In the foggy Ferndale Cemetery, a darkly dressed group walked through between headstones and crypts. Veils, hats, trench coats and platform Doc Martens — you’d be forgiven for assuming there was a funeral. This grim procession was not grieving but rather celebrating Goth Day Revisited. For the second year, a gaggle of goths haunted the Old Steeple in Ferndale on May 20. (See highlights in the slideshow below.)
Inside the old church-turned-music venue, vendors showcased their creepy crafts: insects preserved in jars, stained glass, monster dolls, confections and macabre jewelry. Organizer Gini Noggle beamed at the turnout of local creators and friends, especially the furry guests from the Companion Animals Foundation.
“Hi, welcome to Goth Day. Here’s a kitten,” Noggle said, welcoming goths from all walks of life.
Kelly Sprague is a fantasy and "alternative reborn" artist who crafts eerily realistic baby dolls. Not all of them are quite human. Her table hosted baby clowns, werewolf pups, witches and mermaids. Goth Day was the first time she’s brought them out.
“The kids walk in and see them and turn around like, ‘Nope,’” Sprague said. “To me, when people tell me that they look creepy, it's a compliment. It means that I did a good job making them look real.”
“First and foremost,” McConnell says she wants to thank “my parents, my tribe and my amazing community.”
As Miss Indian World, McConnell, who has previously worked in the tribe’s food sovereignty division and now works with artist Julian Lang in its master apprentice language acquisition program run by the Advocates for Indigenous Californian Language Survival, may travel around the country and overseas to connect with other Indigenous communities. “I will serve as a cultural goodwill ambassador for all of Indian Country and Indigenous community worldwide,” she says. Her goodwill and spirit of cooperation already won her the additional title of Miss Congeniality. “That the majority of my fellow sisters voted for me that really touched my heart.”