As we move into fall, Southsider is interested in reflecting on some of the best events that staff attended this past summer. And the Wicked Oddities Market, truly, provided stellar summer opportunities to see unique vendors and to enjoy art and music in an inclusive space. The summer oddities market opened at the Allentown Fairgrounds’ Agri~Plex building for the second time after its debut last year. Free to enter (but good luck leaving without bundles of goodies), the Oddities Market boasted an eclectic collection of vendors and entertainment from taxidermy to tattoos to Tarot (oh my!). Patrons flocked to the Market for a chance to revel in the charm of all things odd and found shared delight in a community of outsiders where all are welcome.
The Wicked Oddities Market is the creation of Dawn Ash, owner of the local plant nursery The Wicked Botanist. Before the Market, Dawn founded the Lehigh Valley Wicked Plant Fest, which featured plant-themed handmade items, opportunities to swap plant cuttings, and educational programming for gardeners and plant-enthusiasts. Appealing to attendees’ interests in the odd nature of some of her items, Dawn branched out with the Wicked Oddities Market to provide the Lehigh Valley with a fun way to engage with unique local vendors. While chatting with her at the Wicked Botanist booth, Dawn spoke about the benefits of small businesses helping each other. The Market is the perfect example of such community building, as it does not feature large, corporate vendors, but rather offers local businesses a chance to attract new customers and build their public image.
This year the Market included live music from several local bands, such as Hollow Howl (pictured below). These local acts were organized by Fuzzy Cat Booking (FCB), a D.I.Y. booking collective interested in local bands performing for eager audiences across the Lehigh Valley. I met with Celina Danish of FCB to discuss the collective. Danish discussed how each band was handed the opportunity to set the mood for the Market as a whole while still staying true to their own original music. The Wicked Oddities Market provided a wonderful performance space for bands such as Willowbrook and Cnidarian (with FCB’s Celina on bass!) to encounter new audiences. The mood for the Market was best summed up at the start of Hollow Howl’s performance, when Rachel Mackow (vocalist) yelled to the crowd and surrounding booths: “Is anyone feeling like a wicked oddity? I am!” These words represent the heart of the Wicked Oddities Market that’s been beating for the past two years and shows no signs of stopping because at this market everyone’s oddities are seen, shared, and celebrated.
The energetic sounds coming from the bands carried throughout the Market as I roamed the halls and chatted with several vendors who each reflected on the Market itself and the community it builds. Terri Trotter runs 3rd Street Studio, a 3D printing studio in which she hand paints adorable Pocket Fidget Friends meant to bring fun and comfort to customers, no matter their age. Her booth was one of whimsy and fantasy. Featuring dinosaurs, red pandas, caterpillars, and even lobsters, these Pocket Fidget Friends were small enough to fit in the palm of your hand and meant to soothe their owners with their wriggling textures and cute features. Terri recounted with a smile that patrons and vendors alike were always kind and entered her booth with eyes trained on the brightly colored, hand-painted 3D animals dangling around. Taking breaks to chat with children and adults who picked up her wiggly creations, Terri spoke with emotion on the impact-driven nature of her work and how she views her booth and the Wicked Oddities Market as places where everybody is welcome. Whether you were neurodivergent, an adult deep into the goth scene, or a fidgety child, Terri’s booth aimed to be a safe space where you could pluck your favorite animal off the rack and carry around a comforting line of support in your pocket.
The inclusivity of the Market was also noted by Robin Gow, local author and educator. Surrounded by his published writing, such as Ode to My First Car and Dear Mothman, and by the wonderfully horrific watercolor works of Rain Black, Robin remarked on the crowd that the Market attracted. Going beyond simply offering products up for sale, the Market’s crowd itself represented community building in the form of representation. Those interested in the goth scene share an overlap with the LGBTQ+ community, Robin said, looking around as attendees would stop to touch the Pride flag earrings on his table. Both these communities seek spaces where they can visibly and proudly exist while recognizing themselves in one another. The spooky and artistic scene of the Market fostered such connections.
Beyond books, artwork, and plants, the Market also offered bath products. Mandie Allen’s Witches Brew, for example, specializes in handmade bath & body products such as coffee scrubs and candles. Witches Brew got its feet off the ground in 2019 shortly before COVID-19 erupted, but Mandie persevered and has since found a sense of independence in her work. She is free to travel and experience the joy of other people as she encourages them to trust their gut, not the labels on her creations. Rather than simply reading scents off the label, Mandie encourages patrons to focus on what scents call to them when smelling everything from lotion bars to bath salts. Witches Brew’s products are all vegan and cruelty free, meaning no animals were harmed in the making of their products. Customers are assured that their choices will benefit not only the user, but also the environment through methods such as biodegradable wrapping for refills. Mandie’s work grew out of her desire to simply make a coffee scrub for herself, but quickly grew into a business as she realized the wonderful scents she was creating could bring joy and comfort to others as well.
As the Wicked Oddities Market wound down to a close and I finished my interviews, I took one final lap around the halls and bought all the wonderful odds and ends I had been eying all day. One of the best aspects of the Market was that even if you were not looking to buy anything new, you could still learn about an “odd” community of vendors, shoppers, bands, and music lovers in the Valley. If you’re a local vendor with products on the odd side, keep an eye on the Market’s Facebook page for vendor applications. For all other Valley residents interested in spending time with beautifully strange people, products, and vendors, you can catch the Market again next year!
