Long Live the Vampyre: Alexis Pharae, Steward of Old-World Decadence
When folklore becomes culture, somebody had to build the ballroom
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
In 2026, the concept of a grand ball seems like something borrowed from the pages of a storybook. We imagine gowns sweeping across polished floors beneath the glitter of chandeliers, every guest dressed magnificently for the occasion. An extravagance from another age, preserved in old novels and period films, but absent from modern day life.
And yet, once a year, such a night awaits those fortunate enough to cross the threshold of Endless Night New England.
Several hundred guests arrive having spent months preparing for the occasion. Corsets are laced. Fangs catch the low light. Music spills across a ballroom transformed so completely that, until morning, the outside world feels centuries away.
An initiated Vampyre Priestess and the co-producer of the iconic Endless Night New England Vampire Ball, Alexis Pharae spends much of the year creating the elaborate gatherings that bring this international subculture together. In Salem, she and business partner Benjamin Addam are also proprietors of Vampfangs, the storied and beloved Salem institution that has been fitting fangs since 1993, now serving a broader culture through fashion and events.
We had the pleasure of speaking with Pharae about finding her place within Vampire culture and the role she now plays in shaping its future.
On the Road with the Oddities & Curiosities Expo
From a small hall in Tulsa to a multi-country tour, Michelle Cozzaglio takes us inside her traveling artist-led market grounded in community
By: The Lace Ledger Staff
It didn’t start as a multi-country tour. It started in a Legion in Tulsa, with a handful of vendors and a nagging concern, internally wagering whether anyone else would show up for something this specific.
They did. And, they kept coming back.
Since then, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo has grown in size and in reach, expanding across cities, borders and communities that all recognize the same pull. What began as a focused market has evolved into something larger, without losing the distinct feel that made it work in the first place.
At its core, it offers connection for a subculture that seeks the strange. A place to meet the artists, spend time with the work and be surrounded by people who already understand what drew you there.
We sat down with co-founder Michelle Cozzaglio to discuss how it all came together, and what it takes to keep that energy intact as it continues to grow.