Halloween meets Christmas at gothic craft show

While there have been over 20 Christmas craft shows across Nova Scotia this season, one in particular stands out from the rest.

The 7th annual Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas show took place this past weekend at the Halifax Forum. The two-day event showcased local artisans work, but unlike other shows featured items that were medieval, steampunk, gothic, fantasy, Victorian or mystic.

The Signal went to the Have Yourself a Gothic Little Christmas to find out more about the event and its vendors.

Eastern Canada’s purveyor of oddities, Bob Chiasson, has been selling obscure and rare items at the Gothic Christmas show for six years.

“It’s kind of like my Christmas because Christmas needs more Halloween,” said Chiasson.

Chiasson’s brought a number of items to sell, but his favourite was a taxidermy cat.

“I was searching for a taxidermy cat for 35 years because they’re very rare and until I found it I had a taxidermy cat shaped hole in my heart,” he said.

Jamie and Marilyn MacDonald have attended the Gothic Christmas craft show for four years. MacDonald creates custom-made top hats. The hats are bought from Colorado and then accented or combined with steampunk machinery and goggles.

Jamie MacDonald said they will continue to come to the show because of how it brings a community of people together.

“It’s unique, both the products and the people that are here; there’s a very unique friendship that’s created between the artists here,” he said. “They’re always the same, but the products are always different.”

“You start with a good hat and add goggles because when you’re travelling through time you need goggles,” said MacDonald. “There’s also apothecary or medicine on some of the hats.”

Wanda Aulenback, owner of Sense and SensibiliTea, has been exhibiting and selling teas inspired by history and literature at the Gothic Christmas show for four years.

“We recreate teas and drinking chocolates from different time periods,” said Aulenback. “We do teas from all the way back to Ancient Egypt through to the late Victorian period.”

Aulenback said this is one of the busiest times of years for tea sales.

“This is always our best show because this is a marketplace  that has really unique items that you don’t always get to find, especially not all together in one place,” she said

“Mrs. Milligan at your service; we make everything from hats to spats,” said Jenny Milligan, owner of Mrs. Milligan’s Millinery.

Milligan has only been a vendor at Gothic Christmas for two years, but she’s been sewing hats and costumes for over 20 years.

Milligan’s hobby is participating in 18th century reenactments and said the Gothic Christmas show is a chance for her to meet new people and get new ideas.

“It’s fun; people like what I make and they like trying things on,” she said. “I also like seeing how different products work with different people and if you have a great outfit you need a hat to go with it.”

Kimberly Wade, co-owner of Indigolily, works with leather to create a variety of holsters and accessory belts to sell at the Gothic Christmas show.

“What I like most about coming here is all of the artisans,” she said. “I think all of the artisans here enjoy each other’s company and we all love to support each other.”