The Ypsilanti-based Holy Bones Festival hosted its second annual Krampusmrkt Handmade Holiday Bazaar on Dec. 3 at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse. The event featured 40 local artisans and artists, concessions from Detroit vendor Monster Foods, and live music.

"We want to embrace the Ypsi weird. We want those artists to keep pursuing the things that they love and build community," says Holly Schoenfield, event organizer and Holy Bones founder. "We’re very grateful to the Freighthouse for letting us use their beautiful facility."

Holy Bones hosted its first Krampusmrkt last year at the Ypsilanti Performance Space with 20 vendors. The event was inspired by the success of the Holy Bones Festival, which is held annually in October. This year’s Holy Bones Festival featured over 80 artists, several food trucks, and drag performances.

Along with the holiday market, Krampusmrkt also featured a cosplayer dressed as Lady Krampus, an interpretation of Europe's evil folkloric counterpart to St. Nicholas, who took holiday photos with attendants. The event also had an afterparty at Keystone Bar and Arcade in downtown Ypsi, which featured drag performers from Ypsilanti’s Head Over Heels Drag and Variety Shows. 

Vendors were encouraged to create at least one item to sell that featured or was inspired by the European Krampus legend. 
 
"I don’t think there’s a single person in Ypsilanti who isn’t creative in their own way," says Schoenfield, whose own artwork and goods were on display at the Freighthouse. "... I’m very much embedded in the art community. I can guess that the freedom to be weird is definitely apparent to new vendors coming in."
 
For a full list of featured vendors and more information on Holy Bones events, visit the Holy Bones website or Facebook page.

Rylee Barnsdale is a Michigan native and longtime Washtenaw County resident. She wants to use her journalistic experience from her time at Eastern Michigan University writing for the Eastern Echo to tell the stories of Washtenaw County residents that need to be heard.
 
Photos by Rylee Barnsdale.