Lina Lecaro
L.A. loves Halloween, and in 2020 we did the best we could, but it was pretty much a bust thanks to COVID-19. A lot of us are anxiously awaiting Fall and the season of the witch’s return. But some can’t and won’t wait. This past weekend, fans of fiendish dress-up and creepy goods gathered for a curated shopping experience at the Heritage Square Museum, where several Victorian manors served as the perfect locales for a brand new macabre marketplace (a portion of the proceeds went to Heritage Square’s non-profit foundation).
With Halloween décor, collectables, costumes, props and more for sale, the event -which sold out so quickly it went from a one day only event to a full weekend- also had fun amusements for kids and kids at heart including ghost stories, food, psychic readings and actual trick-or-treating. The event was COVID-compliant with masks required for entry, hand sanitizer at every vendor booth and hand washing stations.
Co-created by Claire Dunlap (producer and co-founder of Midsummer Scream Halloween and Horror Convention) and Sarah Cooke (Instagram influencer and owner of the company GOREnaments), the eerie event also had production assistance from David Markland (executive director at Midsummer Scream) and Jon Cooke (creative director of 13th Floor Entertainment, best known for the Haunted Hayride).
Check out Spooky Swapmeet’s Facebook page for more info.
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