Under the dimmed blue and green lights at The Union, 18 W. Union St., 15 local vendors set up tables and racks Sunday to display their handmade work for Athens to admire. From beautifully painted mirrors to crocheted snails, Athens’ creative nature shined at The Freak Show.
The Freak Show was put together by The Pussy Cat Collective, made up of Hannah Eppler, Kalli Kostival and Darian Knapp. The vintage and art market started at noon and finished at 7 p.m., with an art exhibition that opened at 4 p.m. and ended at 6 p.m.
Knapp, a senior studying studio art, is also the founder and owner of Funky Duck Finds, a vintage and toy jewelry business. Partnering with Eppler and Kostival allowed Knapp to give opportunities to local vendors and put on events like The Freak Show for many to enjoy.
“We wanted to provide a platform for small artists, specifically people kind of DIY-oriented, just really any small businesses,” Knapp said. “But we want to provide a platform for young people who might not have as many opportunities in Athens specifically.”
The group officially came together in January 2023 and has since then hosted events such as a queer market and the “Halloween Hootenanny” with Passionworks Studio. The Freak Show was the first event the collective got to brand with their name.
Rather than selecting vendors for the event, vendors were welcome to apply to take part. This was important to the group that not everything was an “invite-only” situation. The group also agreed on not having an admission fee, so everyone felt welcome to come in and buy some unique items.
Vendors caught the eyes of many locals and students as they wandered upstairs at The Union flipping through clothing racks, observing jewelry and conversing with other shoppers.
Rachel Couch owns Odd Romp, a small business that makes handmade lingerie. Couch created it during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. After purchasing a sewing machine, Couch found out that sewing lingerie was their passion.
“So much of lingerie is catered toward the male gaze, and it ends up being kind of uncomfortable and not super practical,” Couch said. “And what I think about is, who's wearing it, what they want to feel like and how they want to present themselves. So everything I make is super adjustable, it's stretchy and soft.”
Couch perfected their craft through a stitch that makes the lingerie they make last longer and more comfortable for the wearer. Couch said they also have customizable sizes, so anyone can find a perfect fit. Odd Romp’s prices at the show ranged from $15 to $65 lingerie.
Elizabeth Murry was another vendor present at The Freak Show. Her business, The Salty Otter, had an eye-catching table full of colorful crocheted items, such as coasters, cakes and a variety of animals. Her table also featured a gumball machine full of mini crocheted keychains that one could purchase for $5.
Like Couch, Murry got into her craft during the pandemic and opened her business at the end of 2021. According to Murray, all of the ideas behind her plush creations are “cute and colorful.”
“I'm not making it up when I say I like seeing people smile,” she said. “When they come up (to me), you know, it touches your heart a little bit.”
With The Salty Otter being her full-time gig, Murry puts lots of time and energy into her passion. While some of her keychains only take around 10 minutes, some of her other items can take up to three hours. She is most proud of her crocheted snails, cakes and snowmen.
As for the name of her business, it was a simple decision to make.
“My favorite animal is the otter, and I get a little salty sometimes,” she said, laughing.
The Freak Show had a freakishly good turnout despite the snow and “Sunday scaries.” Athens’ small business scene is beyond artistic and passionate and the many vendors and artists present made that notion clear.
“Everybody deserves to have a platform and just because it's a place where there's a lot of that culture thriving doesn't mean there's those opportunities,” Knapp said. “So it's really important for people to like actually want to put that work in and like provide those things for people.”
