Spooky fun was brought to Bloomington’s Monroe County Fairgrounds with local vendors, tarot readings, costume contests and trick-or-treating just a couple of weeks before Halloween.
Raine Hutchens, founder and event coordinator of Twig & Ash Pagan Event Planning organized the Witch Faire with local vendors and practitioners, a costume contest and trick-or-treating for families.
Hutchens said he grew up going to flea markets and was “enamored” by the people selling goods. In 2021, he opened the Burnished Raven, a metaphysical shop in Bloomington that sold ritual items and witch-themed gifts. The shop has since closed.
Witch Faire vendors sell a variety of items including broomsticks, fall-themed nail sets, amigurumi crochet, crystal gemstone jewelry, “blind date with a book” selections, handmade clothing, soaps and art.
Some attendees dressed up in costumes, mostly witch-themed, while others wore fall-related clothing for the rainy afternoon.
“All of my events are kid friendly,” Hutchens said. "So, you can bring your kids, have something to do on a Sunday, and just take away a great warm feeling — that’s what I hope for.”
Katie Freeman owns Stellar Trinkets, which specializes in bracelets and key chains made from natural stones. She said it was her second time participating as a vendor in the Witch Faire.
“Everybody’s great here,” Freeman said. “You know, you always see all the smiling faces, everybody’s happy. It’s a good time.”
Elizabeth Bowers and IU alumna Jasmine Litton, owners of EB&J Nails, a Bloomington-based press-on nail business, began selling custom nail sets this year.
Their designs featured tortoiseshell print, olives, apples, ghosts, pumpkins and stripes for the fall season. Attendees could pick the designs they liked and size them to fit their nailbed.
“It’s like the most affordable way for people to pick their own sets and also be able to express their unique creativity by putting together a whole bunch of different, like, mishmash of combinations,” Litton said.
Thera Hermsen attended the Witch Faire for the first time this year to see the handmade crafts selection and products that vendors had to offer.
“I really like the handcrafted soaps,” Hermsen said. They’re always very pleasant smelling.”
Hutchens said he hopes attendees take away items from vendors and have a good time. Every time Hutchens hosts the Witch Faire, he devotes an hour to trick-or-treating for families and a costume contest that brings the community together.
“We believe in one another, we believe in community, and just to show that, it’s a very positive thing for Bloomington to have this community that supports local,” Hutchens said.
Hutchens said he plans to hold his next seasonal, spooky-themed event Dec. 14 at Switchyard Park. The event will focus on Krampus, a Central European figure known as the opposite of Santa Claus.
