Horror fans defrost for the beginning of spooky season

Halloween came early for horror lovers gathered on Sept. 2 at the first October Village of 2023 at a hotel in Macarthur Boulevard, Santa Ana. October Village meets multiple times throughout the season all over the SoCal area to welcome spooky season.

Dressed like scary clowns or their favorite horror film characters, people mingled in the lobby while more than 50 vendors sold everything from graphic T-shirts to stuffed monsters to sweet delicacies resembling scary characters like the famous Ghost Face.

Scary clown hunting souls. Photo by: Danha Sanchez// el Don

Every vendor had different and unique merch like pins, cups, keychains and art. It might be too early to start but for Halloween lovers, the event was a sneak peek at their favorite holiday.

“They all come to an environment that’s not looked at as out of the box,” said Davey Suicide, one of the vendors at the event who was selling his art, T-shirts and music. “The inclusivity of having people that all like weird stuff.”

Davey Suicide and his colleague selling merch. Photo by: Danha Sanchez// el Don

These creepy pop-ups are a great opportunity not only for customers to stock up but also for the artists to go and sell their art or make their scary business grow. “It’s really more about meeting people and sharing my art,” said Josie, a vendor who was selling eerie stationary items under the name Dreamycreeps.

“It is really cool meeting with people and other artists and seeing their art,” said Josie.

October Village meets every few weeks throughout the spooky season, hoping for more Halloween lovers to support artists and their small businesses, or to share their art as vendors at the event.

The next event will take place at 19 E. Main St., Alhambra, CA 91801 on Oct. 13.