PREVIEW: Merry Metal Market - Even the Merciless get Merry
11/29 @ No Fun, Troy
“There’s spooky markets, punk rock markets, and farmers’ markets, but none were heavy metal-centric in the Capital Region.”
As if its name didn’t make it apparent, Merciless Metal Market is not your typical Saturday morning market. You probably won’t find any vendors selling homemade jams or sourdough starters, but if you wanted a shrunken head, vintage metal t-shirt, or maybe some murder memorabilia, Merciless Metal Market is your place.
And now, Merciless Metal Market is getting into the holiday spirit. Sort of.
Saturday, November 29 is “Small Business Saturday." Falling the day after “Black Friday,” it’s a way to encourage shoppers to skip the big-box stores and shop local. This coming “Small Business Saturday,” Merciless Metal Market becomes Merry Metal Market. While not entirely holiday themed, Merry Metal Market is a great way to shop these unique vendors and access hard-to-find and sometimes strange items to cross off your shopping list.
In the past, these markets have been held at the Arts Center of the Capital Region with the afterparty at No Fun in Troy. For the Merry Metal Market, the entire event will be consolidated to No Fun.
Merciless Metal Market was created by Chris Carpentier. Carpentier developed a love for vintage items early on by seeing all of his grandfather's “old cool stuff.” Carpentier has been doing vintage markets for years, eventually expanding to fill a void that he saw in the market circuit.
“There are vintage markets, and then there is the punk rock flea market, which is sick, but I felt like there was no heavy metal-leaning market. There’s spooky markets, punk rock markets, and farmers’ markets, but none were heavy metal-centric in the Capital Region,” says Carpentier.
Mixing his vintage roots with his love of heavy metal, Carpentier set out to manifest his vision into reality. From the beginning, Carpentier knew that he wanted the heavy metal theme to ring true throughout the market, so choosing vendors, artisans, and sound engineers that would fit the bill was crucial. He began reaching out to friends he had made over the years and before long, the first Merciless Metal Market was taking place in conjunction with Wizard Fest, the annual festival put on by Wizard Burger and No Fun.
Merciless Metal Market is now a staple in the Capital District for vintage clothing, artwork, oddities and a bevy of other hard-to-find items, and the Merry Metal Market on November 29 looks to solidify that presence even further.
For those that don’t wish to be mired in holiday cheer while thrifting for some heavy metal t-shirts and artwork, fear not – Merry Metal Market will be the same Merciless Metal Market that you have grown to love, with no overarching holiday themes.
“It’s not a Christmas market — it just happens to fall during the holidays,” Carpentier assures me. “Some people may have some stuff of that sort, or others may be doing Krampus style screenprints, some might just be selling bones. I don’t know; I’m cool either way.”
We’re cool either way, too.
The market will be held on Saturday, 11/29 from 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., with an afterparty with live music.
