Blackcraft in Salem is one part Goth gift shop, one part coffee house, and one
part haunted attraction. I caught wind that Krampus would be there and was
bringing along some seasonal specialty drinks so we just had to visit for a
dose of Creepmas.
Blackcraft has been in Salem for about three years and despite me always
seeing stuff about them on social media, I've never visited.
They have the distinction of having the largest witch statue in town, which you can see hanging from the ceiling here. The store is huge and there's a lot of fun stuff to see. In addition to the clothing (they have their own brand!), coffee, and other ghoulish gifts, they go all out decorating for the spooky holiday vibe.
Blackcraft is in what used to be a bank. The former teller windows have had the glass removed and serve as the checkout counter. An employee told us of a particular spot at the counter where the floor dips slightly from people standing at the teller window over the decades. Here you can see the vaults.
This life-size (not made of) gingerbread house has got a lot going on.
There's some gingerbread punks running along the top and gingerbread bats
hanging from the roof.
I mentioned earlier, Blackcraft is also one part haunted attraction!
During the off season, you can do a walk through and take all the photos you
want. During Halloween season, it gets a little more intense by turning down
the lights and adding scare actors. Definitely need to check both versions out
when I have time.
In the back corner of the store is Blackcraft Coffee that has a witch's cottage design aesthetic. They offer the usual coffee house drinks but also have a variety of other offerings, even a couple inspired by local personalities like the Good Witch of Salem and Borah. Aside from that, they also have seasonal specialties like gingerbread lattes and some Krampus themed hot cocoa.
They have candy and treats for sale too including these Movie S'mores with some creative name/flavor combos.
I went with "Black Christmas" which is hot cocoa with toasted marshmallows, whipped cream, and a chocolate lump of coal. It was delicious! The cocoa was really good on its own. I hate when you get it somewhere and it just doesn't give you that joy of hot cocoa.
And then we got a photo with Krampus because how do you not? He was definitely a more beastly Krampus that didn't speak and communicated in loud grunts and howls. While we were waiting for our drink orders, he stormed up to the register, grunted something, and the cashier told him they were out then he got mad and stomped away.
As usual, I've got more pics on Flickr if you want to have a look.
Merry Creepmas!
