Laurel Hill East Cemetery’s ninth annual Market of the Macabre returns Saturday, Sept. 20, celebrating “the magical and morbidly curious.”
Located among the historic grounds and tombstones at 3822 Ridge Ave., the market will feature over 100 vendors, including local artists, small businesses, and food trucks.
Marissa Volk Binjaku, the manager of public programs and events for Friends of Laurel Hill, told the Local, “It is definitely like a bazaar of the bizarre, but ultimately, our goal is to just welcome the public in to enjoy our grounds. … We’re also excited to showcase the beauty of our grounds and the publicly accessible space that we have year round. So there’s lots to do for everyone, even if you’re not explicitly into oddities.”
The oddities served up by the market’s vendors will include taxidermy, antiques, jewelry, and spiritual goods such as tarot readings. Attendees will hear music from a DJ — WXPN’s John Morrison — and poetry from an Edgar Allen Poe impersonator.
“It’s things you might not see every day that are a little bit odd, a little bit curious,” Volk Binjaku said. “I wouldn’t say everyone has a goth vibe to them, but I think that a lot of our vendors do kind of lean goth.”
Last year, the market saw over 5,000 attendees, the largest attendance since the event began nine years ago. The cemetery’s 78 acres are well equipped to handle a large crowd, but visitors may experience a wait to get inside.
“We really encourage people to buy tickets in advance. They’re cheaper. It’s $5 in advance; it’ll be $10 at the door. And last year, and I think a few previous years, we had lines at the door, just because it is such a popular event,” Volk Binjaku said.
One of the vendors, Gravestone Girls, creates sculpted art pieces from the faces of original New England tombstones. They also teach tombstone rubbing and cleaning processes, and lead graveyard walks and presentations on cemetery history and evolution.
Gravestone Girls owner Brenda Sullivan told the Local, “We’ve been there since the first one, about eight years. We have also been selling in their gift shop for more than 10 years. We live in New England, and our cemeteries don’t do anything like Market of the Macabre, or all the other wonderful programming Laurel Hill does.”
Sullivan added, “It is a dynamic and exciting experience. Last year, they had 5,000 attendees, the biggest one yet. There are people dressed in their finery, they’re shopping like crazy, they’re picnicking on the grass, and generally enjoying the beauty of the cemetery. Everyone is excited to be invited into the graveyard. The best part is, all the money raised goes directly back into Laurel Hill.”
When Laurel Hill was founded in the 1830s, Volk Binjaku said, “it was really meant as a space where Victorians could come and see their loved ones, picnic on the ground, stroll on the grounds, and be in community with their deceased.”
Volk Binjaku believes Market of the Macabre continues that tradition “by holding a space where death and dying topics are discussed.”
“It’s definitely not a scary market. Rather, I think just embracing, you know, the idea that we’re all going to die, it’s not taboo to talk about it, or be in spaces like a cemetery, to do fun things,” she said.
A variety of food vendors will also be participating, selling everything from sushi to gyros, water ice, and beer.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit laurelhillphl.com. Free parking will be available at the Dell Music Center at 2400 Strawberry Mansion Dr. SEPTA bus route 61 is another option for those interested in attending.
Tommy Tucker can be reached at Tommy@chestnuthilllocal.com.
