By Lucy Ruscitto | Staff Writer
Wacoans can head out to the Skellington Market for a costume contest and ghoulish goodies sold by local vendors Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m.
Held at the Skellington Curiosities storefront in Woodway, shop owners Kylie and Sean Skellington host the market once a month. Visiting vendors range from Goddi’s Oddities, Russell Campbell and his acrylics, Junkyard Tactical recycled art and weapons and more.
Kylie Skellington said that performers and more entertainment activities at the market include tarot card readings, sword swallowers, glass walkers, fire dancers and Tea Aguilar, local audio and visual artist, singer-songwriter and “one man band.”
“For the market, we just really want to help stimulate local artists and businesses, shop small and really get the exposure out there for the culture,” Skellington said.
Skellington said they opened their storefront in March of this year as Waco’s only oddities and curiosities shop. The couple carries items of “the haunted variety” in their store. Since opening, the co-owners have been hosting the Skellington Market on the last Sunday of every month.
“This market really came about trying to bring awareness to the oddities and curiosities subculture,” Skellington said. “Because there really is a large one in Waco, they just didn’t have an outlet.”
Kylie Skellington said her husband legally changed his last name before they were married, because of his love for Tim Burton films, and Skellington Curiosities was born after.
“It’s really our passion project. It’s just everything that we know and love,” Skellington said. “We just wanted to share it with the community and as soon as we started sharing, the community had started reaching out to us, like, ‘Hey, I make this and I do that,’ and it just kind of blew up from there.”
Skellington said that so far at the markets, she has met visitors coming all the way from Houston for an oddities market. She said Waco truly is lacking in the curiosities subculture.
Skellington said she and her husband’s store motto is “Living that Spooky Vibe 365.” She additionally said that she encourages Baylor students to come out and experience different aspects of the community in which they live.
“It’s a really, really great way to network with your community and connect with really what is out there,” Skellington said.
Shop owner of Jaunty Jungalow, Cassie Robertson, is having their first-ever pop-up event at the market as a vendor.
“I really love that the diversity of the crowd that shows up to these markets,” Robertson said. “Kylie and Sean Skellington have done an amazing job of bringing together people while supporting multiple small businesses and artists in the area.”
This month specifically, in order to celebrate Halloween, the market is hosting a costume contest with categories ranging from best women’s, men’s, couples, team and scariest costumes. Winners of each category have the opportunity to win a basket from Skellington Curiosities with over $250 dollars worth of treats and prizes from both the storefront and market vendors.
Also, the market is complying with Waco’s COVID-19 regulation, as masks and social distancing are required for all in attendance at the market. Cost to the entrance of the market is completely free, and the market additionally is family-friendly and safe.
Edited for corrections: Originally, the piece implied Sean Skellington changed his last name due to his love for curiosities, but instead is was because of his love for Tim Burton films. Additionally, the original piece implied the state of Texas was lacking a curiosity culture when Kylie Skellington had said the Waco area was lacking an outlet for curiosity subculture. Lastly, the first piece said Cassie Robertson was the owner of Sloppy 2nd’s Vintage. It has been corrected to say she is the owner of Jaunty Jungalow.
