The band performed for the first few hours of the event as guests explored the vendors’ booths — all “Twilight” or Halloween-themed.
The event provided a shared space for attendees to come together and relax for an evening. Nicole Castelli, a resident of South Side, found her interest piqued by the thematic offerings.
“I haven’t gotten to walk around and look at everything yet, but it all looks really cool. It’s nice to have everything in one place,” Castelli said.
Vendors sold an array of items, most for under $20. Grandma Jean’s Pennsylvania Kitchen sold horror movie character-themed bath and body products. Another business, Huskreative, sold magnets adorned with “Twilight” characters Edward and Jacob’s faces on them. A nail artist sold press-ons with quotes from the film.
Positioned further away from the music, a vendor had a mini-thrift store set up selling clothing from the early 2000s. Erica Westfall, a resident of Southside and owner of Andythrift, discussed the “Twilight”-themed clothing she decided to bring for this event.
“I try to bring up stuff that Bella would wear, and that’s sprinkled in my stuff,” Westfall said.
The booth had racks packed with secondhand clothing for attendees to sift through. Westfall sells skirts, long sleeves, tank tops and more. Westfall found joy in all the patrons who came across her handpicked apparel.
“I like seeing all the different people, and how we connect over the clothes that I bring,” Westfall said.
The event’s market immersed customers in the homemade works of Pittsburgh’s community. Alice Miser, a resident of Sewickley and owner of Creep Plastique, showcased their local artistry at the Spooky Market through her custom handcrafted jewelry. Miser crafts her items out of reused plastic. Miser uses this plastic material to turn what may seem like trash into something new.
“I use polystyrene plastic, which is the same thing as shrinky dinks, but I use recycled takeout food containers. It’s not a recyclable plastic, so I turn them into jewelry to make it so that it doesn’t go into the landfill,” Wiser said.
The “Twilight” theme drew in both young and old attendees. The public screening allowed for movie fans of all demographics to meet and share the experience of watching the nostalgic vampire film. Local fans came dressed in their “Twilight” shirts ready for the movie night. Miser noticed the variety of people gathered on the lawn.
“I think it’s a fun kind of bridge between, you know, like, I’m a Millennial age, so it’s a ‘Twilight’-themed event. I watched ‘Twilight’ in theaters when I was in high school, and we’re like, I’m seeing a lot of older and younger people here,” Miser said.
Attendees settled into their spots on the turf ahead of the film’s start. Audience members brought blankets, pillows and snacks to complete the film-watching experience.
Miser explained how the event gave local artists exposure to new audiences.
“I think it’s good, you know, to kind of expose people. The movie is the draw, but then people come and see artists that they [wouldn’t] have seen otherwise,” Miser said.