Haus of Beka at Joshfest 3: metal, markets and some excellent conversations

On Sunday 20 September, I took Haus of Beka to Joshfest 3 at The Fulford Arms in York. It was my first time trading at a gig, and I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. As it turns out: a full day of metal, a little market in the marquee, vegan tacos and some conversations I couldn’t have predicted if I’d tried.

Joshfest celebrates the life of Josh Adamson, a York musician and member of The Family Ruin who died in 2024. His friends started the event to remember him and keep people connected. This year, the proceeds went to Macmillan Cancer Support and Menfulness.

It was the first year Eye Roll Promotions brought traders along. Next to the bands’ merch, there were Phil and Greg’s horror T-shirts from Last Shirt on the Left, Ben’s band patches from Mercian Storm, Long Dog and Whisker with Tash and Mike, and my jewellery from Haus of Beka. Jon kept everyone fed with vegan tacos from Seasoning the Abyss.

There were plenty of metal kids about, including some jackets with a frankly impressive number of studs. Ben had a huge collection of band patches. Some of the band logos looked like someone had dropped a handful of white sticks on the floor, but I made myself proud by recognising quite a few. All those teenage and early-twenties years reading Kerrang! and Metal Hammer finally paid off.

Phil and Greg’s T-shirts were more familiar territory for me. Videodrome and John Carpenter’s The Thing were among the designs, both films I’ve loved since I was young. Brilliant shirts, and a real test of my ability to leave a market with less stock than I arrived with.

The stalls gave people somewhere to wander between bands, grab a taco and discover something they hadn’t planned to buy. A couple of drinks later, some of those discoveries became purchases. Funny how that happens. One dinosaur fan bought from both me and Long Dog and Whisker. A chap even got his ears repierced so he could wear one of Tash’s pigeon earrings. I do wonder how that felt the next morning.

We also met a wonderfully excitable woman we nicknamed Sparkles, who loved seemingly everything on the stalls and later brought her pug in to meet us. I had lots of lovely chats about my jewellery, including one about my fern necklaces that took an unexpected turn into spores, ancient plants and the fact that ferns were around before the dinosaurs. The chap bought a fern necklace afterwards, so perhaps botanical trivia is my new sales strategy.

The fern necklaces have been popular at every market so far, and I think I may be down to my last one. Time to make more.

I owe a particularly big thank-you to my friend Gina. She stayed up with me until midnight the night before, helping price stock and trying to solve the puzzle of fitting absolutely everything I own onto one table. It turned out I didn’t need to fit it all on after all, but at least she got a pad Thai out of the operation.

Gina was brilliant again on the day, helping me set up, keeping me supplied with snacks and drinks, and keeping me company while my husband was away on a work trip. I wasn’t sure how she’d feel about Joshfest: she’s much more Disney, pop and musicals princess than grungy metalhead. Being in the marquee gave us a bit of distance from the music inside, but she took the whole day in her stride. I couldn’t have asked for better company.

It was especially lovely to spend the day next to Tash, too. We often trade at the same markets but usually end up on opposite sides, so we rarely get a proper catch-up. I also saw people I’ve known since school, college and earlier in my career. There’s something rather nice about being part of a York scene where people you’ve known for years are making things, putting on events and showing up for one another.

The market was a new addition to Joshfest, so it had a different rhythm from a dedicated craft market. I made plenty of sales, had a great day and came home with new stories and fewer fern necklaces. Thank you to everyone who stopped by, to Gina for her help and company, and to everyone who made Joshfest happen.

Where to find me next

My next confirmed market is the Mystic Market at The Crescent on Halloween, 31 October, from 12 to 4 pm. There’ll be a whole collection of mystic, whimsical, witchy and alternative stallholders, so I’m really looking forward to it. The first 20 people to arrive in Halloween fancy dress will get a free goody bag, including some Haus of Beka stickers.

I’m also looking at a couple more markets around November and December as Christmas approaches. I’ll share the details once they’re confirmed. If you know a market where Haus of Beka would fit right in, give me a shout!