About The Grim Market

The woman behind the curtain is horror author Kelli Owen. A lifelong fan of the genre, she’s been attending conventions for over 25 years and has experienced them from both sides. She knows what it’s like to sit behind that table all day and how exciting it can be to shop those aisles.

How did we get here? Over two decades ago, Kelli created the large genre website Horror-Web (under the moniker HorrorWench) and has since experienced conventions as an attendee, press, helper, handler, and eventually (when she sold the website to concentrate on her writing) as a guest herself. Years of experience and saying, “If I ran a convention, I would…” culminated in Horror on Main. The weekend convention was unlike most others, not because it was woman-owned or woman-run, but because it examined horror as a community and didn’t treat its creators like commodities.

After Horror on Main 2025, there were a lot of calls for a second event. Rather than launching another full convention, we tested the waters with a vendor-only shopping event in November. It was wonderful. The vendors, attendees, environment, and atmosphere were pure joy wrapped up in a horror, Halloween, gothic, witchy vibe. With the hotel under renovations, we held off bringing in celebrities for Horror on Main in June and instead did a larger version of the vendor market as another test. The Grim Market passed both of those tests with flying colors, and after much discussion, The Grim Market is here to stay. There are plenty of other horror conventions out there, but not as many markets for the shadowy sides of the neighborhood, and that’s where we want to be — in the trenches with the creators and crafters. Horror on Main is on hold indefinitely, but The Grim Market will return every June and November.

By Kelli’s side are her partner Bob, her sister Jennifer, friends Robin and Susan, as well as a wonderful staff. Together, they bring their own talents and experience to every event. They’re fans of horror, Halloween, gothic, and witchy culture just like the people who walk through the doors, and they have a deep respect for the artists, authors, vendors, and creators who make this community what it is.