Hunters Moonlit Market: Magical Merchants Peddling Otherworldly Wares

When we first met Nicole Irene, the Berkshires-based artist, high school teacher and practicing folk herbalist, she told us “There is nothing like getting a group of like-minded people together and sharing in the act of making something healing and nourishing together. Creating times of mindfulness, community, and belonging in our society is so very important as it is healing in itself. “

That urge for building community, along with her interest in sharing the work of local artists and metaphysical practitioners, is going to be manifested at the Hunters Moonlit Market, an open-air twilight bazaar at TurnPark Art Space in West Stockbridge on Saturday, Oct. 8. Plan for leisure strolling, shopping, live music, and eating and drinking from 4-9 p.m.  

“The event honors and embraces an aesthetic such as — but not limited to — harvest, witch-crafted goods, spellbinding merchants, macabre, herbology, local artisans — vendors that are willing to embrace the mysterious, magical, autumnal, genres,” Irene says. The Dust Bowl Faeries will provide live music, and Opal Raven, a “one-woman circus,” fire dancer and snake charmer will add an extra sense of wonder to the atmosphere.

Psychic Boost loose incense by Helixirapotheke

Come prepared to shop (cash on hand is strongly encouraged). Over 35 vendors will be selling jewelry, home décor, other merchandise, and spiritual tools — magical merchants peddling otherworldly wares, as organizers put it. Food will be provided by La Chalupa Y La Enchilada, Momma Lo’s Southern Style BBQ, Baked! Pastries & More, Hot Plate Beer, and TurnPark’s own bar. Got aches and pains or a desire to know what’s in your future? Metaphysical practitioners will be offering mini sessions — tarot, sound healing, reiki, astrology and numerology.

“There are tons of metaphysical practitioners in the Berkshires, but people don’t know where to go to find them,” says Irene. “This will be a really nice way to access them in a friendly way.”

Each Indigious People’s Weekend, Nicole Irene makes an annual pilgrimage to Salem, where she soaks up the metaphysical energy and learns what’s new among the practitioners , She had an idea to seek out like-minded locals and bring a bit of that Salem aesthetic to the Berkshires. The need for alternative forms of divine expression and spiritual exploration is great, she feels, and everyone has something to contribute She reached out to Liam Gorman, founder of CozQuest, a local treasure hunt,   who has experience with markets, and Kira Smith of Shire Alchemy. This working team brought their proposal to TurnPark, which accepted the invitation to be the host site.  

The event is free and is being funded through vendor fees.

“We aren’t planning on making a profit off this event as it’s our first ot test the waters,” Nicole Irene says. Once this market wraps up, she foresees more markets ahead.

Moonlit Market is for everyone, she stresses. “We want to appeal to diverse and extraordinary folk as well as pique curiosity and intrigue amongst the muggles.”