Fans of the spooky season have an annual event they look forward to—and we're not (just) talking about Halloween.

The Holy Bones Festival in Ypsilanti is a shivering mix of art, performance, and vibes, with the focus being on the ghoulish and gothic with a PG-13 bent. There are also related seasonal artisan markets throughout the year, all with a similar macabre spirit: Pushing Up Daisies in the spring, Krampus in July, etc.

Ypsi visual artist Holly Bones started The Holy Bones Festival in 2019, but she had to switch things up for the 2025 edition and other seasonal markets, as stated on the fest's Facebook events page:

This year has been one of immense change for our team, marked by both life changes and the loss of loved ones. We're taking a step back from our big festival to host a series of artisan markets for the rest of 2025. It’s our way of focusing on the artists and community that started it all, and it's also a chance to spend more intentional time with all of you before we dive into 2026!

The Holy Bones Artisan Market was always the centerpiece of the Holy Bones Festival, but now it has the full spotlight, with more than 70 creators displaying their wares at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse on Sunday, October 19, 1-9 pm.

Scaling back gave Bones and her self-described "skeleton crew" a chance to reset and plan for a big 2026, all while continuing to celebrate the local artistic community, especially those creators who might not fit in with typical seasonal markets.

"My hope is that attendees for this market, and any local market, continue to support real human creativity in our communities," Bones said via email. "By supporting local artists instead of corporations, you are bringing someone's dream to life in real time."

We conversed with Bones about the 2025 Holy Bones Festival and what she has planned for 2026.

Q: What inspired you to first start the festival and include local artists, food vendors, comedians, musicians, and other performers as part of it?
A: In 2019, the festival was born from a need for local artists who didn't quite fit into other area artisan markets to have a space to thrive. There weren't many Halloween events planned in our area, so our team saw a wonderful opportunity to launch something new. Thanks to Steve Pierce of the Ypsilanti Performance Space, we were offered a place to call home for our October event. Showcasing creative talent in all mediums was important, so that first year we had live painters, musicians, drag performances, and appearances from local community members speaking to Ypsilanti's unique creative nature.

Q: How has the festival evolved over the years? What have you enjoyed most about curating and hosting it in the past? How has the festival aligned with the creative vision you have as an artist, personally and professionally?
A: The festival went from being a single annual event to multiple artisan markets throughout the year, all hosted at historic Ypsilanti buildings. The themed artisan markets typically take place at the Ypsilanti Freight House, and the main festival takes place at the Ypsilanti Performance Space.

My favorite part of these events is the community it has created with the artisans who make up the marketplace. I've met and learned from so many talented artists in this community and the surrounding area. Each event we have doubles as a reunion for the artists who have known each other for years, or who just met at our last show. It grows every year.

I went into this not having a particular creative vision in mind for the event, and I think that helped it grow organically into what it is today—a community of artists. For me personally, this has helped me grow so much and learn what my own style is. Surrounding myself with other artists—whose talent usually intimidates me—was the best way to learn what inspires me most, which mediums I prefer to work with, and the kind of content I want to put forth for my own personal art.

Q: Since there won’t be a Holy Bones festival this year, what sparked the idea of hosting three Holy Bones Artisan Markets instead?
A: Multiple artisan markets are nothing new to our Skeleton Crew! We've been doing this pretty regularly, making the Freight House a regular hosting venue since 2022, with the second annual Krampusmrkt, now in its fifth year. We've typically aligned our themes with First Fridays Ypsilanti events or seasonal vibes, while always keeping a spooky aspect to the curated artists. Themes we’ve had in the past include:

• - Krampusmrkt - Our annual dark holiday market, launched in 2021
• - Lucky Bones - A luck-themed artisan market in March
• - Rest in Peace - A self-care fair focusing on mental health and wellness.
• - The Bones and the Bees: An annual September event celebrating honeybees and other pollinators.
• - Pushing Up Daisies - A spring market where we welcome new blooms and beginnings with botanical-themed art with a spooky twist
• - Hot Ghoul Summer - A fun summer market celebrating the heat with dark art vibes
• - Krampus in July - the summer version of our Krampusmrkt!
• - Two Cents - A one–time  market dedicated to celebrating Ypsilanti’s Bicentennial

The Holy Bones Artisan Market is a broad spooky theme to celebrate Halloween, allowing the artists to showcase their favorite works and celebrate local talent. The Creature Feature Artisan Market is a new theme, expanded from our previous "Tales from the Cryptid" artisan markets to include creatures of all types.

Q: How will each Artisan Market—The Holy Bones Artisan Market, The Creature Feature Artisan Market, and The Fifth Annual Krampusmrkt—help capture the spirit of Holy Bones this fall and holiday season?
A: The vibe will be there; our artisans always celebrate the darker side of creativity. You'll find taxidermy, original artwork to chill your bones, sweet and spooky treats, and so much more! We love hosting our events in beautiful, historic Ypsilanti buildings, and we're thrilled to end the year with a bang with these three artisan markets.

Q: How many local and regional artists, makers, and creators are participating in The Holy Bones Artisan Market? How do creatives like Cold Blooded Curios, Art of Donald England, Gawk Printing, Earthenwood Studio, and others provide visitors with an eclectic and fascinating array of works to view and purchase at the market?
A: We have more than 70 artists booked for the event this Sunday—45 of them for indoor spaces and an additional number of artists haunting the Freight House deck outdoors, as long as the weather is kind to us. Cold Blooded Curios brings creatures back to life with ethereal taxidermy. Donald England, a renowned local artist whose work you'll likely recognize, is bringing his haunted original artwork. Gawk Printing celebrates a collection of creative minds and provides stunning quality in their printing capabilities to bring artists' work to life on paper. Earthenwood creates sculptures of creatures to adorn your walls with a sense of whimsy. My favorite coffee company, Black Ichor, is bringing the energy quite literally to this event by serving the highest quality brews and bags of roasted beans to bring home with you. I could brag all day about every single vendor that will be at this event, the Creature Feature, and Krampusmrkt. I am proud of each and every one of them for what they are able to accomplish with their talent and drive.

Q: You’ll also be sharing some of your new paintings at these markets. What can tell us about some of your new artworks and the inspiration behind them?
A: What inspires me most as an artist is being surrounded by other artists. The human connection found at local community art events, whether they are talks, artisan markets, classes, or simply just catching up for coffee. There is no greater inspiration than the creativity of another human's perspective to help you see your own more clearly. My new paintings are a collection of works inspired by those I've spoken to at markets. The conversations I have at Holy Bones Artisan Markets and beyond have led to a fun series of haunted pets, vampiric animals, and some original works of powerful women navigating a shadow world that doesn't differ much from the reality we are all currently immersed in.

Q: What does the future look like for Holy Bones in 2026 and beyond?
A: In 2026, we are looking to expand our markets to invite more artists. Through a combination of indoor and outdoor events, we aim to celebrate year-round, starting with our annual Valentine's breakup sale called "Art Makers and Heartbreakers" in February. This is a way for artists to clear their slates and start fresh with new ideas in the new year by offering their previous year's work at an exclusive discount to attendees. Our wish is to bring back the Holy Bones Festival in 2026 on a larger scale, collaborating with the community to add more fun, creativity, and showcase local talent in ever-evolving ways.

Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.

The Holy Bones Artisan Market is on Sunday, October 19, 1-9 pm, at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, 100 Market Place, Ypsilanti. Visit holybonesfestival.com for more info.