Harvest Moon Oddities and Delights Craft Market features the spooky, strange and more

Kevin Carroll, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Sep. 12—WILKES-BARRE — A gloomy gray day didn't stop sellers and enthusiasts of the bizarre, the spooky and the strange from checking out Sunday's scene on South River Street.

In fact, it may have set just the right mood.

Hosted by NEPA CraftWorks and The Strange and Unusual, a very unique Harvest Moon Oddities and Delights Craft Market set up shop in the parking lot of the LSEO building on Sunday, and men and women braved the rain to check out several local vendors as Halloween season draws closer.

The craft fair ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with a nagging rain giving way later in the afternoon and making for a much more comfortable shopping experience — as comfortable as one can be when staring at some of the creations the vendors had in store.

Lea Kunkle and T.J. Bell from Black Earth Alchemy brought their own array of spagyric tinctures to the fair, concoctions designed to aid with a number of ailments.

"We've been doing this for about four or five years. We want to get into more of these types of fairs," Kunkle said. "This is the perfect place for us."

Across the lot, all sorts of different products could be found: clothing, jewelry, decorations, even some good food and good wine.

While the theme may have been "oddities," several vendors weren't necessarily leaning into the weird, but more of the spiritual and holistic, like AnnaRose Donahue.

Donahue is the owner and proprietor of My Giving Candle, which she said she formed the idea for in a dream, and put together her business in two weeks.

"It's not even about money, it's life-changing," said Donahue.

The candles on their own were pleasant enough, but it's what's inside that really houses the motivation for My Giving Candle.

Inside the candles on display during Sunday's fair was a crystal, different ones in different candles, with a chart that detailed what each crystal was, and what properties they possessed.

The crystals aid their owners in a number of ways, including with your mental health, which Donahue said she had experienced firsthand.

"I've suffered from it, "she said, referring to anxiety and depression, and the help provided by the crystals. "If I didn't have this business, I wouldn't be here."