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Ghoultide Gathering

“A Halloween Artist Spectacular” 

2007-2016

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While Ghoultide is no longer a physical show, its magic lives on in collectors’ homes all across North America. Here is your history lesson on this legendary gathering. Scroll down for links to our treasure of relics, including scanned programs and postcards.

Scarecrow greeter 2015

Ghoultide History

It was an unusually sweltering day on October 6, 2007, in Northville, Michigan. A coven of Halloween lovers endured the heat at the American Legion Post 147 to witness the birth of the next art sensation. After years of co-producing holiday art shows in California, artist Scott Smith of Rucus Studio decided to bring some magic to his state of Michigan. Stephanie Rawson of The Whimsical Whittler, joined him in producing the show. Its estimated 500 eager collectors walked past the larger-than-life pumpkin head display to enter the very first show. 

 

I am a collector of Carolee Clark, and I knew she was going to be there. After seeing her work on eBay, my heart was racing at the thought of meeting her in person.  Admission was a bargain at just $5. Once inside, I quickly found her and was pleased to discover she was as nice in person as she was online. There were 15 other artists there, including The Halloween Queen(™), Pamela Apkarian-Russell who was signing copies of her book. You can see the list of the participating artists on the program linked here.​​​

Piece by Vaughn and Stephanie Dawson (2008) now in the collection

of Amy Schneider

The show moved to Mill Race Village, a living history museum, the following year. The site features several charming historic buildings, including a church, school, and general store. The artists were spread out across the village. In this second year, it was still possible to purchase a piece from Scott easily. There was a certain scavenger hunt vibe to the shopping, as collectors had to plan carefully which building they were going to run to first. 

 

By its third year, the show had grown to 20 artists, with pieces selling for $50-$2,000 each. In 2011, the show expanded to two days, with a $20 early buy on Friday night with a total of 30 artists. In its fifth year, to expand the event, tents were added outside. Catering and live music by The Appleseed Collective elevated the level of magic at the show. 

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Gretchen Sutton and Kristen Stafford had a successful shopping day in 2016

Although Mill Race Village had the perfect historical vibe for the show, a new venue was needed to accommodate the growing number of collectors and artists. In 2012, the show relocated to the Chelsea Community Fairgrounds in Chelsea, MI. 

 

I’m not sure when it started happening, but at a certain point the anticipation for the show grew to a fever pitch. Collectors started lining up before the show opened. Some even spent the night in their cars or tents, sometimes braving awful weather.  Scott Smith eventually had to set up a separate admission line for his booth. The run to his booth once the doors opened rivaled Olympic level competition. 

 

In an interview in the Ann Arbor News, Scott was quoted as saying, “the biggest thing is the variety we offer and the originality…craftsmanship is of the utmost importance.” Indeed, over the years the show featured hats, face jugs, metal ornaments, dolls,  jewelry, sculpted witches, and so much more. At some point, guests were given reusable shopping totes to pack their hauls.

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Ticket booth 2015

If you like watching YouTube videos, my favorite (GG) video is from 2013. The end includes a list of the participating artists.  If you’d like to see a video from the Mill Race Village days, there’s one from 2009. 

 

In 2017, the spirit of Ghoultide was passed from Scott Smith to Jennie and Joe Hepler-Takens, and was reborn as Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween. While no longer in existence, the legacy of Ghoultide will continue to influence collectors for generations.

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Sources

In addition to my (Kristen Stafford) memories and the collected relics, these newspaper articles were accessed via Newpapers.com. 

 

  • Esters, S. (2009, September 30). “I've just always loved Halloween”. Kalamazoo Gazette. 

  • Lendzion, M. (2011, September 29). “Artists get ghoulish”. Detroit Free Press. 

  • Stabile, T. (2014, October 6). “Celebrate ghoultide”. Ann Arbor News. 

  • Stabile, T. (2014, October 12). “Faces in the crowd”. Ann Arbor News. 

  • Unknown. (2007, September 30). Listing under the “Art” events section. Detroit Free Press.

Ghoultide Relics 

Relics

Coming by July 30 - scanned programs

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